ABSTRACT
In the 2004 American Education Finance Association Yearbook, editors DeMoss and Wong (2004) argue for studying the issues and conflicts that lie at the intersection of law, finance, and politics because “funding education in the United States is a highly political issue” (p. xv). The yearbook presents chapters on topics such as the politics of teachers unions, funding of special education, school infrastructure litigation, and case studies of various states including Massachusetts, Texas, and New Jersey—all written by noted scholars in the field. While comprehensively compiled, the yearbook is, nonetheless, devoid of any substantial analysis or discussion of a history of racism vis-à-vis the courts; that is, the key players who inserted civil rights discourses into the policy debate, the impact of money, power, and race on the provision of education.
