Poverty charges interest. Toddler mom, ED @WVCBP, friend to pups, aspiring Instagram food photographer
West Virginia, USA
Joined November 2010
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Kelly Allen retweeted
The public option got cut from the Affordable Care Act, but an obscure waiver that was included has since been used by 3 states to launch their own public options.
I wrote about these policy experiments and what they could mean for 2028 and beyond:
vox.com/policy/506744/health…
Kelly Allen retweeted
Georgia schools will lose roughly $300 million this year because of tax breaks for data centers, according to new data from @GoodJobsFirst. (Published in partnership with @AJC) buff.ly/qYmpzpQ
Kelly Allen retweeted
🆕 Head Start resource:
Rural kids make up 21% of those under 5 who are income-eligible for Head Start, but 73% of those for whom Head Start is the only licensed child care option available.
americanprogress.org/article…
Kelly Allen retweeted
We're seeing corporate profits hit all time highs, while corporate tax revenue drops thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. nytimes.com/2026/10/17/busin…
Me perpetually trying to distinguish between the Mason County (KY) data center and the Mason County (WV) data center. Big tax breaks either way :(
Proposed Mason County data center could get $50 million annual tax break, think tank estimates kentuckylantern.com/2026/10/… @KYLantern
Kelly Allen retweeted
NEW: ICE is trying to deport a mother of 4 while her husband is at Fort Benning in Army basic training. When she went to pick up the family's military IDs, Navy personnel turned her over to ICE. She's been in the US since age six. Story with @nancyayoussef theatlantic.com/politics/202…
Kelly Allen retweeted
#BREAKING: An Ohio appeals court unanimously ruled Thursday that the state’s EdChoice private-school voucher program violates the Ohio Constitution, affirming a lower court decision in a lawsuit backed by hundreds of public school districts. nbc4i.co/4zABVUI
Kelly Allen retweeted
If communities want small schools close to home, we can use our tax $$ to make it so. We can co-locate more services in schools w/ empty space (& do things like increase pre-K takeup). We don't need to jump to the most harmful option- unless goal is to decimate public schools.
Kelly Allen retweeted
People who say closing more schools is the only answer are lacking creativity, compassion, and data. Recent research shows school closures often don't save money at all and the harms they inflict on students and broader communities are great.
Kelly Allen retweeted
Is school building utilization a good measure for funding adequacy? While it may be a piece of the analysis, factors like staffing, course offerings, adequate resources for vulnerable populations (high-poverty, disability), and *what the community wants* cannot be disregarded.
Kelly Allen retweeted
Fox News poll:
Top concerns:
1. Corruption in government
2. Inflation and high prices
3. Gas prices
“If data centers are going to locate in WV, they could be a source of funding for schools at a time when it’s desperately needed. But all these tax breaks are standing in the way of making sure local communities and schools benefit from their development.”
Companies paying their full share of taxes “benefits everybody,” @kellakelWV told @The74, while philanthropic donations or sponsorships allow corporations to “pick and choose the things that they want to fund.” the74million.org/article/geo…
Kelly Allen retweeted
Companies paying their full share of taxes “benefits everybody,” @kellakelWV told @The74, while philanthropic donations or sponsorships allow corporations to “pick and choose the things that they want to fund.” the74million.org/article/geo…
Yes, you're highlighting that school funding has declined even MORE than the enrollment decline. Meanwhile, we have a higher % of children with specialized needs that require more resources. Foster care has increased exponentially, higher % of students with exceptionalities, etc.
Not just that. No fire safety standards, no heath and safety inspections, no curriculum standards, no teaching qualifications, no accreditation standards, no assessments, no $$ oversight, no discrimination protections, no disability protections
Is school building utilization a good measure for funding adequacy? While it may be a piece of the analysis, factors like staffing, course offerings, adequate resources for vulnerable populations (high-poverty, disability), and *what the community wants* cannot be disregarded.
People who say closing more schools is the only answer are lacking creativity, compassion, and data. Recent research shows school closures often don't save money at all and the harms they inflict on students and broader communities are great.
Be skeptical of any analysis that doesn't adjust for inflation or note key external events during the analysis timeline. No, WV isn't spending "more than ever on public schools". State share of school aid funding is 17% below 2009 levels; total (state + local) spending down 11%.
Enrollment is down across the nation, not just in the Mountain State. On average, our school buildings sit half-empty. Meanwhile, West Virginia taxpayers are spending more on public schools, and for fewer students, than ever before.
Despite the siren song of the tax-and-spend left, simply spending more on government-run education will do nothing to fix the inherent flaws in our school funding formula or help our kids succeed. State lawmakers should swiftly take bold action to fund students, not systems while ensuring parents direct every dollar.