Public schools have stranglehold on children's future
Over the last 50 years, those who teach and manage education have diminished education rigor, dress codes, and accountability. During the same time, teacher salary, off time, and job security have been grossly exploited by teachers and their unions. This has taken place at the expense of kids' futures.
We are in a terrible situation now, where the leadership and skills needed to pull out of such a mess are seldom found around public education. After having experienced five years of teaching in public schools, and a career in the military, I know of a few changes that would reform an apathetic system.
They are:
1. Ongoing criticisms point out that teacher performance is to blame for our poorly performing public schools. World class education systems in places like China and Scandinavia reteach and test their teachers each year. Teachers pay their way for those summer classes and tests. Teachers pass the test, or, no job. Our Coeur d'Alene schools could/should do the same. Our school board has the right to initiate such a solution.
2. Parent uninvolvement is a favorite subject when teachers attempt to stiff arm accountability. There are communities in America where recalcitrant parents are sent a letter discussing their lack of concern for their children. If no improvement, the superintendent sends a letter to the local paper - who prints the names of those parents in the paper. Vast improvement in parent involvement is the result.
3. Discipline: If a teacher cannot control a class, they shouldn't teach. To determine who should teach, it is possible and legal to install TV monitors in all classes. Administrators can then turn the TV monitor on to actually see the effort and results. Presently, principals and assistant principals are unaccountable, and are of little assistance to the classroom teacher. TV use would increase support of our best teachers, would give 'real jobs' to administrators, would vastly reduce numbers of undisciplined classes, and, have a positive impact on our very severe bullying problem.
4. Newspapers should be 'the' medium to demand public school improvement. Example: Presently, 'good news' is accepted from our school district, and the data is reported in The Coeur d'Alene Press. Those results are 'developed' by your school district. Test results administered from agencies other than our Cd'A district indicate scathing (terrible) results, and, are not given to the newspaper. Parents should be alarmed at this reality.
5. 'The' best data about how a school district compares with others is not made available to the public. As an example, comparisons with superior east coast schools are never even discussed locally. We learn 'the bad news' only if citizens read periodicals - about the abysmal U.S. public education system. Most citizens and teachers do not read those periodicals. There is a solution!
A group has been formed which will promote and finance the sample testing of 2014 Cd'A high school graduates - the day after graduation. If our students are poorly prepared and given grades without having learned material - it will be exposed. By the way, beautiful Idaho is always listed near the bottom in most education categories, and Coeur d'Alene schools are never pointed out as a pocket of excellence.
A recent school board election indicated that teachers alone can select their own school board. Sadly, that means that this school board will not 'upset the (dysfunctional) apple cart.' Typically, the results from such a board is pledged mediocrity. Your voice at school board meetings can eradicate this impasse. Example: This school board could initiate each of these solutions, or better ones that you can devise. Without such changes however, your student must be in Gifted and Talented (GATE) and Advanced Placement (AP) classes, or, they are not being adequately prepared for life, or subsequent education.
Are these reforms 'politically' unpalatable? Absolutely. Only in the existing climate where teachers' agendas far outweigh the needs of students.
Ronald Deady is a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and resident of Coeur d'Alene.