The Case for Radical Change

Most people agree that the American education system needs reforming, but the reforms that are usually recommended are either water-downed plans that don't address the core problems or so outrageous that the educational establishment would never accept it. So, we keep going in the same direction with few changes. Schools today, in many ways, look very similar to those of 50 years ago.

On Wednesday, Tom Payzant, Former Boston Superintendent and part of the commision that produced the Tough Choices or Tough Times report, came to speak to a class at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. This commission included many establishment educators and policymakers including Superintendents, Secretaries of Education, Senators, Union Leaders, and Business Executives. Given the fact that many of these commissioners had decades as members of the educational establishment, it is shocking that their report represents the most radical education reform suggestions that I have ever read. If these people are recommending the dismantling of the school district as we know it, the concept of social promotion, and the standardized pay scale, then we may finally be moving in the right direction.

While Payzant cited a lot of statistics to set the mood for the commission's recommendations, there is one that stuck with me. Of all 9th graders nation-wide, only 18% graduate with an Associates degree within 3 years of high school or a Bachelors degree within 6 years of high school. Assuming that one needs a college degree to achieve some measure of educational success, then we are failing 82% of our students. I knew it was bad, but that is ridiculous. How can we compete in business, international relations, science and technology with the rest of the world when only a small minority of our populace is reaching even low levels of academic success? It is a threat to our economy, our democracy, and our standing as the sole superpower.

With that in mind, the commission looked at what was being done successfully in other countries. Taking suggestions from our neighbors, the commission developed 10 steps to improve our standing. Some are relatively uncontroversial such as free and universal preschool for all 4 years olds and all low income 3 year olds. They also recommended a tax-protected account given to each newborn with some money for their education (to which they and their families could add even more). These are exactly the kinds of recommendations that I have come to expect from such commissions. They are nice, but really aren't going to get to the heart of the problem.

This commission was different. They suggested doing away with our social promotion procedures where students move from one grade to the next just because they happen to get a year older. Instead they recommend moving students through the system based on their progress with no set timetable. They also recommend raising teacher pay significantly in order to attract candidates from the top 1/3 of their college classes (with a new average salary hovering around $100,000). That's my favorite provision, by the way! Districts would basically be stripped of all their power since schools would be run independently by 3rd parties and get their funding directly from the state. And the federal government would get a lot more power to set national standards and assessments.

Regardless of whether you agree with these specific recommendations, we all have to agree that this is the kind of radical change that our system needs. However, before I get too excited I have to keep reminding myself that it is unlikely that these reforms will ever be instituted. Teachers unions will never let them get rid of the salary schedule. Local officials will never allow the federal government to take any power away from them. Conservatives will scream about tax increases and so called liberals would rather see minorities in failing schools than institute anything that resembles school choice. The members of this commission, who represented every constituency group and every political stripe, put aside their partisan differences and looked abroad to find the solutions that worked best. I hope that in the future we can do the same.