The perspectives of education stakeholders on the barriers to school finance reform in Texas.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine the historical processes and current barriers to reforming public school finance in the state of Texas. This study, a replication of a study conducted by Cruz (2006), sought to capture the perspectives of elected officials, senior staff members, political action groups, and educational advocates to gain insight into the barriers of public school finance reform. This study utilized a grounded theory approach to analyze participant responses gathered through interviews. The nature of the legislative process in Texas along with a need for visionary leadership and a legislative body that is regularly altered due to high turnover all contribute to delaying significant reforms in public school finance. In addition, the Texas State Legislature has become dependent on the pressure of litigation and court rulings to address the issues regarding public school funding. The voices of legislators, lobbyists, political action groups, policy drafters, and local school leaders give a robust picture of this process from the ideals to the reality of change in the public school system.