David Sirota: Teachers Were Never The Problem

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Teachers Were Never The Problem
Poverty still lies at the root of the U.S. ‘education crisis.’

BY David Sirota




Google the phrase “education crisis” and you'll be hit with a glut of articles, blog posts and think tank reports claiming the entire American school system is facing an emergency. Much of this agitprop additionally asserts that teachers unions are the primary cause of the alleged problem. Not surprisingly, the fabulists pushing these narratives are often backed by anti-public school conservatives and anti-union plutocrats. But a little-noticed study released last week provides yet more confirmation that neither the “education crisis” meme or the “evil teachers' union” narrative is accurate.

Before looking at that study, consider some of the ways we already know that the dominant storyline about education is, indeed, baseless propaganda.

As I've reported before, we know that American public school students from wealthy districts generate some of the best test scores in the world. This proves that the education system's problems are not universal–the crisis is isolated primarily in the parts of the system that operate in high poverty areas. It also proves that while the structure of the traditional public school system is hardly perfect, it is not the big problem in America’s K-12 education system. If it was the problem, then traditional public schools in rich neighborhoods would not perform as well as they do.

Similarly, we know that many of the high-performing public schools in America's wealthy locales are unionized. We also know that one of the best school systems in the world—Finland's—is fully unionized. These facts prove that teachers' unions are not the root cause of the education problem, either. After all, if unions were the problem, then unionized public schools in wealthy areas and Finland would be failing. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://inthesetimes.com/article/15849/teachers_were_never_the_problem/

[xchrom]

1. indeed. nt

[smokey nj]

2. Kick!

[liberal_at_heart]

3. Obviously kids in wealthier neighborhoods do better statistically, but that is deceiving.

My husband and I pretty much lived just a little beyond our means for the past 20 years to make sure we lived in the neighborhoods with the good schools. It was still a nightmare. The classrooms are still over crowded. The teachers still can't give the proper attention to their students because of the overcrowding. The curriculum are so cram packed they don't have time to teach it. They still end up teaching to the test. This seems to be especially true in richer neighborhoods. They want those high scores, and they want that funding. I'm in a less wealthy neighborhood now and they are not nearly as concerned about earning funding through state test scores. It is true that wealthier schools do better than less wealthy schools, but the fact remains our entire educational system is broken.

[riderinthestorm]

4. Yes but wealthier families can do the extra enrichment to make up the deficit.

Museums, arts, music lessons, martial arts classes - heck even just playtime vacations are enriching kids.

The parents are uusually college educated so they can provide the additional after school help that's necessary for academics.

But I 110% agree with you. Our entire school system is broken. ...