Education Getting Overlooked Again

The issue of education, which is of the utmost of importance to our nations future, has struggled to make the headlines during this election cycle.  Despite the lack of attention, Barack Obama delivered a key address in Dayton today outlining his educaiton policy. In typical big media fashion, the AP jumped on just one line of the meaningful speech, saying that Obama plans to double funds for charter schools. Obama’s speech calls for more innovative schools (Innovative Schools Fund) and accountable for-profit charter schools. He said, “successful charter schools need to grow and charters that arent will get shut down.” Building on that concept, he called for quality afterschool programming, summer school and extended school days.

These are truly innovative ideas that will help the U.S. play catchup with the rest of the world. We have to play catchup because the Bush Administration neglected the education system and turned their cheek by passing No Child Left Behind. The election needs to be about real issues and not cosmetic biographical fodder. Obama has a plan for education and it should be a reason to cast a vote for him in November.

“The Greatest Scandal” in WSJ Misses Point

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal today shows how the issue of education can be twisted to blame our public schools and then offer them no help at all:

The profound failure of inner-city public schools to teach children may be the nation’s greatest scandal. The differences between the two Presidential candidates on this could hardly be more stark. John McCain is calling for alternatives to the system; Barack Obama wants the kids to stay within that system. We think the facts support Senator McCain.

The WSJ breaks it down to the school voucher system to be the “golden ticket” to educational success. The editorial goes on to praise school choice programs in D.C. (Opportunity Scholarship Program) which is a federal initiative and Philly (EdisonLearning) a private company run effort. The numbers behind the success?

A recent Department of Education report found nearly 90% of participants in the D.C. program have higher reading scores than peers who didn’t receive a scholarship…

The number of students performing at grade level or higher in reading at the schools managed by private providers increased by 6.1% overall compared to 3.3% in district-managed schools. In math, the results for Edison and other outside managers was 4.6% and 6.0%, respectively, compared to 3.1% in the district-run schools.

These figures are made to sound exemplary, but the gains are marginal at best. Then the Journal paints Obama and the Democratic Party as threatening to kill those “successful programs” at the bequest of “uniformed teachers unions.” To top it off, the editorial points out the fact that the Obama’s send their kids to expensive private schools, not willing to wait for fixes to public education.

Not only is the articles evidence shortsighted (kids respond well to good schools that are safe and have excellent resources) but it is out of touch with reality. The issue of improving public education cannot afford to be sidestepped. The Democratic Party is in favor of increased federal funding, improved teacher salaries and more early childhood education, where the real differences are made in closing the achievement gap. While vouchers and school choice systems can help with certain students, its not a magical solution, and its most certainly in need of standards reform and better accountability standards (even the Ohio Grantmakers Forum, a large school-choice support agrees on pg 37-42 in “Education for Ohio’s Future”). The WSJ is missing the point on the debate about public education… there is no one size fits all solution and shallow observations about Obama’s children prevents the real issues from being discussed.

The New Organizing Institute

Check out this seminar I am attending on Monday (July 28th). I think it might be a step towards my forthcoming education blog.  I love Catchin Feelings, but I want to focus attention to issues important to society, especially education. The New Organizing Institute (NOI) is a great example of civic engagement in action.

Their blog will also be added to my blogroll: neworganizing.com/blog (haha I am lovin this lingo)

Their advisory board – Check out the various org’s on a search engine and let me know if there is anything interesting

NOI on Facebook and Myspace (as a 28 year old female?!)

Why isn't the 'Buckeye State' in their logo?

Education Update

Many of you who know me know of my passionate interest in education policy. I plan on opening another blog this fall devoted to that very topic. In the meantime I am going to give the occasional education update of news stories and research that strike me as unique and pertinent.

Ohio GI Promise
The newly expanded GI bill promises free in-state tuition for military veterans, but Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland took that measure a step further. Strickland promised any returning vets (from Ohio or otherwise) in-state tuition to the states colleges, covering the difference between out of state tuition and in state tuition, in an effort to attract more students to the state. In essence, this measure provides free college in Ohio for any U.S. military vets after 2009. Since all vets are guaranteed in-state rates, the rest will be covered by the federal GI bill. Officials hope to retain more college grads to populate the state with an educated and productive workforce. While this will entail extra costs for Ohio’s universities, the plan is well worth it, not only for Ohio’s future, but also for the sacrifice soldiers have made for their country.

California 8th Grade Algebra Test
The California Board of Education voted this week to make proficiency in Algebra a mandatory requirement for 8th graders across the state. The night before the vote, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who appointed the majority of the board, issued a forceful letter urging the new standard. The law is set to take effect three years from now, but critics are already claiming that it is an unrealistic expectation. While just about half of Californian 8th graders take Algabra, less than a quarter pass the end of year tests. These figures are even worse in inner-cities and for minority students. I wonder how a huge increase in math proficiency is expected without a significant increase in resources for disadvantaged students. This may not have been the best first step for California, but we will have to wait and see.

World Bank: Women’s Education Key to Slowing Population Growth
On the eve of World Population Day, the World Bank issued a statement calling for the developed world to provide more education for girls and women in the developing world in order to curb exploding populations and high rates of sexually transmitted diseases. In addition to more education, contraception should be promoted without hesitation or gimmicks and further education should include the dangers of AIDS and other STD’s. While there are a variety of programs devoted to this very topic, not enough emphasis is placed on the women by developing nations. Lester Brown, author of Plan B 3.0 and president of Earth Policy Institute, argues that an estimated $10 billion beyond what is spent today on is need to achieve universal primary education. He also argues that an additional $6 billion will help launch school lunch programs in developing nations, providing the key draw that education systems lack in poor areas of the world. Compared with the negative repercussions from the lack of education, the amount of money needed is minuscule and the benefits will have a lasting impact on the global society.