A recent study done by the National Assessment for Education Progress found that 42 percent of high school students performed at a proficient level in economics, while only three percent performed at an advanced level. Newspapers across the country proclaimed the success of our high schools for having over 40 percent of its students at a proficient level. They conveniently ignore the fact that only 35 percent of students are proficient in reading, and only 13 percent in history. As a nation that has been built on the idea of an informed, educated public, less than 100 percent proficiency is simply unacceptable.
We must reinvest in the infrastructure of our country. Our most valuable asset is the youth of our country and their education. We have spent over $500 billion dollars on the Iraq War, with some estimates projecting the total cost at over $1 trillion, while comparatively; the federal department of education had discretionary funds totaling just under $58 billion for 2007.
The federal government has stated that education is a state issue, yet congress has enacted federal standards and guidelines in the form of the controversial No Child Left Behind Act. As more schools fail to meet their required annual yearly progress, it’s very apparent that education is a federal matter.
People will cite international comparisons of per pupil spending and the increased levels of domestic spending with the same results as proof that more money is not the answer. What these people fail to acknowledge is the mitigating factors that skew this data.
In Japan, students spend 60 more days in the classroom than American students. In Thailand, teachers are highly regarded, while here, teachers consistently face a public that does not respect their work and criticizes their techniques. In this state, teachers are forbidden to unionize to fight for the working conditions they deserve. Yet, both the state and federal government pass laws that require more work, more effort and more time, without an increase in compensation. Education has become too politicized with students and teachers being the victims. Red tape and uncompromising law makers are driving away many talented individuals from education.
That is not to say that our educators are inadequate. I have had the privilege of working with many fine teachers here in Wake County. Unfortunately, I have also heard too many horror stories of incompetent people in the classroom. Imagine what $500 billion dollars worth of equipment and salary increases would do for a potential crop of educators. Imagine the benefit to students.
Dr. Harry and Rosemary Wong, authors of “The First Days of School,” have said “the greatest effect on student achievement is the effectiveness of the teacher.” The numbers don’t lie, and neither do the anecdotal stories: our teachers are failing our students in more ways that one. We need a change. Revamped teacher education programs and Teach for America are providing an influx of innovative individuals into stagnant classrooms, but they alone, are not enough.
Teachers don’t bear the brunt of educational shortcomings, parents and incompetent administrators are to blame as well. We need better measures of student learning than standardized testing. We need a system for evaluating teachers that is not dependant solely on student achievement. We need to do something, because 42 percent proficiency is failure.
What are your thoughts on our educational system? E-mail your views to [email protected].
