My Two Cents on Education

This country has an education problem. That much has been clear for some time now. What is surprising is how little serious debate and thought seems to go into fixing this problem. An education problem in a democratic society is a bigger problem than most people realize. The very principle of democracy requires that the people be able to make educated decisions at the polls. With our public education system far behind other developed nations it begs the question of how we hope to continue to hold our spot at the top. Health insurance, social security, medicare, the national debt, the federal budget, our economy, the environment, and energy are just a few of the major challenges facing this nation and the world over the next 20-30 years. How can America take care of ourselves and be an active participant in global discussion with a failing education system? The simple truth is we cannot. Many of our biggest problems would be much closer to a solution with an improved education system.

Did you know that most of the new PhD. graduates in America are foreign born, particularly in advanced math and science fields? Not all that surprising when you consider that most foreign public education system better prepare their students for college level courses.

There are four fundamental changes to our educational system that I think would go a long way to addressing these problems:

1. The funding formulas for our schools need to be changed. Education is and should remain primarily a state responsibility with the federal government providing grant and incentive funding. The states should pool all education dollars and give them out to schools at a set per student rate. This would go a long way to leveling the playing field across school districts. Students and parents should be able to pick the school they wish to attend (funding isn't a big issue if every school gets the same per student) even among private schools with parents picking up the difference between the state dollars and the tuition. This will encourage competition among schools. Changing the funding really just provides incentives for schools work hard to meet the same standards for each class of school (more on classes later).
2. The curriculum in our schools should focus more on the basic reading, writing, and math skills that students need to lead functional lives. The other aspects of a well rounded education are really secondary to these considerations - really what good does history do you if you cannot read and understand the credit card contract you got in the mail or the mortgage contract you are about to sign or write a resume? I am not suggesting that we cut all of these other subjects, just that students should be required to show a certain level of proficiency in reading, writing, and math prior to taking these subjects. Also, in our middle schools and high schools we need to include basic economics courses and require them. How can we expect people to make rational and educated choices on matters that affect our economy if they have never taken an economics course? This is an area that is simply too important to our national and individual well being to be left to college level curriculum.
3. We need to stop pretending that everyone is created equal, as in the same. Yes, we are all and should all be treated equally in the eyes of the law. Yes, everyone should have the same basic rights. This does not mean that everyone is the same though. We are pushing more and more students with special needs, whether that be learning disabilities or exceptional aptitudes, into a single class room environment and all we are doing is ensuring that everyone's education is sub-par. Is it more fair to place a student who has a learning disability into a regular classroom environment where he or she will struggle to keep up or to place them with a group of their peers where they can truly develop and grow? This also means that we should ask our students to think about and make choices about their general career paths sooner. Students interested in vocational fields of study should go to high schools that specialize in this, those interested in arts should go to schools that specialize in that, and those interested in math and science should go to schools that specialize in that. Does this place more of a responsibility on the students and parents to make choices? Absolutely, but welcome to life. It's just a simple fact that not everyone is interest in or skilled in physics, chemistry, painting, singing, welding, or carpentry. It's not that any one choice is better than the other, it's simply a matter of interest and aptitude. (Interestingly, they tend to coincide.)
4. Finally, we need to end the tenure practice in our educational system - across the board elementary through university. I know it is a long held educational tradition and teachers will hate me. The whole idea, though, is just dumb - what do you really think is going to happen to performance when you make it almost impossible for someone to be fired? I don't think it really takes a PhD. to figure this one out. Yes, some people will continue to perform and work hard because they have a good work ethic and truly enjoy their career, but most will not. Besides it sets a bad example for our children. When they are most impressionable we send them to a place where the workers can get tenure and then they don't have to work that hard because it is nearly impossible to fire them. That sets an example that is utterly unrealistic for the vast majority of the workforce. I am sure most of us can think of examples from our time in school - I know I can. The truth of the matter is that the teachers that are good at their jobs have nothing to fear they would keep them without tenure - for the rest, well, that's life.

That's my two cents.