Policy & Reform

Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

2 Reasons the Concept of “Justice for All” Does Not Apply to American Schools

In the US, the concepts of equality and justice are intertwined. The idea of “justice for all” has existed since America’s early days.

But the truth is that the application of this idea has been far from perfect to this very day. Let’s take a quick look at our historical lapses in carrying out the idea and how those affect us today.

  1. De jure and de facto segregation. De jure segregation, or legalized segregation of Black and White people, was present in almost every aspect of life in the South during the Jim Crow era: from public transportation to cemeteries, from prisons to health care, from residences to libraries. Under segregation, Black and White people were to be separated, purportedly to minimize violence. De jure segregation, or “Jim Crow,” lasted from the 1880s to 1964. Jim Crow laws were efficient in perpetuating the idea of “White superiority” and “Black inferiority.”

De facto segregation is the direct manifestation of de jure segregation, because the U.S. government could mandate that laws that segregated the races were unconstitutional, but it couldn’t change the hearts and minds of its people. If people didn’t want to be in the presence of another ethnicity or race, they could certainly make this a reality. So, de jure segregation was implemented by law; de facto segregation, by common understanding and personal choice. After the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, many White citizens simply moved to the suburbs to avoid mixing with Black citizens. This “White flight” led to the creation of “chocolate cities” and “vanilla suburbs,” which are still prevalent today.

In relation to education, the legal segregation of the races in Southern schools was deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). In the United States today, however, Black and Hispanic students tend to be concentrated in schools where they make up almost the entire student body. Also, the percentage of Black students in majority White schools has decreased to a level lower than in any year since 1968.

De facto segregation is a huge problem in the United States as it allows bigotry and discrimination to occur more easily. What happens as a result?  Many schools in mostly Black neighborhoods find themselves unequally funded and seriously neglected.

  1. Persistent stratification. The disparities between rights of certain ethnic groups in American culture can easily be identified by the disparity in the number of individuals incarcerated in the nation’s prison systems. African American men are arrested and imprisoned at disproportionately higher rates. Reports indicate that even when similar crimes were committed by White and African American men, the penalty was more severe for the latter. As a result of this socioeconomic stratification, a privileged class exists, with some Americans receiving benefits unavailable to others. For example, data from the U.S. Department of Labor reported higher unemployment rates for African Americans and Hispanics across all major age and gender groups in 2009.

The number of children from ethnic minority groups living in poverty continues to increase as well. In 2006, approximately 13 million children were living in poverty. The number of Hispanic children living in poverty has increased by 23% since 2000, and the number of African American children living in poverty increased by 8.4%. A 2006 study showed that social status had a significant influence on mortality rates, as well as “chronic diseases and injuries with well-established risk factors such as alcohol use, tobacco smoking, obesity, elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose.”

We need to be aware of history so that we can understand certain attitudes and problems that exist today, and hopefully repair them as we continue to strive for the ideal of “justice for all.”

Now I want to hear from you: what are some factors that prevent us Americans from fulfilling this admirable ideal? Share your thoughts in the comments.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

Is “School Choice” an Anti-Public School Sentiment?

There are a lot more options for receiving K-12 education today than when I was growing up. Long gone are the days when parents had to pick between the public school in their district or paying pricey private school tuition out of pocket. The rise of public charter and magnet schools, state-led voucher programs, online learning, and homeschooling options has meant that parents now have no reason to settle on the closest school or pay a premium to avoid it.

Do so many options undermine the purpose of public schools though? Should all of the energy that is going into building, naming and analyzing these other schools really be channeled into strengthening the basic schools that the government gave us?

In theory, I suppose there is an argument for refocus of educational pursuits where schools already exist, instead of creating new versions. But that theory hinges on the false assumption that given the chance, public schools would find the motivation, both within and outside school walls, to improve. Since the 1918 decree that all American children must attend at least elementary school, public schools have been considered a basic right. That widespread access certainly led to a better educated public but in the process the privilege of learning has been lost.

Despite spending more on public education than France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil AND the U.K. combined, the U.S. lags behind these nations in math and science. Only 25 percent of high school graduates have the literacy skills they need to get a job. What’s more, every 26 seconds a U.S. student drops out of high school. In the democratization of education process, indifference to learning has risen and the standards at public schools have dropped.

Enter school choice – a movement that strives to improve education at ALL schools through the old-fashioned business concept of competition. Public charter and magnet schools are tuition free, just like public schools, but must make some promises in their contracts in order to stay open. If these schools of choice habitually do not reach their goals, they close. Can the same be said of public schools? The accountability level that these young additions to the public school arena bring ensures that students achieve more – and if they don’t, those schools do not stick around long.

School choice is not simply about non-traditional public schools though. The movement goes much deeper than that and empowers parents to take the reins of their children’s learning paths. Since 2007, the number of K-12 students enrolled in online public schools has risen an astonishing 450 percent. Home schooling is also on the rise as 1.77 million K-12 students are homeschooled – a number that has more than doubled since 1999.  Parents are pushing back against simple acceptance of educational opportunities based on geography; they are still choosing traditional public and private schools but only after educating themselves.

At the end of January, National School Choice Week will take place. Last year, there were over 3,600 independently-held School Choice events across the country meant to celebrate choice in education.  Parents, administrators, politicians, students and other community leaders are encouraged to hold rallies, open houses or other events to shine the spotlight on choice in K-12 education.

Traditional public schools are not excluded from the events and are an important part of the discussion. It is meant to be a time of K-12 enlightenment, when misconceptions about choice in education are resolved.

So can public schools thrive in a school choice environment? I think so, yes. Options like charter, magnet, private, online and homeschool curricula are not meant to undermine the nation’s public schools but to build them up through shared quality standards. There is room for all choices in K-12 schools and students benefit from the options.

What is your stance on school choice?

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

5 Ways to Prevent K-12 School Violence

By Matthew Lynch

School violence, when it occurs, has a high impact on schools and communities where the incident takes place. Rare but deadly incidents of violence, such as the Columbine High School Massacre of 1999 or the more recent school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, bring the harsh realities of school violence to light.

These are both extreme examples, of course, but violence in smaller doses still occurs in schools around the country. The Centers for Disease Control report that about 828,000 students each year are victims of non-fatal victimization while on school property, which is about 32 victims per 1,000 students. In schools where violence statistics are even higher, it can be difficult to focus on academics – and keep students, teachers and administrators safe.

As with many problems in K-12 schools, thinking ahead and putting preventative policies in place can make a difference in the amount of violence experienced. Here are five of the most important ways to turn the tide on school violence:

1.  Develop Crisis Prevention Plans. Students who engage in violent behavior tend to be bored, frustrated, angry, alienated, or have low self-esteem.  These feelings abound in their home, school, and in society as a whole.  Schools should have a crisis plan in place as a means for ensuring the safety of students.

Typically, a crisis plan will address a zero-tolerance policy with regards to weapons.  If a student is carrying a weapon into school, that student is automatically expelled.  Some plans may require students to wear uniforms and implement security measures, including metal detectors and visitor sign-in.  More stringent plans require law enforcement officials, such as police, to be present at the school. These plans are important to maintaining a base-level of safety and making students feel comfortable in their school environments.

2.  Develop School-Wide Violence Prevention Policies.  Schools, particularly principals, can ensure that teachers, staff and parents within the school have common goals and that everyone is committed to reaching those goals.  They can also ensure that the school is run in a fair, firm, and consistent manner; and that high expectations for performance and behavior exist for all students.   Implementation of a curriculum that teaches and promotes the values of kindness, honesty, integrity and respect for fellow students, and everyone else would also lend itself to deterring violence.   Schools should also develop security measures that ensure weapons and unwanted individuals are kept out of the school and off school grounds, making the school neutral territory for all who attend.

3.  Educate Teachers on Violence Prevention. Methods include promotion of classrooms that teach and promote respect and kindness, and in which put downs, teasing and sarcasm are not tolerated.   In addition, learning conflict resolution skills so that issues are resolved in win-win outcomes for everyone involved and development of strong classroom management skills is essential.  Teachers should also be provided instruction on constructive methods of communication in order to help prevent violence.

4.  Educate Students on Violence Prevention.  Teach students peer-mediation skills so that they can handle problems before they escalate.  Allow students to be involved in the decision-making process so that they feel that they have a voice in how to handle offenders. Encourage other students to speak up if they see a peer being treated unfairly or in a violent way.

5.  Implement Alternative Schools for Serious Offenders.  Segregation of students who have a history of violence by putting them in alternative schools is one approach.  This allows for remediation efforts to focus on the violent students without putting others at risk. This should never be a first resort, though.

There are no easy answers when it comes to violence in schools.  While this list focuses on the education system alone, community efforts must also help to combat this distressing issue. Giving students a safe place to vent their anger or concerns will go a long way toward keeping everyone safer – and that should start in our K-12 schools.

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

Buckle Up! Navigating the Legal Issues for Field Trips

A guest post by Candice C. Pinares-Baez

There is no question that field trips are an essential part of strengthening the curriculum and creating an interactive learning experience for today’s students.  In fact, most independent schools pride themselves on the unconventional and unique off-campus learning opportunities provided to their students on both day trips and extended travel.  However, before blindly embarking on these endeavors, it is important for schools to ensure that they are properly safeguarding themselves against liability in case of an unfortunate event. The truth is that these opportunities can come with a multi-million dollar price tag if proper safeguards are not put into place.

This lesson was recently learned by a Connecticut school after a $41.7 million verdict was entered against it when a jury found that it was negligent in not preventing a student from contracting encephalitis during an international trip.  Specifically, the jury found that the school was negligent in not warning the student and her parents that she would be traveling in the mountainous and forested terrain of China, and that these areas posed a high risk for insect-transmitted diseases.  The jury found that the school’s failure to warn the student prevented her from protecting herself from insect bites with repellents, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and by avoiding brushy undergrowth.  In addition, the chaperone allowed the student to hike down a mountain unaccompanied on the day the student likely contracted the disease.

While it is impossible for any school to fully insulate itself from all possible liability  arising from field trips, through proper preparation and the implementation of certain precautions, schools can manage the risk and limit their exposure.

Review and Analysis of Each Trip

First, schools should create and implement a detailed process for reviewing the details of every proposed field trip to ensure that any and all possible risks have been assessed and addressed before the trip takes place, and communicated to the students and parents.  The review process should include a review of the transportation utilized throughout the trip, any risks associated with the destination, the physical requirements of the trip, the manner in which the trip will be supervised, the manner of implementation of contingent emergency procedures, and whether the School’s insurance policy covers the excursion.

A thorough and independent investigation should be conducted with respect to  each facet of the trip and any known dangers associated with same.  The investigation should include checking with the State Department to determine whether there has been a travel advisory posted for the destination and checking with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine whether there are any health advisories for the destination.  The investigative findings should be shared with the students and parents in a timely fashion.  In addition, any and all precautions that could be taken to minimize those risks should be shared as well.  Parents should also be encouraged to conduct their own independent research and share any concerns they may have with the school.

Implement and Enforce Strict Guidelines

It is imperative that every person participating on the trip has a complete understanding of the behavioral expectations and disciplinary procedures and consequences associated with the trip.  In addition to making it clear that all school policies apply on every trip, schools should also make trip participants aware of any trip-specific behavioral expectations (such as a no alcohol policy in countries where alcohol is legal) and the consequences for violating the rules, policies, and expectations (such as being escorted back to campus at the expense of the student).  Each student participating in the trip and his/her parents should provide written acknowledgment of receipt so that they are less likely to challenge the enforcement of those rules in the event they are enforced.

Prepare Proper Documentation

As set forth above, the most important safeguard to limit liability associated with injuries related to field trips is disclosure of all information related to the trip, including any possible safety risks, to parents and students.  This can and should be done in the context of a release.  It is imperative that the parents of every student who participates in a field trip has executed a proper release.  The more detailed and comprehensive the release, the more likely that it will be upheld in the unfortunate event of an injury to a student.  At a minimum, the release should include: 1) the names of the parents and student; 2) the objective of the trip; 3) a detailed itinerary, including every location that the student will visit and any risks associated with same; 4) a list of every activity the student will engage in and the physical demand, if any, of each activity; 5) a list of any supplies the student should bring with him/her, including supplies that may minimize the exposure to any risks; 6) the transportation plan for the duration of the trip; 7) all anticipated costs and expenses; 8) a medical authorization; 9) agreement by the parents and student to adhere to all School policies and specific trip guidelines; and 10) a hold harmless clause.  In most cases, liability release forms will not prevent recovery for cases where gross negligence or willful misconduct is found on behalf of the School or its agents.  That is why it is prudent to train all adults who will serve as chaperones on all field trips.

Require Training

Every adult participant should be trained before participating in a school-sponsored trip.  The training should include a review of all applicable school policies and any trip-specific rules.  It should also include a review of the expectations for adult behavior on the trip, including, the prohibition of smoking and drinking, adult/student boundaries, and the need to act as a role model for the students.  During the training, it is also important to provide a detailed review of the itinerary, discuss any potential problems and how they should be handled, and go through the emergency contingency plans.  Every adult on the trip should be a benefit to the school and not an added risk.  Ensuring that they are properly trained helps the school achieve that goal.

While impossible to eliminate liability completely, managing the risk appropriately will help limit exposure.

 

Candice C. Pinares-Baez is an associate in the Fort Lauderdale office of Fisher & Phillips. She focuses her practice on defending employment related lawsuits and administrative complaints encompassing a variety of issues, including discrimination claims arising under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Florida Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act and other federal and state employment laws, and related tort actions. Candice has successfully litigated matters before state and federal courts and she also advises clients on preventive measures aimed at reducing employment-related claims.

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

Will Congress ever fix America’s education system?

U.S. News and World Report recently sat down with Senator Lamar Alexander, chair of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee to talk about the re-authorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and higher education.

In the interview, Alexander talks of slicing the FAFSA application down to just two questions in an effort to encourage more students to apply, and he wants to expand school choice so that more students have the ability to exercise variety in their education.

But perhaps one of the more interesting antecedents of the interview was Alexander’s grade on how Congress has performed on NCLB.

“We’ve been stuck for seven years. We should’ve reauthorized it. If students were this late on homework, they’d get an “F.””

If we could go lower on a grading scale, I’m sure many would give Congress something much worse. NCLB expired nearly ten years ago and many states are still operating under waivers because Congress can’t seem to agree on how to move forward.

Luckily, Alexander, who’s a Republican, has taken a bipartisan approach to getting the law reauthorized. He said that Senator Patty Murray, the Democratic ranking member of the committee, has worked well with him to push the bipartisan effort through.

Nothing earth shattering regarding the future of education, or Congress’ attitude towards it, was revealed. There is still a lot of work left and there is no guarantee that the reauthorized will pass through this time around. Meanwhile as time passes, more and more students are suffering the repercussions of Congress and its slow pace.

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Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Policy & Reform, Teachers

Why abstinence-only sex ed simply doesn’t work

By Matthew Lynch

When I first saw the headline, I thought it was too ironic to be true: Texas school teaching abstinence-only sex ed suffers chlamydia outbreak.

I would’ve probably even laughed if I hadn’t realized quickly that it was not only true, but that it meant dozens of kids now had to deal with the discomfort and potential long-term harm of a sexually transmitted disease. These are kids that were clearly not practicing abstinence and were ill-prepared for real-life sexual encounters. It isn’t the fault of these kids, either.

It is irresponsible of school systems to teach abstinence-only sexual education and it should be illegal in public schools.

Should abstinence be taught as the only sure way to avoid things like unplanned pregnancies and STDs? Of course it should because it IS the only absolute way. But that abstinence extends beyond basic sexual intercourse. Students need to understand exactly all the ways they can be harmed by unprotected sex and then given the power to protect themselves.

The argument that parents should be the only ones to talk to their kids about sexual options just doesn’t cut it because it is elitist. It only works for students whose parents have the time or concern to actually sit down with their kids and have that talk. It leaves out the many students whose parents won’t actually have this talk with their kids or the ones who will preach abstinence-only. Schools have the responsibility to educate to their best of their abilities, and let’s face it: abstinence-only sex ed fails that mantra miserably.

What do you think? Should public schools be required to teach safe sex practices?

 

 

 

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Policy & Reform

With harsher disciplinary measures, school systems fail black kids

**The Edvocate is pleased to publish guest posts as way to fuel important conversations surrounding P-20 education in America. The opinions contained within guest posts are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of The Edvocate or Dr. Matthew Lynch.**

Esther Canty-Barnes, Rutgers University Newark

Although it has been over 60 years since the Brown v Board of Education decision, black students are still more likely to receive out-of-school suspensions for minor violations of the code of conduct. As a result, they are more likely to drop out of school or enter the juvenile justice system.

Black students constituted 32%-42% of those suspended during the 2011-12 school year, even though they represented 16% of the student population.

As racial tensions resurface in the aftermath of the conflicts and riots in Ferguson and Baltimore, we need to consider whether some of these issues have their origins in the manner in which children of color are treated in our schools.

As a clinical professor of law at the Rutgers University Law School’s Education and Health Law Clinic, I provide legal representation to parents and their children in cases where they are being denied an appropriate education or are suspended from school.

This includes filing legal complaints, attending meetings and assessing the appropriateness of a student’s educational program. At the clinic, my colleagues and I have seen firsthand the disparities in the treatment and resources provided by schools. And often, I have seen that suspension of young black students begins as early as kindergarten.

Educational inequities for black kids

Our educational system continues to fail children of color.

Research shows that black males are disproportionately more likely to be placed in special education and classified as mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed.

They are also more likely to be placed in segregated placements, more likely to be educated in poorly performing schools and more likely to be referred to the juvenile justice system for infractions that occur in school.

They are also the least likely to be provided the positive supports and the assistance that they need in order to succeed.

None of this is new.

Children of color have historically been subjected to educational inequities. After the landmark decision of Brown v Board of Education in 1954, where the Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional to maintain segregated schools, practices and policies were developed to maintain segregated settings.

States in the South refused to comply with Brown, while other parts of the country developed practices such as IQ testing and tracking students into specific programs that often kept children of color in different classes from their white counterparts.

The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF), headed by Marian Wright Edelman, was one of the first organizations to look at the disparities in access to education. In its groundbreaking report in 1975, “School Suspensions: Are They Helping Children?,” the CDF analyzed the reports submitted to the Office of Civil Rights.

Although black students accounted for 27.1% of the students enrolled in the school districts reporting to the Office of Civil Rights in the 1972-73 school year, the report found that they made up 42.3% of the racially identified suspensions.

At the high school level, black students were suspended at more than three times the rate of white students: 12.5% versus 4.1%.

Persistent patterns of suspensions

These inequities in suspensions and removal from school continue to persist.

In recent times, the term “school-to-prison pipeline” is often used to describe systemic practices that ultimately lead students of color into the criminal justice system. These policies often cause the suspension or removal and sometimes the arrest of students from school for nonviolent or minor violations.

Arrested students fall behind the class, thus perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Meg Stewart, CC BY-SA

The vast majority of suspensions are not for serious or violent offenses. Most are for minor infractions such as tardiness, dress code violations or disruptive behavior.

Why suspension matters

Students who are suspended for substantial periods lose valuable instruction time and fall behind in school.

The unfairness of these practices increases gaps in learning and eventually makes it difficult for black kids to keep up in school. Researchers have found that the use of harsh punishment for minor offenses has a negative impact on children, including increasing the chances of dropping out of school.

The US Department of Education Office of Civil Rights in its 2014 Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) on discipline provides a stark example of how the educational system continues to fail children of color.

For the 2011-12 school year, for out-of-school suspensions by race/ethnicity and gender, black students on average were suspended or expelled at a rate three times greater than white students.

At the preschool level, although black children represented 18% of enrolled students, they represented 48% of the students suspended more than once.

Although black students represented 16% of the student population, they accounted for 27% of the students who were referred to law enforcement and 31% of the students who were arrested.

Prejudices against students with disabilities

Students of color with disabilities are also disproportionately suspended from school compared to their white counterparts. They are twice as likely to be suspended than their non-disabled peers. And they are referred to law enforcement at greater rates.

Although students in special education represent 12% of enrollment, they constitute one-quarter of students arrested and charged with juvenile offenses.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) outlines specific protections for parents and their disabled children and requires that school districts provide an appropriate education and services such as counseling, social skills and other supports to meet their unique needs. However, the needs of these children are often not met.

Moreover, there are many protections that apply before a disabled student could be considered for suspension or removal for substantial periods of time. Often, these protections are ignored, and the services that should be provided are not.

Change is needed

Suspension of students for minor infractions is certainly not the solution. We don’t have to look far to see the consequences of policies that take students out of school and place them in vulnerable, nonproductive settings.

The cost – a life of poverty or incarceration – further continues to perpetuate a cycle of failure.

Myriad systems have worked against poor children of color to deprive them of the educational opportunities that their white counterparts have taken for granted. Poverty, violence, inadequate housing and other systemic inequities place these children in a pipeline for failure. Most of us would not be able to endure the burden, if placed in their small shoes.

A great deal of change is needed to combat these pervasive educational inequities. The US Departments Of Education and Justice have begun to take some important steps by issuing guidelines to school districts to reduce the numbers of students who are being removed or suspended from school and encouraging schools to find alternatives to suspensions.

These are important steps, but much work remains to be done.

______The Conversation

Esther Canty-Barnes is Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Education and Health Law Clinic at Rutgers University Newark .

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

Read the original article.

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Matthew Lynch published in Policy & Reform

5 Steps for Creating School Reform Policies that Actually Work

Many school administrators enter the field hell-bent on making a name for themselves and refusing to live in the shadows of their predecessors. Often, they feel as though their only choice is to go in a totally different direction, making the previous reform null and void.

This situation creates frustration among the surviving faculty and staff. The changes of the new administrators often happen before they fully think about the consequences or repercussions of their actions. Perfectly competent adults massage their egos instead of thinking about what is in the best interests of the school, the teachers and the children.

To be fair, part of the reason that most administrators take the jobs they do is because they want to make a difference and blaze new trails. As teachers, it may have been difficult to implement the change they really wanted to see – but as administrators, that path is more straightforward. Taking the time to develop a well-thought-out plan, and keeping policies of merit in place, makes a big difference in the well-being of any school community, though. So how should administrators looking for reform proceed?

Here are five simple steps for effective school reform.

1. Start with a plan.

When initiating reform, an action plan must be developed before the school can determine how the reform implementation will be carried out. Too often, administrators become anxious and feel the need to change the implementation processes before any data has been collected. It is best to examine all the moving parts before making the decision to start from scratch on any initiative.

2. Allow time for the plan to work.

It is counterproductive to start one reform and then decide to start another several months later. Some school districts revert to a model proven to be ineffective due to impatience and the desire for quick results. Once reform has been implemented, all parties involved must show fidelity to one reform until there is concrete data or evidence that indicates the reform is effective or ineffective. Reform is about creating an environment in which students are the priority and we as their teachers assist them in starting and finishing their journey to becoming educated citizens.

3. Be okay with some setbacks.

Strategic planning and the implementation of school reform sometimes require schools to absorb temporary setbacks in order to reap the benefits of long-term gains. Student progress might dip for a month or two before teachers and administration see a significant gain in student learning and performance. Teachers and administrators need to allow change to take place and not panic when instant significant changes are not apparent.

4. Don’t compare.

Model schools can be found in every major city, but when trying to recreate their successes, many schools fail to achieve the same results. Trying to recreate another school’s success is potentially dangerous, even when schools share similar characteristics. This is because, regardless of the similarities, every district is unique. Often, after a large amount of time, energy, and money has been spent, the school declares the plan a failure and has nothing to show for the efforts.

5. Stay focused.

Too many plans to change can be as dangerous as not having a plan at all. Strategic plans are a district’s consistent road map, even in the face of overturning staff or administration. The plan will also serve as documentation when the federal government looks into accountability. In this way, schools should glean what they can from the efforts of other schools to implement and sustain change. In the end, a strategic plan that reflects the culture and needs of the individual school is likely a better route than attempts to replicate the efforts at another school, or a plan that is over-zealous for the wrong reasons.

What should you consider when developing a plan for reform? Leave a comment—I would be happy to hear from you.

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Matthew Lynch published in OpEducation, Policy & Reform

Why the business community cares about Common Core Standards

By Matthew Lynch

In the education community’s frantic pace to stay accountable with each other and the government, I think some other aspects of our society get inadvertently left out of the education process. The business community is one. If you think about it, business organizations SHOULD be very concerned with the quality of education in our schools, starting as young as preschool and stretching through the college process. These students are, after all, our future workers and the drivers of the American economy.

That’s why I’ve really enjoyed a new video series put together by the Committee for Economic Development that emphasizes the importance of educational standards, like Common Core, on America’s future economy. Education and business, the videos argue, are forever intertwined and should rely on each other for success. Spend a few minutes watching this particular video on “Education Through the Lens of Business.”

What is being taught in our schools today matters to the business community and it should. I’ve heard the argument that teaching our kids in a way that prepares them for the competitive global workforce is treating them as “commodities” and not like children. I suppose there would be some merit to that if science hadn’t proven time and time again that kids thrive in learning environments and that the economic status of your life impacts its quality immensely. Setting our kids up to succeed economically on the world stage not only benefits our nation as a whole, but provides those kids with lifelong skills that will elevate their own quality of life through adulthood.

I look forward to seeing more initiatives like this one in the business community. You can view the rest of my commentary on the CED video series here.

Check out:

How Common Core levels the educational playing field

A look at how strong educational standards help the U.S. economy

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Matthew Lynch published in list, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

3 Unusual Statistics about the U.S. Educational System

As a former public school educator, and someone who watches public school policy closely, I believe the K-12 system here in America is on its way up. I see improvements as schools raise accountability standards, offer more social services, and focus more intently on high school graduation and college prep. Our schools are better preparing students academically and for productive lives.

But it is not that simple. The statistics and research I’ve reviewed over the past few years show mixed results when it comes to the educational system. I will discuss three unusual—even contradictory—facts in this article.

  1. Parents with children in the public school system are happy with the education system…but the general public is not.

Nearly half of American adults are pleased with the operation of the K-12 public school system in the nation. A recently released Gallup poll finds that 48 percent of Americans say they are “somewhat” or “completely” satisfied with the public K-12 system in the U.S. The poll has been conducted since 1999 and that highest satisfaction rating in this category was 53 percent in 2004.

Respondents with children who are actually in the public school system currently showed higher levels of satisfaction (57 percent) with the system than adults as a collective group. Parents who answered how satisfied they were with just their oldest child’s education were at almost 75 percent.

The fact that many parents in the poll responded positively to public schools and members of the general public responded negatively was labeled an “optimism gap” by the Gallup poll staff.

The results of this poll tell me two things: One, American confidence in the public school system has a ways to go to reassure the general population that it is doing its job; and two, that those who actually interact with the public schools are less influenced by things like news stories when it comes to shaping their personal opinions.

  1. 80 percent of students are graduating high school…yet less than half of these students are ready for what’s next.

The U.S. Education Department reports that the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high at 80 percent.  Four out of five students are successful in studies completion and graduate within four years. While these statistics sound like a reason for a standing ovation, they are overshadowed by the crisis that is sweeping the United States. While 80 percent of high school seniors receive a diploma, less than half of those are able to proficiently read or complete math problems.

The problem is that students are being passed on to the next grade when they should be held back, and then they are unable to complete grade-level work and keep up with their classmates.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the largest standardized test administered in the United States, reports that fewer than 40 percent of graduating seniors have mastered reading and math and are poorly equipped for college and real world life.  These students who are passed to the next grade are at a serious disadvantage and have an increased chance of falling behind and dropping out of college.

  1. We spend trillions of dollars on education…but we have not seen any improvement in public schools since 2009.

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress has some shocking news: since 2009, there has been no improvement in math and reading performance among our nation’s high school seniors.  Despite the trillions of dollars we have hurdled into our schools, our students aren’t better off in those subjects.

How can that be? It seems to me that the problem lies in that we simply teach to the test.  We train thousands of students to learn a few of the “core” subjects so they score well on tests – but that doesn’t really make the students better educated. Higher test scores in any subject does not mean these young adults are smarter. Think about the utterly essential part of success: learning how to write well.  This is a prime example of a subject that no multiple-choice test can measure.

To really learn, students must have the thirst to drink from the fountain of knowledge.  They must feel compelled to understand problems and have the urge to find the solution, even if that means they answer incorrectly.  Yes, the core subjects are important for students to learn – but let’s not forget about literature, music and the arts – and the other subjects that help teach students to explore.

What the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress tells us is alarming. How have ten years passed, and these trillions of dollars not rendered any improvement in math and reading performance among high school seniors?

There are some schools out there that are taking a better approach at teaching today’s diverse student population but so much more needs to be done. What public education needs is the ability to implement more practical models of teaching to guide students instead of following master plans devised to ensure students test well.

 

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