Education Matters US

How to fix broken education system

If it were only true that money was the solution to all problems. But it isn’t.

More money has not raised Illinois 4th and 8th grade science scores. More money did not create the subject matter mastery, nor instill the love of that subject — both necessary to facilitate learning.

The fact is that the education value provided to our children has stagnated as the costs have increased. In the world economy, our public school graduates are ill-prepared. Employers have to remediate high school graduates. State colleges across America spend more than $2 billion per year to bring entering students up to college level. That’s expensive for them and for the student who must pay for what was missing in high school.

The Illinois State Board of Education — supposedly the standards maker — has dumbed down the tests and normed up the results, giving the appearance of competence. That’s a flim-flam by any measuring stick.

The system of public education like, the Titanic, is deeply flawed in design. Throwing money at it is like painting over rust. The solution is competitive choice. In any district, all education funds — federal, state and local — are equally divided among the students.

All accredited schools, whether public, charter, private, parochial (religious classes offered outside school hours), or home schooling, offer a course of instruction. The parent selects the school. To the extent that the selected school offers a lower cost curriculum, the money reverts to the district for its own use.

The reformed ISBE sets accreditation standards and periodically tests all teachers to determine subject matter competency. Each district manages its program. It is as simple as that. And it can be done within current funding constraints.

Pete Speer
Indian Creek