A Think Twice Review of:

Review of Find Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools

Think Twice - Mar 29, 2022

Publisher/Think Tank - Urban Institute

Author(s) - Claire Mackevicius

A recent Urban Institute report analyzing the role of Parent Teacher Organizations and similar groups in Illinois echoes and amplifies the existing critique of private fundraising: that it exacerbates inequitable school funding.

Reviewer(s) - Maia Cucchiara,Temple University

Maia Cucchiara, a professor at Temple University, reviewed Documenting Inequitable Patterns in Spending by Parent Teacher Associations, Parent Teacher Organizations, and “Friends of” Fundraising Groups at Illinois Public Schools, and found that problems with its analysis and presentation of the data undercut its conclusions about the impact of this fundraising.