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Articles by Mark Weber
NEPC Review: Fiscal Factbook: 2025 Edition (EdChoice, July 2025). [Reprint].
Mark Weber is the Special Analyst for Education Policy at the New Jersey Policy Perspective, and a Lecturer at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he earned his PhD. Weber also works as a public school teacher in Warren Township, NJ. His research projects include the School Finance Indicators Database, the nation’s most comprehensive source of school finance data and analysis.
Resetting School Funding for New Jersey’s Next Decade
Based on Estimating the Costs of an Adequate Education in New Jersey[1] by Dr. Bruce D. Baker, University of Miami. Key Findings New Jersey’s school funding formula shortchanges schools serving students from low-income families by about $5,300 per student. This underfunding leaves 80 percent of Black and Latinx/Hispanic students in schools without enough resources.
How Does New Jersey Fund Its Schools — And How Can We Make It Fairer? - New Jersey Policy Perspective
New Jersey leads the nation in education spending and student achievement.[1] In 2024, for example, New Jersey eighth graders ranked among the top three states in both mathematics and reading on national tests.[2] Much of the success of New Jersey’s schools can be attributed to the strong effort it makes to fund its schools: the state spends more on K-12 education, as a percentage of its economy, than any other state in the nation.[3] Despite these successes, New Jersey faces a persistent...
Memphis-xAI
The NAACP and an environmental group say they intend to sue Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI over concerns about air pollution generated by a supercomputer near predominantly Black communities in Memphis. The groups on Tuesday accused xAI of pushing ahead to operate gas turbines in violation of the Clean Air Act. The turbines release air pollution near predominantly Black communities.
Does School Funding Matter in a Pandemic? COVID-19 Instructional Models and School Funding Adequacy
The closing of schools at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020 is arguably one of the most consequential events in the history of American education. A research consensus is emerging that finds that remote schooling during the 2020–2021 school year had a pronounced effect on the academic progress and mental health of students.
New Jersey Pensions Are the Least Generous in the U.S. For New Teachers
Every child deserves a high-quality education, and every teacher who dedicates their career to this mission deserves financial security in retirement. Yet, in New Jersey, new teachers are getting a raw deal. As the state struggles with a growing teacher shortage, one major barrier to recruitment and retention is compensation — not just salaries, but also retirement benefits.
Eliminating the U.S. Department of Education Would Devastate New Jersey’s Communities
Today, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to direct Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin taking steps to close the U.S. Department of Education (USED). The executive order’s directive to “ensure the effective and uninterrupted delivery of services, programs, and benefits on which Americans rely” would be impossible without full staffing and funding for the Department’s experts.
Dismantling U.S. Dept. of Ed. is Costly and Inefficient for New Jersey
A strong education system is fundamental to opportunity, economic mobility, and the long-term success of our communities. The Trump Administration’s efforts to weaken or dismantle the U.S. Department of Education (USED) raise both legal and policy concerns. Only an act of Congress can dissolve the Department; until then, the President has an obligation to keep it staffed and fully functioning.
New Jersey Must Embrace an Educational Policy of Inclusion, Truth, Respect, and Academic Excellence
Yesterday, President Donald Trump signed three executive orders to direct federal agencies to “end indoctrination” in K-12 education, investigate campus protests, and enact a federal school choice voucher initiative. These orders seek to block federal funding for schools that affirm transgender students’ gender identity, censor the teaching of American history, specifically on race and slavery, and direct the Department of Education to prioritize school choice in discretionary grant programs.
Reforming School Funding in New Jersey: Equity For Taxpayers, Excellence For Students
Executive Summary There is growing consensus among New Jersey’s legislators, school leaders, educators, and other stakeholders: It’s time for the legislature to implement long-needed changes to its K-12 funding law, the School Funding Reform Act (SFRA). This report provides guidance for revising SFRA, focusing specifically on the issue of school revenues.
No Matter What You Call Them, Private School Vouchers Are Bad for New Jersey
New Jersey’s public schools are among the strongest in the nation, a direct result of robust state funding that supports districts and students in every corner of the state.
Unlocking Academic Success: Revitalizing New Jersey’s School Funding Formula for Student Achievement
All students, regardless of their background, should have access to a high-quality education to help them reach their full potential. In the past few years, New Jersey has moved steadily toward fully funding its schools through the 2008 School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), the state’s school finance law. This landmark legislation requires funding alignment with student outcomes.
Evaluating Research That Alleges Funding Disparities Between Charter and District Schools
Over the past decade, think tanks and other organizations that advocate for charter schools have published a series of publications that purport to show large funding disparities between charter and district public schools, to the detriment of charter schools. These reports all tend to suffer from similar flaws in methodology—flaws that are significant enough to render their conclusions invalid.
Does School Funding Matter In a Pandemic? COVID-19 Instructional Models and School Funding Adequacy
Home Does School Funding Matter In a Pandemic? COVID-19 Instructional Models and School Funding Adequacy Search EdWorkingPapers Search EdWorkingPapers by author, title, or keywords. Search 02/2023 The factors that influenced school districts’ decisions to offer virtual, hybrid, or in-person instruction during the 2020-21 school year—the first full school year after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic—have been the focus of a large body of research in recent years.
New Jersey’s Black Students Suffer a Decline in Access to School Mental Health Staff
Concern about the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with renewed fears about school shootings, have put the mental health of New Jersey’s students into the spotlight.[i] Federal data show 74 percent of public schools in the Northeast report an increase in students seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic.[ii] The state Legislature has responded by introducing several bills that directly address the need for schools to take an active role in identifying and...
New Jersey’s Teacher Pipeline: The Decline in Teacher Candidates Continues
A teacher shortage is hitting the nation, and New Jersey is no exception.[1] The problem has become so widespread that the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Public Schools recently held hearings on the issue, at which school leaders described shrinking hiring pools, fewer certificated teachers being available as long-term substitutes, and a surge of retirements. [2] Schools can adequately replace these teachers if enough well-educated workers consider a career in public education.
New Jersey School Funding: The Higher the Goals, the Higher the Costs
Executive Summary New Jersey benefits when all children receive a quality education, allowing them to lead fulfilling and productive lives. Since the passage of the 2008 School Funding Reform Act (SFRA), which determines the allocation of school aid, school standards have become more rigorous. Yet, many schools are not receiving the level of funding needed to teach to these more demanding standards. This report outlines changes in New Jersey’s learning standards since 2008.
Top 5 podcasts of 2021: ‘The Report Card’ with Nat Malkus
Blog Post December 22, 2021 This blog post is part of AEI’s Best Podcasts of 2021 series. Click here to see other AEI podcast hosts’ favorite episodes of the year. On “The Report Card,” AEI’s education policy podcast, I interview education experts who are tackling bold and innovative projects in schools, conducting important research, and sharing their takes on the most important challenges facing schools, teachers, families, and students.
Informing Federal School Finance Policy with Empirical Evidence
introduction This article explains the process behind estimating a National Education Cost Model (NECM) and generating from that model projections of per-pupil costs to achieve 2016 national average outcomes (reading and math grades 3 to 8) across all districts in the United States, from 2019–20 to 2020–21.
Separate and Unequal: Racial and Ethnic Segregation and the Case for School Funding Reparations in New Jersey
Reinforced by racial segregation and income inequality, the U.S. public schooling system is one of the most unequal in the industrialized world – and New Jersey is no exception.
The Consequences of School Underfunding
New Jersey makes a relatively strong effort to fund its schools, but many school districts remain chronically underfunded according to state law. This underfunding manifests itself in a variety of ways, including less competitive teacher wages, lower test scores, and larger class sizes.[1] School underfunding, however, has other consequences that aren’t always immediately apparent.
Forestburg’s Area 53 Racetrack gears up for action-packed season
Excitement is building as staff and organizers at Area 53 Raceway near Forestburg gear up for an action-packed summer of racing. “It was a group of local people who wanted to utilize an airport that wasn’t being used anymore – we started up a drag strip out of it and (it) was really all volunteers,” explained Corey Kozey, Area 53’s manager, referring to the beginnings of the facility.
Big increase in Eden Prairie firearm permits in 2020
Eden Prairie last year experienced a huge jump in firearm permits, similar to what was seen in Minnesota and nationwide. The Eden Prairie Police Department processed 1,029 applications for permission to purchase a firearm, which was more than the total numbers in 2018 and '19 combined. In 2019, the department processed 311 permit applications; in 2018 the number was 340.
Vehicle stolen with dog inside
Eden Prairie Police are looking for a car - and the dog that was inside it - taken from a local gas station Monday evening. At around 7 p.m. on Feb. 15, a 2002 tan-colored Toyota Camry with a Minnesota license plate, 593-UND, was stolen from the Holiday gas station at 8051 Flying Cloud Drive. The vehicle had been left running with keys in the ignition. Inside the car was the owner's dog, a Weimaraner breed that answers to the name of "Bevis." He was wearing a blue and red bandana, as pictured here.
Big jump in number of ash trees infested by EAB
There's a sharp increase in the number of Eden Prairie trees infested with the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive beetle known to damage ash trees and spread quickly. The numbers are adding urgency to the City of Eden Prairie's response: ask property owners to treat undamaged ash trees and remove the infested trees that have been marked with an orange ring of paint.
Human Rights Award nominations sought
The City of Eden Prairie is now accepting nominations for the annual Human Rights Award, which recognizes inspiring efforts that work to promote human rights and diversity, and to create an inclusive community spirit. Awards are given to an outstanding individual, nonprofit organization, youth, and business. Consider submitting a nomination for review by the Eden Prairie Human Rights and Diversity Commission. The deadline for nominations is 4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28.
Eden Prairie Local News
COVID-19 vaccinations have made their way to Eden Prairie, even as issues related to the roll-out and supplies persist. Residents and employees of long-term care centers have been getting the shots, including last week at Elim Shores, where 104 residents, staff and essential family members were vaccinated, and a few days earlier at Prairie Bluffs Senior Living, where 110 people were vaccinated.
Small drop in city tax is forecast for median-value EP home
The city portion of property taxes on a median-value Eden Prairie home is expected to drop slightly with the 2021 budget approved last month by the city council. It's another sign that city operations are gradually getting back to normal after a tumultuous year of COVID-19 and its effect on revenue generators like the Eden Prairie Community Center. The city budget approved Dec. 1 is a little more than $53 million, or about 2.8 percent higher than last year. That requires a tax levy of $38.7 million.
2020: A year of yin and yang
Ancient Chinese philosophy calls it yin and yang - the concept of dualism, or how seemingly opposite or contrary forces may actually be complementary. Yin and yang were everywhere in the very difficult year of 2020. Here are two examples: As the leader of a nonprofit, the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, I saw extremely generous support in 2020 from people who had never previously given to the Foundation.
Race-equity project resumes after bump at city council
An initiative to address issues of race and equity in Eden Prairie is back on track after momentary objections from two city council members. The objections focused on the cost and purpose of a consultant that the city's Human Rights and Diversity Commission had sought to hire to help with the initiative, launched following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 and subsequent protests and unrest.
Foundations, Onward EP collaborate on homelessness effort
The Edina Realty Foundation, the Eden Prairie Community Foundation, and Onward Eden Prairie are collaborating to provide $9,000 to help precariously housed young adults in 2021. The funds will pay for stable housing and support services for young-adult residents of the Onward House, which is run by the nonprofit Onward Eden Prairie.
Eden Prairie Liquor taking online orders starting Jan. 3
Eden Prairie residents will soon be able to order beer, wine, and spirits from the city's liquor stores without leaving home. Jan. 3 is the launch date of www.shopepliquor.com, an e-commerce operation the City of Eden Prairie has been working on for almost two years, according to Jaime Urbina, the operations manager for Eden Prairie Liquor.
EPCF taking grant applications till Dec. 23
The application period for 2021 direct grants from the Eden Prairie Community Foundation ends on Dec. 23. Awards will be presented next spring. Application materials can be found online at www.epcommunityfoundation.org. To see if your organization qualifies, take the Eligibility Quiz at https://bit.ly/2QMh37F. The Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in direct grants since its formation, with 550 grants going to about 100 different nonprofits and agencies serving Eden Prairie.
EPLN featured in free Jan. 7 program
The ongoing work to establish the Eden Prairie Local News as the primary source of local reporting will be the topic of a free Zoom event planned for 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 7, by the Eden Prairie Community Foundation. The public program features Jenifer Loon, who leads the working group that has created EPLN, being interviewed by Foundation Executive Director Mark Weber, who is also a member of that working group.
Tickets on sale for Jan. 28 Sisters of Swing concert
The Eden Prairie A.M. Rotary Club and Sisters of Swing are presenting the music of The Andrews Sisters and the swing era in a high-energy livestreamed concert on Jan. 28. A bit like today, the 1930s and ’40s were hard times for many folks. The Andrews Sisters, with their upbeat and airtight harmonies, brought joy and inspiration to an entire generation of Americans. Today, Lisa Richter, Aimee Lee, and Kathy Mueller bring that music back to life with all of the same energy.
LRT taking shape: More development and transportation options ahead?
A bit of Eden Prairie crystal-ball gazing in the early 1970s is proving more accurate than many might have guessed. When the city’s Major Center Area Task Force in 1973 concluded its work to guide future development of the area surrounding Eden Prairie Shopping Center, it hoped that options like personal rapid transit or what it called Computer Automated Transit Systems (CATS) would be part of the system to keep traffic moving.
School Funding in New Jersey: A Fair Future for All
This is Part 1: Series Overview and a Plan for the Future of School Funding in New Jersey: A Fair Future for All. Click the links below to access Parts 2 through 5.
State school finance inequities and the limits of pursuing teacher equity through departmental regulation
The PDF file you selected should load here if your Web browser has a PDF reader plug-in installed (for example, a recent version of Adobe Acrobat Reader). If you would like more information about how to print, save, and work with PDFs, Highwire Press provides a helpful Frequently Asked Questions about PDFs. Alternatively, you can download the PDF file directly to your computer, from where it can be opened using a PDF reader. To download the PDF, click the Download link above.
Commentary: At its finest, the Eden Prairie News helped us navigate thorny issues. We’ll miss that
I’m told the Eden Prairie News will cease to exist after April 30. As someone who was part of the Eden Prairie News staff for 34 years of its 46-year history, I feel qualified to give the eulogy. As a reporter and then editor at the Eden Prairie News in the late-1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s, I saw community newspapers at their high point: creative, relevant, and profitable.
Commentary: Give to the Foundation and the impact spreads throughout Eden Prairie
As you read this, an Eden Prairie nonprofit is counseling a teenager on self-worth so he gets into fewer fights at school. Another local nonprofit is providing improved shelter facilities tonight to women and their children who are in an abusive relationship. Still another Eden Prairie social-services group is helping older adults in need cope with increasing utility bills by tapping a new, emergency assistance fund.
The SCCA Runoffs is like Woodstock for car lovers
Every year since 1964, the Sports Car Club of America invites the nation’s best amateur road racers for a one-race grudge match to decide who’s best. The result is three days of the year’s finest road racing. The Runoffs move each year to a different track to make sure the locals don’t have an advantage and in October 2019, the Runoffs were held at Virginia International Raceway, a challenging 3.27-mile road course in the pastures of southern Virginia.
Commentary: We’re surrounded by philanthropists - are you one?
Chances are, you’re an Eden Prairie philanthropist and you don’t even know it. A philanthropist is someone who seeks to help others, especially by donating money, talent or time to good causes. That’s you, right? At some point, you’ve probably given to the Eden Prairie Community Foundation or to PROP, the local food shelf. Or maybe to the American Cancer Society, the United Way, or the Salvation Army. If so, you’re a philanthropist.
Commentary: Have an impact on the future of Eden Prairie
You wouldn’t know it by driving through its neighborhoods, but in Eden Prairie there are young people who are living in their car, couch-hopping from one friend’s home to another, or seeking shelter in Minneapolis or St. Paul. That’s why it’s so gratifying for the Eden Prairie Community Foundation to have played a small part in the recent formation of Onward Eden Prairie, a new nonprofit that’s already working to help young adults who are homeless or experiencing insecure housing.
Winners battle back Saturday during Hoosier Super Tour at Hallett
The word "invigorating" applied to both the weather and racing Saturday during the opening day of Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour competition at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, a race weekend hosted by the SCCA's Ark Valley Race Group. Morning qualifying was greeted by chilly temperatures hovering in the 20-degree range. But things managed to warm up a bit as racing started in the early afternoon.
Commentary: Change is afoot, but not for the values that got Eden Prairie here
Rapid growth since 1980 has transformed Eden Prairie from a one-stoplight community of garden farms and gravel pits to one of the most livable mid-size suburbs in the country.We have top-notch local government, excellent schools, modern neighborhoods and one of the best parks-and-recreation systems around. We're a community that loves its kids, high school football team and high-end coffee drinks.
Second day of Hoosier Super Tour Racing at Sebring
The first Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA Super Tour weekend of the year is in the books, but only after another fantastic day of competition Sunday on the 3.7-mile, 17-turn Sebring International Raceway at an event hosted by the SCCA's Central Florida Region. Mark Boden was the big winner on the weekend as he managed to win three of the four races in which he competed.
A history worth honoring
The Minnesota Vikings have a long history in Eden Prairie: Of their 56 years as an NFL franchise, 36 of those have been anchored in Eden Prairie, where the team has its offices, practice fields and other facilities.But nothing is forever, and the Vikings next spring will move to Eagan, where they are constructing office and practice facilities on a much bigger scale than could be accommodated at their current Eden Prairie location.It would be easy to let this change of address pass without...
A history worth honoring
The Minnesota Vikings have a long history in Eden Prairie: Of their 56 years as an NFL franchise, 36 of those have been anchored in Eden Prairie, where the team has its offices, practice fields and other facilities.But nothing is forever, and the Vikings next spring will move to Eagan, where they are constructing office and practice facilities on a much bigger scale than could be accommodated at their current Eden Prairie location.It would be easy to let this change of address pass without...
COMMENTARY: Vikings have been a part of EP’s history, and that’s worth honoring
(tncms-asset)cc373ce6-b2ba-11e7-a992-00163ec2aa77[0](/tncms-asset) The Minnesota Vikings have a long history in Eden Prairie: Of their 56 years as an NFL franchise, 36 of those have been anchored in Eden Prairie, where the team has its offices, practice fields and other facilities.But nothing is forever, and the Vikings next spring will move to Eagan, where they are constructing office and practice facilities on a much bigger scale than could be accommodated at their current Eden Prairie...
Who will win the SCCA Runoffs? Part 4: Formula classes
This week we've been previewing the SCCA National Championship Runoffs, which takes place Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2017, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We've covered all of the production-based and tube-frame classes, plus Spec Racers and Formula Enterprises, so today we look at all of the remaining Formula classes plus the Prototypes. Who will win come race day? With no home track advantage this year, it's impossible to tell, but here's who we think will run up front.
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