Worthy: 4 defrauded Detroit schools of $150K | detnews.com | The Detroit News
How do we get at reform of K-12 education? Should it stay local, local control, or should we have more state level involvement? More state regulation, testing and monitoring of ALL schools? Should the feds have less involvement and return more to state and local? What reforms would work?
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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The issue of reform in the K-12 setting is monumental in scale but a lot simpler in finding solutions than most believe. As a future educator, I believe that the only way we are going to "get at reform of K-12 education" is to reframe our thinking.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, the issue of education is a matter left up to the States as per the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (those rights not explicitly stated for the federal government are reserved for the States). It is imperative we return not only to this principle but also revisit the promise of the "Great American Experiment" of public education. A K-12 education is a fundamental right, as established in Plyer v. Doe. But that promise does not say that everyone will be getting the same education nor inherently SHOULD be getting the same education. It simply states that every citizen has the right to a free K-12 education.
With this said, I feel that there needs to be greater local control over education. What works for Kalamazoo is different from what works for Detroit which is different from what works for Lake City which is different for what works for _________. Greater federal involvement is not the way to go and inherently unconstitutional. Programs such as Race to the Top are inherently unconstitutional in my opinion.
I have greater trust in more state regulation of education than the federal government. But more than that, I have confidence in the potential of local government and communities to take back responsibility of educating their young people. The crime in the article is reflective of the current style of governance in the greater Detroit area. K-12 schools everywhere are a reflection of their community. As our communities crumble and fraction, so too do our schools.
No one posted so I just wanted to share a video from a young person (valedictorian) who has some ideas about public education: http://www.wimp.com/valedictorianschooling/.
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