Even with the billions of dollars in economic stimulus aid headed their way, public schools stand no chance of getting better “until we dispel some empty theories about how to help them,” writes Kalman R. Hettleman, a former commissioner on the Baltimore City school board.
His list of 5 myths about education reform in the Washington Post has something guaranteed to irritate virtually everyone. He rejects the idea that teachers know best and should be left alone by policymakers, noting the profession is resistant to using research to improve instruction. On the other hand Hettleman has no patience for the “blame the unions” line. He also doesn’t buy the idea that the federal government meddles too much in the affairs of local schools.
“Actually, the feds don’t go far enough. Even NCLB, attacked as an effort to wrest power from local government, allows all 50 states to set their own standards. But really, why should a passing math score vary from one school district to another? The United States is one of only a few developed nations clinging to the idea of local control over education. Most European countries, as well as Japan, have national standards and curriculums. Their schools also rely mainly on national funding, while ours receive less than 10 percent of their revenue from the federal government….U.S. education officials need to use federal funding to reward districts that raise standards and help put American schools on a par with their international competitors.
Most tellingly – and dispiritingly –Hettleman rejects the idea that we know how to fix public schools but lack the political will to finish the job. “Conservatives generally advocate breaking up teacher unions and privatization, while liberals call for more money, less testing and greater teacher autonomy.” But nothing has succeeded in creating even a single high-functioning urban district, Hettleman notes.
