Before education children became compulsory in the late 1800s, parents were responsible for teaching their children and only the wealthiest did so. Free education at the primary and secondary levels for all social classes became compulsory to create national unity and instill patriotism and American values for all including immigrants. It wasn't until after World War II that college enrollment soared.
Today one-fourth of the population attends school. However, many factors lead to discrepancies regarding how far one gets in school. In addition to the impact of family income, the neighborhood of residency, and social class, gender and racial factors determined at birth can determine who goes to and who graduates from college. Conversely, "educational attainment" directly impacts income, mortality rates, and overall success and happiness in life (Social Problems, 2016, p. 541).
Many issues prevent children from receiving a quality education. State and federal funding and access to resources vary wildly across the US, resulting in very different learning conditions and varied learning outcomes. Government policies and mandates such as No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have created high-stakes, competitive school environments.
Many states are attempting reform in the form of taking money away from public schools to fund charter schools and provide parents with vouchers for children to attend private schools. The authors argue that this ultimately harms all children for many reasons and is not a good solution, and can lead to increased segregation and disparities (Social Problems, 2016, pp. 565-571).
However, research shows that children who have access to safe learning conditions and facilities, learning materials including books, smaller class sizes, smaller schools, and highly qualified teachers and leaders in countries like Finland show evidence of stronger learning outcomes. "Good schools and good teachers do matter" (Social Problems, 2016, p. 593).
Other suggestions for reforming the US public school system include more funding, especially in low-income neighborhoods, repairing and modernizing schools, increasing teacher salaries to attract more highly qualified applicants, expanding early childhood education such as preschool and head start programs, and attend to the emotional and physical health needs of all children. At the societal level, improving parenting skills, addressing school violence and bullying, and addressing social inequities at a systems level would go a long way in making our public schools better (Social Problems, 2016, p. 593).
I began my teaching career in the 1998-1999 school year at a private school, where I spent 2 years teaching with no materials, curriculum, direction, or coaching. The classroom roof was leaky, and the owner of the school demonstrated deep concern for the well-being of the families who paid their tuition on time each month. For the last 23 years of my career, I have worked in the public school sector. With the protections of a union and district leaders working in concert with the union, my experiences have been vastly different. That's not to say that there haven't been issues within the public school system, too, because there have been.
Mandates, policies, and high-stakes testing greatly changed the climate over the years from one of enjoyment and learning to one of pressure, accountability, and disregard for the well-being of the whole child or the educators. Thankfully, in 2011 I stumbled into the Montessori world, became trained and credentialed, and now enjoy many benefits deriving from the implementation of Dr. Montessori's philosophies and methods in our public, district-run school. My question is if we know this is how change needs to happen, why hasn't it already happened? Why aren't we looking to other countries like Finland to learn how to successfully reform public education? The time is now!
Because the children are our future!
Nelson Mandela said...
And Whitney Houston agrees...
Social Problems: Continuity and Change. (2016). University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/141
Whitney Houston. (2010, September 27). Whitney Houston - Greatest love of all (official 4K video). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYzlVDlE72w