Improving Public Education; A Difficult but Critical Task

Since the founding of our nation there has been consensus that a well-functioning democracy requires an educated citizenry (Ref.1). However, our present educational system is failing to achieve this goal for millions of children, especially in rural and minority communities (Ref.2). Poor results for these children have been exacerbated by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic (Ref.3). Although there is wide public acceptance that student underachievement is a serious problem, there has been considerable conflict as to causes and remedies.  This conflict and special interests are creating a barrier to any effective change. Many claim that more funding for public schools would solve the problem, but other nations spend less; in 2017, U.S. averaged $14,100/pupil vs. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) nations which averaged $10,300, with many having superior results (Ref.4,5). Low teacher earnings are blamed by many while others claim teacher retirement fund needs are unrealistic and overly costly. Another group claims that parental choice through charter schools, vouchers, and other ways for the money to follow the student would significantly improve student performance (Ref.2). Others claim that crime ridden neighborhoods help create a chaotic environment for youngsters that impairs their concentrating ability, resulting in decreased school performance (Ref.6).   Still others claim large class size and a 180-day school year with a protracted summer hiatus contributes to the problem (Ref.7). In reality ALL have some merit, but at present no national or community leaders have committed to any real change.
    There is no widely accepted evaluation of students’ progress that would create enough anger in the general population to demand change.  The 2002 “No Child Left Behind Act” intended to be a wakeup call for the nation to focus on the problem of student underachievement and hopefully create solutions has been neutered by political in-fighting. Instead, society is finding excuses for children doing poorly rather than seriously addressing the many identified causes.  Certainly, parents or the parent wants their children to become productive members of society. It would seem their involvement is critical, although for many there are obstacles (Ref.8).
    An increasing number of Americans live below the poverty line needing government assistance which is caused in large part by an inadequate education (Ref.9). There is no doubt that if that number were low all Americans would benefit. Spending more money and staying with present societal conditions — single motherhood, neighborhood violence, poorly functioning schools — will NOT solve this critical issue.  
    I propose that we initially address both home stability and two changes to improve public schools, acknowledging that we need many more reforms and a long-term approach. A family structure is essential to provide stability for raising a child.  Changes are necessary to our welfare system that encourages an intact family (Ref.9). In most instances a legally married couple should be required for any federal or state financial assistance involving a child. This does not guarantee a stable home environment, but it would encourage a cultural change.
    For schools, I suggest we begin with two reforms. One, a mandatory pre-kindergarten with emphasis on character development and appreciation of intellectual achievement. Secondly, having a respected male member of the community (i.e., religious leader) spend 2-3 mornings each school day in the classroom. This person would stay with the class each year till the 8th grade helping with counseling children in distress and classroom discipline.  Improving our schools is a daunting task that must begin in earnest both nationally and in the community.  The future of our nation depends on it.    

1. National Association of Scholars, U.S. Founding Fathers on Education, In Their Own Words, American History, July 2, 2010, available at: https://www.nas.org/blogs/article/u_s_founding_fathers_on_education_in_their_own_words  (accessed October 6, 2021)
2. Donald Nielsen, Public Education Reform, Discovery Institute: available at: https://www.discovery.org/education/public-education/ (accessed October 2, 2021)
3. Per Engzell, Arun Frey and Mark D. Verhagen, Learning loss due to school closures during the Covid-19 pandemic, PNAS, April 27, 2021, available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8092566/ (accessed October 6, 2021)
4. International Comparisons, Education Expenditures by Country, IES-NCES, May 2021, available at: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cmd (accessed October 6, 2021)
5. Ludger Woessmann, Why Students in Some Countries Do Better, Education Next, Fall 2021 Vol.21, No.4, available at: https://www.educationnext.org/whystudentsinsomecountriesdobetter/ (accessed October 6, 2021)
6. Paul A. Jargowsky and Mohamed El Komi, Before or After the Bell: School Context and Neighborhood Effects on Student Achievement, Calder Urban Institute, July 2009, available at: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED509690.pdf (accessed October 6, 2021)
7. Melissa Kelly, Pros and Cons of Year-Round School, ThoughtCo., August 11, 2019, available at: https://www.thoughtco.com/year-round-education-6742 (accessed October 2, 2021)
8. National Center for Educational Statistics, Parent Involvement in Children’s Education: Effects by Public Elementary Schools, February 1988, available at: https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/frss/publications/98032/index.asp?sectionid=7 (accessed October 3, 2021)
9. Rachel Sheffield and Robert Rector, The War on Poverty After 50 Years, The Heritage Foundation, September 15, 2014, available at: https://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/the-war-poverty-after-50-years (accessed September 6, 2021)              

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