America seems to be coming to a crossroads in terms of education. Pretty much everyone agrees a solid education is important, yet there is great disagreement on the best way to prepare students for real-world success.
The topics are abundant: teacher evaluations; standardized tests; charter schools; yearlong calendars; the cost of public and private college tuition and the related issues of student loans and grants and the rise of community colleges as an affordable alternative; the cost-benefit factors of early childhood education and what it takes for American students to succeed in a global economy.
In Illinois we may soon face a drastic change in the funding for school buses and, in turn, which students are eligible for free rides to class. Other pressing issues are the future of regional offices of education and the looming potential for forced consolidation of the state's many independent school districts.
As politicians struggle to claim identities, it's no longer enough just to support public education. The candidate seeking votes must have a vision for education reform, and it must be measurably different from everyone else who wants to reform education ... but it probably shouldn't anger the teachers, known for not missing the ballot box, and it also shouldn't cost a whole bunch of money because, in case you haven't noticed, we're all pretty much broke.
And while it's a good rule to pay lip service to the notion of local authority in public education, the truth is every new education law at the state or federal level strips away another layer of control for your friendly neighborhood school board. Eventually, the only thing they'll be left to decide is how to pay for all the mandates.
The newest volley in the battle over who can make kids a bigger priority is President Obama's suggestion in last week's State of the Union that Congress enact a federal law setting 18 as the nationwide compulsory-attendance age. The only way to get out earlier would be graduation. Again, a national standard that would have to be dealt with locally.
The National Center for Education Statistics has state-by-state data as of 2010
(http://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/tab5_1.asp) showing most states have 16 or 17 as the age of required school attendance, though many make exceptions for valid employment or parental consent. Some already set the limit at 18. In some the age is as young as 14 with parental consent and gainful employment.
Continue reading "Father — not Uncle Sam — knows best."
No comments:
Post a Comment