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Education: Let’s Throw Money At The Problem
By Larry Barkan
Diane Ravitch was the assistant secretary of education under the first Georg Bush and, at the time, a leading conservative proponent of charter schools and testing to measure both teacher and student performance in public and private schools. In her new book, “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” Ravitch explains why she has since changed her mind. As Ravitch writes, study after study has shown that, with few exceptions, students in charter schools perform no better than students in public schools. In Chicago, for example, “the increases in performance of the city’s eighth graders in math and reading were due mostly to changes in testing procedures” and that “in any case, such gains evaporated by the time those students reached high school.” I taught high school for 9 years in the inner city of Chicago (admittedly, over 30 years ago) and I applaud Ravitch for confirming what I knew 30 years ago. Public schools are every bit as good as private ones, but we live in a time when government is “the enemy” and anything government does must be bad. As Ravitch writes, “At the very moment that the financial markets were collapsing…many of the leading voices in American education assured the public that the way to educational rejuvenation was through deregulation.” Sound familiar? But saying that public and private schools are equal in outcomes doesn’t suggest that those outcomes are to be applauded. What it does suggest, however, is that if we actually cared enough about public education to put the resources into it to make a significant difference, we could make a significant difference. We no longer seem to believe in the public good. We no longer seem to believe that we’re all in this together. We no longer seem to believe in “all for one and one for all.” Instead, we seem to build prisons so that we can create living spaces for people we won’t educate. What are the “resources” I’m talking about? Money, money and more money. Money not just for teacher’s salaries to attract the best and brightest, but money for more teachers so that children can get the individual attention they need. In our lives, we believe that if someone would just throw money our way, life would be grand. Yet somehow, when it comes to education, we contend that “just throwing money at the problem” won’t make a difference. I say let’s try some of that throwing at public education and see what happens.
I have been an author, motivational speaker and business consultant since 1984. I have three passions: The first is my wife of 37 years. The second is challenging conventional wisdom. The third is dogs and their welfare. I am the author of "Everyone Wins! Playing The Game of Conflict Resolution In All Your Relationships" as well as "Present and Persuade: Create Talks and Speeches That Capture Hearts and Change Minds."
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This needs new intel to respond
Throwing money? What an irresponsible, carefree, and non-efficient image that creates for me regardless of what it is thrown at. I would like to see wise, responsible and efficient use of money so the most benefit can be achieved.
We've been throwing money at schools for years. We've been losing ground here not because of money, but because of attitudes toward teaching and learning, and PC. These days, in some schools, many students sit there and dare their teachers to try and teach them. Teachers have no power to enforce discipline. Parents can't or won't. No amount of money is gonna fix this. It starts with the attitude at home, then goes to allowing the schools to enforce discipline. The current amount of PC prevents progress in education - not money.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Loved your comment. You're of course, correct, but, to me, incomplete. It's difficult for me to respond because the response is complicated. Yes, yes and yes to all you wrote. But...have you taught in schools? I suspect you have since your intel is so empathetic and sensitive towards the learner. If you haven't, you should. You have so much to offer. I can say this: In my experience, more discipline is definitely not needed. Of course, I can only speak to my experience...which is one of the reasons I find these comments so interesting. They give me the experience of others.
Hi Larry,
Watch for "Home-schooling - An ECCENTRICITY?" I've posted this intel as suggested by theoldcoot - but it may take a while to be published. ;)
Laraine
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