Michelle Rhee missed the mark in contributing to an informed debate about education reform with this Olympics-themed video, which features an overweight man floundering through a gymnastics routine and twirling ribbons to the jeers of an off-camera audience as a supposed metaphor for the state of our nation's education system. The video is wrong on so many levels, not the least of which is misunderstanding what truly ails our education system and the necessary steps to fix it.

In the National OTL Campaign's first webinar, we explored the issue of education redlining, in which bad policies systematically deny certain communities the educational resources and opportunities they need to prepare their children for success in school and in life. Attendees learned how to identify disparities in resources in their local schools with the help of a variety of tools, and we discussed strategies for bringing their research to the attention of the local media, policymakers and advocacy groups. 

In a clear case of education redlining, a much smaller percentage of students of color in Fairfax County, VA, are identified as gifted compared to their white peers, meaning fewer are given access to the advanced programs and resources necessary to gain admission to prestigious schools. In response, The Coalition of the Slience, a local advocacy group, and the Fairfax chapter of the NAACP have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education. 

In difficult economic times, we as a nation need to provide all children, especially those in struggling communities, with access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed in school and in life. In a CNN op-ed, Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, Senior Pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, points to the National Opportunity to Learn Campaign's "2020 Vision Roadmap: A Pre-K Through Postsecondary Blueprint for Educational Success " as the systemic approach we need to reform our nation's education system and combat structural inequities.

Calling all parents, teachers, students and education activists! Join us on Tuesday, July 24th, at 2 p.m. for a free webinar on education redlining! Redlining is the unethical practice of limiting residents' access to vital services in certain communities. And it's happening in cities and schools across the country. We'll give you the tools and resources you need to assess where it's taking place and action steps you and other education justice advocates can take to expose redlining and put an end to it. Sign up today!

One year of slight increases in state education aid isn't enough to make up for years of budget cuts and a property tax cap that limits the power of communities to help their local schools. Wisconsin needs to prioritize its children and its public schools, or else everyone will end up paying for it in the long run.

Southern states are doing a particularly unfair job providing their students with educational resources and opportunities. A recent report from the Education Law Center, "Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card," provides statistics and analysis of the fairness of school funding formulas for every state. The Institute for Southern Studies has examined the data further and says that Southern states have some serious work to do in order to ensure every student has a fair opportunity to learn. 

Diane Ravitch thinks Louisiana might just make the cut as the "worst state in the nation" in terms of its commitment (or lack thereof) to fostering a strong public education system that serves the needs of all students.

Far too many states continue to deny public schools the essential resources they need to provide every child with a fair and substantive opportunity to learn. The Second Edition of Education Law Center's Is School Funding Fair? A National Report Card rates the 50 states on the basis of four "fairness indicators" - funding level, funding distribution, state fiscal effort, and public school coverage - and provides the most in-depth analysis to date of state education finance systems.