Education
Reform …
In
order for individuals to survive and thrive in modern America they
need to have some form of education or training. In order for our society to do the same we
need to have a population that has the preparation and ability to adapt and
innovate in rapidly changing political and economic environments. Most of us in the industrialized world have
moved beyond the lifestyle where such training can occur in informal
settings. We need to have institutions
or mechanisms to educate and train our citizens in order to prepare them for
jobs and careers that allow them to support themselves (and possibly their
families) as well as to contribute to the success of the economy as a
whole.
For
decades the public school system, supported by some private schools (often
religious in nature) was viewed as a strength of our nation. During the decades immediately following
WWII, when the U.S.
enjoyed economic success unparalleled in history, our public schools
contributed significantly to the development of our economic power. This isn't to say that our schools were
flawless institutions, for example, segregation and inequality based on race
meant that significant numbers of citizens were denied equal opportunities to
education. Yet, for many our schools
were a source of national pride and were a centerpiece of many
communities.
Fast
forward to 2013 and the situation is significantly different. The news about public schools often makes it
seem like they are at best an impediment to our success as a nation and at
worst a drain on resources and a vacuum that is so flawed as to be in need of a
complete overhaul. Public education has
become a battleground where different factions compete for financial resources
and to promote their political agendas.
Too often the students and the true purpose of our educational system is
lost in the uproar. Education is a
political issue, and educational policy is often decided by politicians or
people who don't have an understanding of what happens in our schools. This includes elected officials, political
appointees and wealthy individuals who create foundations or other instruments
to impose their ideology on students, educators and schools.
Public
educators have been warning that the "reforms" that these educational
policy makers propose will be harmful to our schools and our students. We have heard that we are obstructing
"reforms" that can help students in order to protect our
"cushy" jobs. We've been told
that we are overreacting and that those who are outside of the educational
mainstream can provide innovative ways to make our schools better. We've been told that our public schools are
failing students of color, students of poverty and any number of other
demographic groups. At the same time we
are told that we are failing our white, middle class students by changing our
methods of education to try and adapt to a changing population in our
schools. We've been told that class
sizes don't matter, that schools need to tighten their belts and that we need
to operate like businesses.
All
of these criticisms of our public schools are part of what appears to be a
deliberate attempt to destroy our public school system and replace it with a
private, for profit, system. A system
where a small number of people stand to make an extremely healthy profit, at
the expense of the majority of students and educators. The tactics used to undermine public schools
are employed by a variety of sources and are used to shape policy debate and
public discussion around issues in education.
One
mode of attack is to create unrealistic expectations for public schools in
order to create dissension, ruin educator morale and set the stage for
"reformers" to step in to save our education system.
Another
tool in the "reformer's" toolbox is the use of high stakes testing as
a way of identifying flaws in our public school system as well as a way to try
and define success in educational endeavors.
By testing students in public schools and holding these schools
accountable for student's scores as the main measure of student achievement,
"reformers" are able to promote private schools as a positive
alternative. Never mind that the private
schools are often not tested, and when they are, often perform either the same,
or worse than similar public schools.
Educators are beginning to
fight back against the wave of testing.
seattleducation2010.wordpress.com
Of course, money is a
powerful weapon used by "reformers" to weaken public education. It is a strategy employed frequently by
conservatives who want to privatize a specific area. By taking away funding from schools, the
conservatives weaken the ability of public schools to provide necessary
services and this leads to an ongoing spiral of budget cuts and reductions in
school's capability to deal with increasing challenges.
Repeal of the Qualified Economic Offer Law | 1997-1998 | At the
Capitol News Archives | At the Capit
www.thenation.com
Budgets also allow for
leaders who have weakened our public schools to appear bi-partisan. After decimating school budgets they are able
to offer small incentives to appear like they support public education. Public educators are faced with the
continuing decline in their economic status or accepting "reforms"
like merit pay that aren't in the best interest of educators or their
students.
As
we reach the end of "School Choice Week", we hear the promises of
"reform" and "innovation" from those who would privatize
our school system. They tout the
flexibility of the private schools and criticize the "one size fits
all" public school system. What
they don't promote are facts about what is really happening in schools and what
the data really says when public and private schools are compared. They also forget to mention that a privatized
school system doesn't provide equitable opportunities for education and
frequently promotes segregation in our schools.
Not to mention that academic achievement is not guaranteed for any
student no matter what type of school they attend. Promises can be made in glitzy ads about
private schools, but too frequently these are promises broken, or promises
given to only a limited few.
Supporters
of public education recognize that, while not perfect institutions, public
schools offer opportunities that privatized schools don't. Public schools are governed by elected school
boards, are monitored by the media and the public through open records
requirements that private institutions don't have and are accountable to serve
all students in the communities they are located in. As the struggle over educating our students
continues, it is vital that public educators and other proponents of public
education get the message out about how important our public schools are. It is also important that pro-public
education advocates keep the public informed about positive things happening in
our schools. If we don't, then the only
message being heard will be one that is designed to eliminate public schools
and create a privatized system of education.
Politics, An Ugly Busine$$…
The struggle over
education is one part of the ongoing conflict in America over just how we want our
country to be governed and what role our government has in creating a socially
just society. There have been, and
always will be, differences in opinion about these issues. While it is good to have dissenting
viewpoints, we are currently involved in a crucial struggle to define our
national identity.
Do we want a nation where
only those with wealth or political connections (or both) have hope to advance
their interests?
Do we want a society where
our politicians use any means necessary, even if it isn't legal or ethical, to
advance their agendas and personal careers?
www.jsonline.com
As always, there is hope
for the future. However, that only
occurs when enough "regular" citizens do exceptional things and
participate in the process.
Buy Local…
If you haven't already
purchased the items on your Super Bowl menu, consider this list.
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