The Facts

Reports

School Facilities

Conditions of America's Schools

By Health, Educations and Human Services Division
United States Government Accounting Office (report from 1995)
02/01/2005
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The nation has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in school infrastructure to create an environment where children can be properly educated and prepared for the future. Almost exclusively a state and local responsibility, this infrastructure requires maintenance and capital investment. However, public concern is growing that while laws require
children to attend school, some school buildings may be unsafe or even harmful to children’s health. This report analyzes the deterioration of public school building infrastructure and explains the hazards association with these buildings. more »

Trends in College Pricing 2007

By College Board
10/22/2007
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Outlines changes in the pricing of post-secondary education in the United States over the course of the last decade. more »

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Fast Facts

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Alex Carter's picture

CAF STAFF

Compared to other countries, U.S. flunks in teacher pay

Submitted by Alex Carter
April 2nd, 2008

In South Korea and Germany, starting salaries for teachers are about 141% of per capita GDP, while the figure for the United States is only 81%; in fact, all countries in this sample pay their teachers a significantly higher relative wage as a starting salary compared to the United States.

Source
Joydeep Roy. "Compared to other countries, U.S. flunks in teacher pay." Economic Policy Institute. 2 April 2008. http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/webfeatures_snapshots_20080402.
Molly Swartz's picture

CAF STAFF

WIth one day of Iraq War funding could have...

Submitted by Molly Swartz
March 25th, 2008

With one day of Iraq War funding we could have hired 6,921 new public school teachers for a year.

Source
The 2008 Statistical Abstract. Education: Elementary and Secondary Education: Staff and Finances. Table 245. Average Salary and Wages Paid in Public School Systems: 1985 to 2005. http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/08s0245.pdf
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Fact Sheets and Briefs

College: Soaring Out of Reach for Families

The dream of a college education is being priced out of reach for more and more American students and their families. Tuition is rising while wages are flat or sinking. Conservatives in Congress have responded by cutting $12 billion from federal student loan programs and raising loan interest rates for student and their parents. Conservatives in state governments have cut back funding for colleges, passing more costs to families in the form of increased tuitions and fees. See below to find out how your representative voted. more »

The Benefits of High-Quality Pre-K

The Benefits of High-Quality Pre-K

Pre-k benefits children, their families, and their communities. From improved academic outcomes to the economic savings to schools and states, the benefits of high-quality pre-k are irrefutable. more »

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Public Pulse

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Alex Carter's picture

CAF STAFF

Parents are Very Concerned about Paying for Their Children's College

Submitted by Alex Carter
April 14th, 2008

According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 70 percent of parents surveyed were “very concerned” about how they would pay for college; only 6 percent were not concerned.

Source
Jonathan D. Glater. "Fewer Options Open to Pay for Costs of College." New York Times. April 12, 2008.
Alex Carter's picture

CAF STAFF

Investing in smaller classes and better teachers attracts wide support.

Submitted by Alex Carter
March 14th, 2008

-95% of Americans believe smaller class sizes would be effective in attracting and retaining teachers, and 87% believe higher salaries for beginning teachers would accomplish the same. (Gallup, September 2007)

Source
“The 39th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward The Public Schools,” Lowell C. Rose & Alec M. Gallup, September 2007. http://www.pdkmembers.org/members_online/publications/e-GALLUP/kpoll_pdfs/pdkpoll39_2007.pdf.
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