CHOICES?

Too Much is Too Much

Are “more choices” better for education? Since the advent of No Child Left Behind, school vouchers have been the center piece intended to help students “escape” poor performing schools. With federal money available ($4000 per student), other choices such as charter schools and cyber schools are now in competition for students. Add private and religious affiliated schools, you now have an abundance of choice available instead of public schools.

But, like most instances where too much choice is available, these options will confuse the parent/consumer and dilute the educational system, not support it. For example, Pennsylvania school districts are responsible to contribute 80 percent of local cyber school costs.

Even more tragic is the promise for better education, only to have barriers denying access. For example, inner city or rural students that need to commute to suburbs on a daily basis will find transportation costs that are prohibitive and restrictive (no after school activities) over the long-term.

Dilution separates students from their communities and their peers. It lowers financial resources available to schools to invest in building advanced classroom activities. Finally, dilution creates a hierarchy in the competition for new and qualified faculty, most likely leaving less qualified teachers for public schools, especially inner city schools. For example in Philadelphia, over 1500 teachers failed to meet the qualification requirements established by PA Department of Education in 2005. The result was a 6-month extension; to date no other consequences have been filed.

Access to quality education is a “right” not a privilege. A famous quote states that if you think “education is expensive, try ignorance.” The tenets of capitalism may fuel the US economy, but it is literate and educated people that make it grow.

The hierarchy that is now being formed, from elite private schools to poor inner city and rural public schools, will further divide the populations of the US. The elite school graduates will go on to elite colleges and obtain top paying jobs. The other students will be lucky to afford a community college program. And, as they are filing service industry jobs (that only require a high school diploma), generational poverty will continue and millions more will join the ranks of poverty.

The US doesn’t need all these educational options, especially those that produce isolation from the specific socio-economic populations. Public schools were intended to meet all student needs in a diverse environment and had a storied history for the past 100 years of producing some the best thinkers and leaders in history.

Schools do need to adjust to meet the needs of the new global economy and the virtual world. But these needs are “tweaks”, not overhauls. It was a poor assumption that because there are failing schools that all schools should be placed under suspicion. This is like punishing all kids in the family for the actions of one. That form of punishment does little to create responsibility and accountability when you are not at fault.

Should we be concerned about low test scores? Yes, because they do indicate that something needs to be changed. It is illogical that today’s students score lower than previous generations. The outcomes are indicative of issues that go beyond the classroom. Family engagement has changed and parents are less likely to be involved with the education of their older children. This is the most important factor that has changed test score results.

To illustrate how parents are losing touch with their kids, 50 percent of 12 to 17 year olds state that drugs, alcohol or both are available at parties. The percentage of parents who think that alcohol or marijuana is not available at parties teens attend is 80 percent. (Time, 8/28/2006)

Recently, the TV station TNT featured a made-for-TV movie about Ron Clark, an educator with a dream to change the lives of inner city youth. While his struggles were “sterilized” for family viewing, the outcomes were not. His devotion to his students by including them as “family” made them feel wanted. Knowing that they had a supportive and caring environment, they outscored all 6 graders on standardized tests that year and went on to be enrolled in some of the finest schools in New York City.

The point should be well-taken: it is not money or the variety of schools that create the desire to learn, it is teachers. And not just qualified teachers but qualified teachers who understand about unconditional love and citizenship and teach values in their classroom.

Catch The Ron Clark Story during reruns or look for it at your local movie rental place. You can also visit his website at www.ronclarkacademy.com.

You may also want to check out the TV movie, The Knights of the South Bronx, another inspirational movie about an inner city school teacher who uses chess to help kids reach new levels of learning and success. So much more can be accomplished in education if our efforts are supportive and not confrontational.

Less choice is more American because it provides for all people, a basic rule of democracy and civilized society.

Visit www.3MinuteLearning.com

GROWTH <> LEADERSHIP <> EXCELLENCE

© 2006 3 Minute Learning LLC