The changing face of American education

[Steve]

I ran across a comment, can't remember who made it or in what thread, but it was here, where a member commented on someone they knew being an authority on the "history of education in America".  Now, my initial reaction was to scoff at the apparent superficiality of the subject.  After all, who cares, except maybe some egghead researcher who can't land a real day job, right?

Well, maybe not.

There have been many posts on this forum lamenting the general deterioration of education in America.  There are still bright spots, and still good facilities with dedicated employees, but there's also a lot of blight, and it's growing.  In particular, much has been made of the intellectual dishonesty revolving around language use and literature, a type of intellectual dishonesty that is a subset of "political correctness".

There was a time in this country when education was supreme.  Obtaining a college degree was a thing of wonder and excitement, the key to success and knowledge.  Primary and secondary schools taught rigorous subject matter.  Take a look at an old 8th- or 9th-grade textbook from pre-1950 or so.  The content and organization surpass what is to be found in most college textbooks, today.  Granted, there is more overall knowledge, today, but the fundamentals are not being taught to the same standards.

Today, the focus is on taking and passing tests.  The local newspaper, here in Reading, PA, delivers special editions to schools.  It recently advertised for a special supplement that focused on test taking strategies.  How shameful!

There is a myriad of reasons why we have come to the place we are, today.  But the challenge facing us is how to regain the level of excellence that a high school diploma or baccalaureate degree once denoted.  Make no mistake about it, the true capital of America, the true driving engine of its economic success has always been the innovation of its workers, innovation made possible by a solid foundation of education.

What sort of cultural shift will be required to not only strengthen the practices of educating young people, but also to reinstate the value of that education so that it becomes, once again, a thing to be coveted?

[joseftu]

Originally posted by stevent
I ran across a comment, can't remember who made it or in what thread, but it was here, where a member commented on someone they knew being an authority on the "history of education in America".  Now, my initial reaction was to scoff at the apparent superficiality of the subject.  After all, who cares, except maybe some egghead researcher who can't land a real day job, right?

Stevent, that was me! And I hope you're being sarcastic, right? I mean to suggest that studying history is superficial? In fact, your post is a very good example of exactly why this kind of study is so essential. The very complaints you're making have a long history in this country.

The "golden age" you're remembering is a figment of the imagination, that each generation re-creates. In fact, the history of education in this country is a history of struggle, of "reform," of pendulum swings, of both improvements and setbacks.

While memory, nostalgia and personal experience are evocative and powerful, they're far from accurate.

Read Diane Ravitch's books! She's incredibly conservative, politically, and I rarely agree with her recommendations, but when it comes to really understanding where we've been, there's no one better.

In my opinion, one of the main reasons education is in a debased state right now, is the general public attitude that scholarship and intellectual work are the province of "egghead researchers who can't land a real day job."

Anyone who really believes that (and I think--hope--that you don't) is more of an enemy to educational reform than any other force in this country...even MTV.

[ShinyTop]

Unfortunately the face that intellectualism is showing the world is that of people unconnected with real life. We see people protesting green issues costing non-intellectuals their jobs. We see a lot of protesting issues opposite to the position that many "ordinary" people take.

And fairly or not, we "ordinary" people frequently equate educators with intellectuals and we are deeply offended that they insult our intelligence with PC themes and the attempt to change the language for what many of us see as make "pretty".

I would submit that advertising other agendas and speaking out on issues with solutions that don't cost jobs and that don't favor every whacked out issue that is opposed to our country would improve their image. I would submit that speaking out against a school board dismissing a teacher for using a perfectly good word in the right context and speaking out against the type of PC nonsense we saw in the list of words not to use and speaking out against the NY Times for catering to PC extremists over common sense would go a long way to regaining respect for intellectualism and research. The perception is that these people are out of touch with reality. As most generalizations there is a grain of truth to these perceptions. If these perceptions are wrong the wronged intellectuals need to present their case because unfortunately the fools are getting the publicity.

[Steve]

Ah, thanks joseftu, yes it was you, now that I recall!

I certainly didn't mean to imply that you felt any superficiality about anything; rather, that my <u>initial</u> reaction was such.

Nor do I mean to imply that I'd like to see a return to any sort of "golden age". As you point out, none of them ever existed, really.

The problem, as I see it, is that fundamental subjects are not being taught to rigorous standards, anymore. We have children who can download mp3-format music from the Internet, but who have no idea where the country their big brother is going to fight in is located.

When math, reading, and writing are taught, they are taught in such a way as to maximize test results, not critical thinking or analytical ability. And forget about things like geography, geology, comparative cultures, etc.

Sholarship and intellectualism are fine by me, sorry for any misapprehension I've caused. But, yes, I believe you're correct that there is a general public misperception that anything not directly related to landing a high-paying job or passing some sort of test is just a waste of time. And that's truly unfortunate.

Which brings me full circle, almost. The standards for learning, today, are severely degraded. It becomes an even more critical issue when we realize that not only is Johnny failing, but he's failing at a severely restricted curricula!

We need objective, enforced standards.

We need rigorous teaching methods that reward critical thinking and analysis, as well as excellence at procedure.

We need cirricula at the primary and secondary school levels that focus, focus, focus on essential subjects, and that guide children toward their natural interests.

We need less of a "shotgun" approach toward subject matter.

We also need, and here is where I have little hope of success, an attitudinal shift that places more value on a well-rounded education than on the starting salary of an NBA player; we need a cultural shift that places teachers <u>at least</u> on the same level as doctors and lawyers, from both a pay and a respect standpoint; and, finally, we need adequate infrastructure for a learning environment, including books, equipment, and supplies.

[Coot]

For many of the reasons Shiny pointed out Steven, the money to do those things isn't going to be there anytime soon I'm afraid. To the extent that taxpayers in many communities have control over bond initiatives and the like to support public schools, they are showing an increased unwillingness to fund those types of items. It really boils down to an issue of trust. Due to those very items Shiny mentioned, we are simply becoming more and more unwilling to give these people anymore of our money.

[Steve]

Educational funding, actually, falls into one of the paradoxes of the American economy:

Things are cheaper than ever, and keep getting cheaper.

Services almost never go down in price.

It's simple, really. Everyone wants a little raise, each year. That pressure continually drives up wages, thus continually driving up the cost of services.

When was the last time you heard of anyone refusing a raise, or a union negotiating a pay cut for its members?

Frankly, this is a trend that I believe is unsustainable. That means, eventually, a different, non-traditional mechanism will need to be found to subsidize the costs of public education.

The small stirrings of revolt we hear from taxpayers now aren't even the tip of the tip of the iceberg, yet.

[joseftu]

EDIT--I'm referring to Steven's first response, here--You folks post too quickly! :)

Great post, steven. I agree with you 100%. The problem is complex, and social/cultural. The attitudinal shift is most important, and farthest from where we stand now.

I've said before, and I'll repeat, how shocked and saddened I am by how little my students have read and thought by the time they reach me. And how little reading and thinking is regarded or admired in the culture at large.

How many books are in most American households? How many TVs? (and I like TV). I ride the subway every day, and sometimes I look around me and count how many people are reading, and how many are simply staring into space or listening to walkmans.
Sometimes I walk into a classroom, and ask my students to open their backpacks and show me a book, not a schoolbook. I walk down the streets of my (liberal, middle-class) neighborhood and look into living room windows, and count how many living rooms have bookcases in them.

And I'm not even commenting on the reliance and emphasis on test scores, rather than education. That's just too shocking and depressing to even begin.

[Steve]

I completely forgot about the decline in reading!

The look of rapture and excitement on my daughter's faces when I read to them....watching them pick up books, flip the pages, and recite the story (mostly) from memory......the pride when my 3-year old used her foam letters to spell her own name in the bathtub....

Instilling a love of reading is truly key to guaranteeing an earnest desire to learn at a later age.

[ShinyTop]

My kids may be too old for evaluation but they read voraciously. They also participate in various forums on the net and are very capable of embarrassing their old man if I don't keep up. The love of reading and knowledge is a learned trait, one that is best taught by example. I thank by parents daily for the love of reading and knowledge they imparted to me and my brothers and sisters.