Doors that Open to a Better Future
by Kathy Brown on July 27th, 2009 | 0 comments
The Associated Press just released this news story: “Obama pressures states to embrace schools overhaul”. The article says that “only one-third of US students could read and do math at current grade levels on national tests in 2007, the most recent year for which data is available. And the high school dropout rate is dismal—1 in 4 kids.” The observation is made that teachers’ unions are a huge obstacle to educational reform, and the upcoming incentive money, set aside as part of the economic stimulus, will mostly be used to fill gaps in current budgeting problems facing most schools. Grant money will be available for states that meet the federal government’s criteria for (what they consider) advances in education. It is noted that “points” are given to applicants that submit letters of “support from state union leaders.”
It is not surprising that once again the solution to a government failure is increased funding. Rather than reversing ineffective statist solutions, there is more spending and directives that take control out of the hands of those with the most vested interest in success. In this case, it is parents.
As charter schools become more popular, it should be noted that they, too, are tethered to the system that has been a disaster. In an attempt to bring children out from under government “think”, a traditional charter school was proposed in Rochester, MN in the 1990’s. Their original constitution was designed to link parents into the curriculum and behavior expectations. The teachers’ union soundly defeated the idea, insisting that they were the experts and knew better how to instruct students. Private schools, fundamentally reliant on their customers, prove that the best advisors are those that pay for the service rendered. Public education doesn’t have, and won’t have, this elemental condition.
Real competition always improves output. Until there is equal opportunity for all families to purchase the instruction they want, the mediocrity of the monopoly will continue. The kind of educational reform needed does not come from federal mandates. Only when every mother and father can take their tax dollar through the school door of their choice, will there will be successful outcomes for children.
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