Failing Grades For Our Schools

Many throughout America believe our public schools are failing because they lack proper funds. Nothing can be further from the truth.

In WMB’s view, there are foundation problems with the U.S. education system and, until these issues are addressed, no amount of taxpayer money will cure the ills.

We believe there are five fundamental areas underscoring these problems, and we’ve compiled these areas from Education-Portal.com.

Accountability Lacking

The public education system is rarely held accountable for the undereducated students it produces. Schools have the ability to ignore parents and those without a financial connection.

If schools are riddled with poor teachers, nothing is done. Teachers keep their jobs and the public school stays open.

No one wastes time on the concept of customer satisfaction. After all, the customers are merely uneducated kids who really don’t care until it’s too late and then they can’t compete in the global market.

Funding for American pupils has tripled since 1960, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But our kids aren’t competitive with other children throughout the world.

Wasted Funds

Despite higher-than-average per pupil expenditures, public-educated students in the United States are lagging with public-educated children from other countries.

American public schools receive an average of $9,969 per student, according to the DOE. This is twice the amount spent per student at private and charter schools.

Those who run public schools don’t have personal risk involvement and no incentive to cut costs or increase revenue.

When a school performs poorly, more often than not, the school receives even more money. Without public outrage, funds surely will be wasted.

Political Agendas

Public schools are not required to answer to parents, but they do need to heed the words of politicians and school board members. It would not be an exaggeration to say these “other” agendas are weakening the entire system.

Schools and teachers are frequently forced to deal with supposedly brilliant education plans thought up by state judiciaries, legislatures, and bureaucracies. Taxpayers are then expected to pay the bill to initiate the plans.

For this reason alone, a separation of school and state may be beneficial. By eliminating interfering politicians, and yielding power to parents and teachers, true accountability is possible.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All

There is no one-size-fits-all prescription, but that is what most students receive in public education. Gifted students often take the same classes as students who need tutoring.

In rural areas, it's rare to find advanced placement courses or other academic advantages that will allow students to excel.

Good teachers aren’t given a chance to spread their wings because they are forced to follow in lockstep the plans laid out before them. In the end, our children and our society are hurt by this approach.

No Child Left Behind

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 approved under the George W. Bush administration was intended to “fix” our public schools. Instead, it has resulted in more damage to the system.

Under this law, extreme emphasis is placed on test scores and punitive action. Even worse, many school districts have been forced to train students for NCLB tests versus offering them the education they deserve.

Even though the House Committee on Education & Labor refers to this act as “unfair,” there is little evidence that NCLB has accomplished anything positive since its inception.

WMB believes children need to get back to the basics of reading, writing and mathematics.

Sure, computers are necessary in our technological society, but it's equally important to be able to do things manually, without benefit of gadgets, think independently and creatively.

Just witness what happens when store checkout computer scanners go offline, and young cashiers have to use simple math in providing change, logging coupons and adding a total the old-fashioned way ... with pen and paper.

Such situations serve only to remind us that our education tax dollars are not being spent to full advantage because of a flawed public education system.

This post is by TechMan, WMB co-author who blogs about trends, issues and ideas affecting business, industry, technology and consumers. If you like this post, please share it with family, friends and colleagues!