"Free universal public education is a pillar of democracy that made America great." So wrote my friend Jim Salmon last week, in a letter to this newspaper lambasting the school choice that's now law in New Hampshire.
Jim's remark was once correct. Today, however, public education may be our greatest national weakness, posing a serious threat not only to our economic future but to our national security. The National Educational Assessment of Progress results from 2024 showed such declining proficiency in math and reading, nationwide, that the opening of school coincided with widespread media angst. More recently, the University of California at San Diego, the sixth-highest-rated public university in the country, revealed that many of its freshmen can't perform elementary-level math functions. Many were also noticeably deficient in reading skills.
Once again, Bill, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
We have reached the point where the current Public Education Paradigm has hit a dead end. It is one of the most obvious examples of what happens when you institute a compulsory, mandated government-run program. And while its origin was conceived with "good intentions", it has morphed into a self-serving, unsustainable lavathin.
So, without repeating all of the issues that you already illustrated, the questions are obvious: What do we do to fix this? How do we find release from the stranglehold we find ourselves under?
Clearly, the Teachers' Unions have no interest or motivation in seeking any type of real solutions to ending the madness of bloated budgets, rising taxes, and decreasing academic performance. And as you pointed out, the School Boards, for the most part, are nothing but rubber stamps. And politically speaking, there is absolutely no interest by at least half of the electorate in making any real, impactful changes.
I would suggest a state-appointed Blue Ribbon panel, but how many of those things have we seen before without any true remedies or meaningful resolutions?
What I do know, based on my real-life experience and all of the available statistics, is that homeschooled and independent school children have routinely outperformed Public Schools for over a decade.
And then there are the technological advancements that have also made a huge impact on how we educate ourselves. It is now possible to get a degree online or to find applications for tutoring and supplemental support. Why can’t we apply the same technologies to improving our primary education system?
Imagine all the money that we could save in maintenance costs alone by consolidating or closing down underutilized facilities.
I’m not suggesting that we completely dismantle the entire Public Education system, but to pretend that things can continue on the current trajectory is patently absurd if not reckless. It is no longer sustainable, and there needs to be some big, drastic changes.
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It's no coincidence that the two biggest contributors to the Democrat Party are teachers unions and trial lawyers -- an unholy alliance at best.
Once again, Bill, you have hit the proverbial nail on the head.
We have reached the point where the current Public Education Paradigm has hit a dead end. It is one of the most obvious examples of what happens when you institute a compulsory, mandated government-run program. And while its origin was conceived with "good intentions", it has morphed into a self-serving, unsustainable lavathin.
So, without repeating all of the issues that you already illustrated, the questions are obvious: What do we do to fix this? How do we find release from the stranglehold we find ourselves under?
Clearly, the Teachers' Unions have no interest or motivation in seeking any type of real solutions to ending the madness of bloated budgets, rising taxes, and decreasing academic performance. And as you pointed out, the School Boards, for the most part, are nothing but rubber stamps. And politically speaking, there is absolutely no interest by at least half of the electorate in making any real, impactful changes.
I would suggest a state-appointed Blue Ribbon panel, but how many of those things have we seen before without any true remedies or meaningful resolutions?
What I do know, based on my real-life experience and all of the available statistics, is that homeschooled and independent school children have routinely outperformed Public Schools for over a decade.
And then there are the technological advancements that have also made a huge impact on how we educate ourselves. It is now possible to get a degree online or to find applications for tutoring and supplemental support. Why can’t we apply the same technologies to improving our primary education system?
Imagine all the money that we could save in maintenance costs alone by consolidating or closing down underutilized facilities.
I’m not suggesting that we completely dismantle the entire Public Education system, but to pretend that things can continue on the current trajectory is patently absurd if not reckless. It is no longer sustainable, and there needs to be some big, drastic changes.
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.