I wanted to have a discussion about whether public education should be a right or privilege, but I came across this article in the process. Ravitch raises some good questions:
-If unions are the problem in public education then why not look to the South where unions do not dominate, their scores are low, whereas the highest scores are among the states with the strongest unions.
So your task for this article:
-Select an excerpt and write a response. As in previous posts, there may be NO duplicate excerpts chosen.
I was introduced to the debate on education my junior year of college when I was a part of a education research policy group on campus. I not only found it interesting but significant in both living up to the constitutional principles of democracy protected in our government, and the future success of our nation.
ReplyDeleteSince becoming involved in TFA, I've become a little bit more familiar with this debate. However, I always find myself trying to apply it to my own experiences, now that I'm in the classroom.
I had a group of students ask me about the public education system. "Who is the worst?" they asked. It was difficult and uncomfortable telling them that Louisiana was among the states at the bottom, and even more difficult trying to explain why.
Diane Ravitch attempts to explain the causes behind our struggling public education system. She brings up several points which I agree are significant factors that must be considered in the debate including standardized testing/scores, early education, and the working/learning conditions of schools.
However, one component of her argument that I think deserves attention.
In paragraphs 8-10, Ravitch discusses how the "No Child Left Behind Act," despite its ambitious goals for supporting more measurable gains and achievements in schools nationwide, has actually had more negative (and perhaps, unforseen) consequences. Ravitch acknowledges, "Instead...it introduced the idea that states must compete for the funds they need."
The ideal of setting high standards for states, and their public school systems, in exchange for federal funds has been met with poor results because these schools are not being supported at every level to increase the much needed and desired performance. I do not exactly know where the gap or lack lies but it is apparent that there are holes within the various levels of the public education system in these states. These schools remain underfunded which results in a lack of resources; and when schools sometimes receive the funds to increase their resources, they do not apply or use these funds in constructive ways. There should be more guidance and support in not only securing funds but in the planning and allocation of these resources.
This article brings up mixed feelings. I do feel a sense and the push for the privatization of education. And, this is something that I truly believe might happen soon. The more I think about my own experiences and what I have seen in my district (problems, lack of direction, ineffective educators & administrators, etc.), the more I seen the rise of charters and alternative schools as the rule and not the exception.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me as interesting about charter schools is that we link and categorize them together, even though they are often so very different. Standards for educational achievement is the problem, not the creation of charter schools.
But, to be honest, I am not sure what to think anymore. The more I dive into the issue, the more twisted and convoluted education reform becomes...something that I am sure only contributes to the current lack of a fix-all solution.