Alabamas education funding formula must change to empower all our children: op-ed [Video]

This is a guest opinion column

Hundreds of students from a variety of family backgrounds with individual needs cross school thresholds daily across Alabama. Understanding that education is only part of a student’s well-being, educators and schools are encouraged to provide opportunities for every student. This means considering a student’s needs holistically.

For example, if a student comes to school hungry or in a state of hypervigilance due to abuse, bullying, or other trauma, she will have a difficult time paying attention and learning. Such needs must first be addressed before the student can be expected to function appropriately in a classroom environment.

While we encourage educators and schools to approach students holistically based on needs, we don’t ask for the same from our outdated education funding system.

This system determines how much money each school district receives from the state’s education budget. It is a system driven by numbers rather than students’ unique needs. It …