Equity Alliance for LA’s Kids - Investing in Kids is Investing in All of Us

Desired Impact

We believe public education plays a significant role in eliminating poverty and racism for the future of all Angelenos.

The Key Issue

A major problem is the historic disinvestment in schools that has led to under resourced and constrained schools perpetuating inequity for Black and Latino students, often rendering them invisible. This has only solidified the achievement gap.

In addition, issues like gun violence, trauma and asthma substantially produce negative effects on our student’s ability to learn. The Department of Public Health (DPH) has submitted a letter with supporting evidence and research which highlight the negative effects these conditions have on student learning and achievement.

Today we see an unconscionable concentration of high and highest-need schools in parts of the district, thus we need a concentration of resources to address those specific needs of high and highest-need school in particular regions of the district.

Our Ask

The kids earned this funding! Starting from 2013 they have earned over $1 billion per year through LCFF (local control funding formula).
- The Governor is proposing to fully fund LCFF this year reinforcing his statement, “equal treatment for children in unequal situations is not justice.” We ask LAUSD to adopt the “SENI 2.0” (Students Equity Needs Index) as the primary means for identifying high and highest-needs schools allocating LCFF investments.
SENI 2.0 is ready for use! We must leverage this improved equity funding tool and begin focusing on our concentration of high and highest-need Elementary, Middle and High Schools to improve enrollment and increase funding.
- We have been negotiating the indicators with LAUSD for over a year. We are open to some adjustment but for the most part it is ready for use.

We’re offering a two-step approach.
- 1) For the 2018/19 LAUSD budget, will demand an equity-based funding formula immediately allocate $100 million LCFF Funds from Governor Brown’s proposed budget and any new dollars from the State May Revise to all high and highest-need schools.
- 2) Starting in 2019/20 LAUSD budget, begin and moving forward, continue to utilize the equity-based funding formula to increase the allocation to approximately $300 million.
Not just about the dollars. We’re seeking to help high and highest-need schools improve outcomes by offering a “Menu of Options” that are evidence-based and aligned with community needs.
- We need to ensure that the money allocated for the concentration of highest-need schools goes directly to impact students and gets us closer to closing the achievement gap for black and brown high need students.