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Funding Public K-12 Education in Rhode Island: Conversation Toolkit
Share your perspective, and big ideas, on what a fair and effective funding formula looks like for Rhode Island’s students and educators.
In late 2024, the Foundation partnered with the nationally recognized Annenberg Institute at Brown University ("Annenberg") to undertake an effort to study, assess, and make recommendations for an improved, equitable public education funding formula in Rhode Island.
We decided to embark on this work because we know that education is the great equalizer. It is the cornerstone of healthy and prosperous communities. It supports growth, creates opportunities, enhances economic mobility, and produces healthy people and strong communities. A thriving state depends on a public education system working equitably and urgently to prepare all students to succeed in life and access pathways to opportunity.
Helping to guide this work is a Blue Ribbon Commission, comprised of local education leaders and trusted community partners. The Commission is co-chaired by David N. Cicilline, president and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation, and Nora E. Gordon, Distinguished Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy.
The Commission's work will culminate in a report later in 2025 that includes recommendations for an improved education funding formula for Rhode Island. The report will incorporate feedback from local and national experts, stakeholders, community members, working groups, and the public.
Here's where you come in
The Blue Ribbon Commission, Rhode Island Foundation, and Annenberg are encouraging community groups and individuals to engage in this process by submitting their perspectives on what a fair and effective funding formula looks like.
With this toolkit, available in English and in Spanish, you’ll be able to brainstorm on your own, or convene a conversation with colleagues, friends, neighbors, or relatives to offer your perspective on what a fair and effective public education funding formula looks like in Rhode Island. All submissions from the community will inform the final report.
Read on to learn more about Rhode Island’s education funding formula, to start a conversation on this topic, and to submit your ideas for funding formula improvements.
Before beginning a conversation about what a fair and effective funding formula looks like for Rhode Island’s students and educators, it may be helpful to review a set of slides, available here in English and here in Spanish, that offer a high-level look at how our state's education funding formula works.
What is the purpose of this conversation?
To collect input on what makes a fair and effective funding formula.
When is the right time of day or day of the week for this conversation? Should the conversation be in-person or virtual?
This is up to your schedule and what you think might work best for your guests.
What information do my guests need so that they can participate?
This is about logistics. Location, date and time, transportation, a virtual meeting room login, and any background information from this toolkit that you’d like to provide ahead of time.
How will we capture recommendations to submit?
Take good notes during your conversation, and then upload your ideas to the submission form. Or, open the submission form during your meeting and type your responses right into it. The form is available here in English and here in Spanish.
What will the follow-up be for the people who attend?
Consider sharing the draft responses with the group that you convene before submitting your ideas.
Welcome
The host welcomes everyone to the conversation and shares the purpose of meeting, and what guests should anticipate doing while they are together.
Introductions
Ask your guests to be as present for the conversation as possible. If appropriate, provide an opportunity for guests to briefly introduce themselves.
Conversation agreements
Setting conversation agreements is important for equitable dialogue. Hosts can provide them beforehand and ask for guest feedback, or the group can develop a set of agreements when they are together. Here are some examples: Leave your stripes at the door. Show respect and reserve judgment. Be curious and listen to understand. Be authentic. Note areas of agreement and disagreement.
Conversation prompts
After the host opens the conversation, consider walking through the prompts and questions included in the next section of this toolkit.
Closing
Thank everyone for joining and note next steps for participants.
Feel free to use the conversation prompts that follow to guide your discussion.
- Share your favorite memory from grade school.
- In recalling your school experience, did you have all the resources and supports while in school that you needed to succeed? If not, what was missing?
- What do you think it means for students to get a good education?
- How do you know when students are getting a good education?
- Do you think schools are being sufficiently funded now in Rhode Island?
- What is working, and what isn’t working?
- In your opinion how should state and local government share the cost of public education?
- In your opinion what would it look like for students living in poverty, multilingual learners, and students with special needs to be served well by Rhode Island’s public schools?
- How should state and local government share the costs associated with school transportation, and school buildings?
- When thinking about school funding, how should the state and local government plan for unexpected costs associated with short-term and longer-term changes in community needs (such as changes in enrollment)?
- How should dollars flow to public charter schools? How should dollars flow to public career and technical education programs?
Take good notes during your conversation, and then upload your ideas to the submission form. Or, open the submission form during your meeting and type your responses right into it. The form is available here in English and here in Spanish.
Share your ideas
Rhode Island has a unique opportunity to develop a new approach to funding public education that promotes equal educational opportunities to every single student in our state. While Annenberg, the Commission, and local stakeholders are drawing on national evidence and their own experience and expertise to inform recommendations, community voices are also needed as part of this effort.
To submit your input on what a fair, effective public education funding formula looks like for Rhode Island, please navigate to the submission form and offer your feedback by Friday, May 30, 2025. The submission form is available here in English, and here in Spanish.
Ideas presented through the submission form will be shared with the Blue Ribbon Commission and Annenberg.
With questions or for assistance using this tool kit please contact Annie Pease at apease@rifoundation.org.
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