Current Education Debate

Amidst the Hurricane Sandy relief bill, gun control legislation following the Newtown Connecticut shooting and President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address during his second term, public education is still a vital current event. Currently, President George W. Bush’s education act, No Child Left Behind, is under further review in Congress. Legislators are contemplating the effectiveness of that education law and the feasibility of academic progress. Congress is asking how the states’ responsibilities to improving students’ academic success can be measured and/or regulated by the federal government. There is much debate on how much influence the federal government has in this matter. Would it be better left to the states? The No Child Left Behind Act, which passed in 2001, made schools accountable for student performance on standardized tests. The repeated failure to meet a certain threshold could result in the transfer of students to a better school within the district or replacement of all schoolteachers.

In 2011, the Senate education committee reported a bill to the floor that did not require schools to evaluate teachers based on standardized test scores. This has not yet been voted on in the Senate. With its bipartisan support, would this bill lead to the goal outcome: better test scores? Is there another way for states to evaluate their teachers aside from standardized testing? All of these questions can’t be answered with a simple yes or no. It depends on the district and its population.

The topic has been discussed heavily in since passion the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, but no legislation within the last five years has been brought to a vote. No Child reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, a piece of legislation that oversees all public schools that receive federal financial support. 

For more on current education debate: New York Times Article: "Holding States and Schools Accountable"

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U.S. News Weekly

The Higher Education Conundrum

Higher education seems to be a double-edged sword in today’s economy. It is deemed as a prerequisite for the job market, yet the affordability of higher education is decreasing more and more. These are competing interests and often at odds with each other. Thus, it brings up a conundrum in the education sphere. The price of education has certainly increased in the recent past. According to an August 2012 article in The Economist, the cost of tuition has increased from 23% of median annual earnings in 2001 to 38% in 2010. Increases in tuition lead to an increase in the need for loans and ultimately debt. Recent estimates have student debt reaching $1 trillion, which sets an all-time record high (http://www.economist.com/node/21559936). All of these factors combined with decrease in state funding for public universities makes higher education a victim to socioeconomic status. Those with the means to pay for college are the students more likely to attend, decreasing the diversity of college campuses. In 2011, Republican Governor Rick Snyder proposed a budget for the 2012 fiscal year that decreased higher education funding by 15% for the state of Michigan (http://www.michigandaily.com/content/budget-proposal-gov-snyder-cuts-higher-education-funding-gets-rid-business-taxes). Many believe that some sort of college degree is necessary in the current job market, but with the soaring price of universities, both public and private, it is not a possibility for everyone.

What options are left? Is it feasible for every high school graduate to attend an institution of higher education? Are recently graduated high school students adequately prepared for the workforce? Should high schools offer vocational training for students who elect not to attend college for personal or financial reasons? 

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ivnetwork

Brain Teaser

This video, "Changing Education Paradigms," is adapted from a talk given by Sir Ken Robinson at the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce). This video provides a different take on education reform policy.

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Opinions & Ideas by Shafeen Charania

Unknown Variables

The public education system is a very tricky equation, one in which the variables are clearly identified but are simultaneously dependent. There is no simple solution or derivative, which can measure the changes in a function, the success of the public educational system. The government controls the budget and public policy, but with individual interests competing with the political polarization of Congress and other current pressing issues things get swept under the rug. Even if public education is discussed, the opinions of Congress are diametrically opposed in an environment void of compromise. Teachers are a subset of the budget and government, but they are an unknown factor as well. The strengths, passion, dedication and training of teachers widely vary, especially across the nation. Areas dominated by low socioeconomic status families have the short end of the stick. Teachers and the budget can impact the outcome of the equation, however, students are immensely important to their own education as well. Students have to put the work in to master multiplication tables and understand the differences between constitutional monarchies and democracies. Granted these are elementary level subjects, nevertheless, with each succeeding level of education comes more complex material and more responsibility for the student. With all of these dependent variables there is no one size fits all solution, which exponentially complicates public education policy. How can social justice for the future generations be preserved if there is such inequality in the public education system? What do you think is the biggest determinant of success: students, teachers or governmental policy? 

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By S.W. Parra / The Fresno Bee

About...

Social justice, to me, is the insurance of our fundamental rights, however, in reality they are not guaranteed for all people. It includes the right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, the right to exercise free speech, the right to enumerated powers, that which is not explicitly covered in the Constitution. We supposedly live in a free society, yet it is far from equal. And it is equality that promotes societal freedom. Thus without true equality we cannot live in a textbook free society. This lack of true freedom not only creates discrimination, but it sustains them. The only way to combat social injustice or bring about social justice is to make it public knowledge.

With the rise of the digital age, access to information has become more widespread. A new medium of journalism emerged: web logging or blogging. Basically any person can create a blog to voice their views and share their experiences to raise awareness or for self-expression. Personally, my Dad has a blog, which I contribute to with sugary treats, dedicated to food. We share recipes from our family brunches on Sundays and write up restaurant reviews for local eateries. This by no means combats the broken public education system or the rising unemployment rate, but the blog provides an outlet to express our journalistic passion, particularly pertaining to food. I am particularly interested in social justice regarding education. Our public school system is conceptually brilliant, but in reality it is a source that sustains inequality. Personally, I volunteer weekly at an elementary school in Ypsilanti to encourage literacy in first and second grade students. Instilling a thirst for knowledge at a young age is vitally important.

Not everyone wants to read about the components of lemon bundt cake with maple cappuccino glaze, but blogging, for social or personal matters, exponentially expands the information available online for everyone. It creates a more level playing field, but access is universal. Disclaimer: because information is available so readily and anyone can publish onto the web, not every piece of information is completely accurate. Despite the accuracy issues, it provides a springboard for discussion of political and social issues at our fingertips.