The
parents sat quietly listening as the third grade teacher explained
in detail the course work our children would be assigned and
how it complied with all of the state and federal regulations.
A mother raised her hand and asked what the teacher was doing
outside of the government curriculum to reach the children.
The teacher’s eyes rolled into the back of her head.
It was truly fascinating to see. She dropped her jaw and this
bright and articulate woman began babbling like a mental patient.
The fact was that after fulfilling all the government dictates,
there was precious little time left for creative teaching.
From the curriculum lessons to how teachers must set up seating
in the classroom, bureaucrats and politicians are increasingly
directing everything that goes on in the classrooms. In some
cities, teachers are even told how they must decorate their
bulletin boards. All of this micromanaging is of course driven
by the realization that our public school system has been
failing.
Education
is an industry supporting millions of workers: teachers,
office personnel, janitorial workers, food service staff
and others. School districts like Los Angeles Unified
have budgets in the multi-billions of dollars. Education
is big business! However, unlike other big businesses,
the business of education remains accountable not to
the consumer -- parents and students -- but to the bureaucrats
and politicians that write the checks and continue to
churn out mandates.
One tenet of the business world is when the consumer
has no power, business has no incentive to operate efficiently
or effectively. High dropout rates, poor reading skills,
math and science test scores that hover near the bottom
internationally and millions of wasted dollars annually
prove the business of education is not exempt. It also
suggests it is time to empower the education consumer,
which necessarily requires that we rethink our notions
of public education.
Such suggestions raise the ire of politicians and special
interests. They charge that any change will destroy
the public school system and that if only we would commit
to our young people by spending more money. If spending
is the measure of our commitment to education then we
are more than committed, we are downright dedicated.
We currently spend more money on education than we invest
on defense. Alas, more money does not mean more results.
Per pupil spending is three times higher today than
it was 40 years ago, pupil to teacher ratio is 40% lower
and yet reading scores have remained unchanged. Resources
are certainly a factor in education, however the greater
factor in successful education is how effective available
resources are spent. Businesses are cost effective when
they have the proper incentive. Funding education from
the bottom up as opposed to the top down – choice
-- will provide the education business with such an
incentive.
To rethink the public education framework is not to
advocate an end to publicly funded schools, it is to
ask the question: Does public education simply mean
the brick and mortar structures that cater to children
in a particular zip code? Or should it mean using public
dollars to educate children in schools that do the best
job, whether those schools are in the basement of a
church or the basement of a home? It should also mean
empowering the consumer by putting choice not in the
hands of government, but in the hands of parents where
it properly belongs.
So long as our schools remain accountable only to politicians,
children will continue to suffer when ill political
winds blow from Washington. A good public education
system makes our nation stronger and more productive.
Choice strengthens public education because it requires
schools, like other businesses, to please the consumer,
which will ultimately loose the chains of bureaucracy
that bind talented teachers that really do want to make
a difference.
Joseph
C. Phillips is an actor/writer based in Los Angeles.
His column appears regularly in several newspapers and
he is a regular commentator on News and Notes with Ed
Gordon on NPR and has a book due out from Running Press
in April. Contact him at: Joseph@josephcphillips.com
Email
This Article To A Friend
