Education's More Informed Consumer
By J. C. Bowman
Education is of constant political interest in the United States. However, it is the local school districts or individual states, rather than the federal government, which has been the major contributor for any meaningful reform efforts in education.
In a time of a healthy and growing economy, education becomes a primary concern. We are reminded that students in today's classrooms become tomorrow's banker, lawyer, assembly-line worker, architect, politician and teacher. Poll after poll, survey after survey has demonstrated that Americans have great concern that the public schools of today are not producing graduates who are prepared for the world of tomorrow.
As public sentiment goes, so go the actions of politicians and policy makers. At all points along the ideological spectrum, there is no shortage of ideas about fixing public education problems. One cannot be a viable candidate for elected office without a plan or initiative for education. All sides use education statistics to bolster their positions.
Every year Americans are barraged with statistics about education. In some cases the information provided is quite useful. However, often statistics are designed to promote a specific way of looking at education favorable to the point of view of the person presenting the information.
Statistics are used everyday to frame the debate on public education. Teachers use state and district salary rankings to bargain for higher pay. Principals use enrollment figures to call for class size reduction and infrastructure support. Per-pupil spending is used to determine commitment to education at every level of government. Yet there has been no valid research that has proven that increases in educational spending translates into higher student achievement.
Unfortunately, we may have reached the point where the statistics themselves are driving the debates. Per-pupil spending, for example, is certainly the most cited education statistic. It appears in news stories, government reports and public policy advocacy studies. Yet, per-pupil spending is only one way of describing public school expenditures - and clearly not the most accurate method.
Even more disturbing, tax dollars continue to fail to reach the classroom or students, as public schools become more bureaucratic. In what former New York State Teacher of the Year John Taylor Gatto has referred to as "enshrining an exclusive bureaucracy of certified teachers and administrators, and literally hundreds of invisible agencies necessary to maintain the institution of government monopoly schooling."
Public education critics, particularly of the education establishment, also use statistics. Stagnant or declining test scores, lack of correlation between spending and achievement, and growth in school bureaucracies are certainly valid arguments. While these arguments often fail to garner as much attention by the media they have in fact made an impact on the debate on school reform. The availability of these statistics on the Internet is equalizing the debate and creating informed voters and taxpayers, these citizens are beginning to challenge the establishment in unparalleled numbers.
The state of Texas (http://www.tea.state.tx.us/) has a one of the most progressive Internet sites in the nation. Texas clearly views the availability of information as a means to improve education. Information on every school system in the state is included in the site. When the state failed to release TCAP scores in a timely manner, at least two school systems in Tennessee (Franklin Special School District and Hamilton County) took a similar approach.
For example contained on the Hamilton County Schools Website is something called an Electronic District Information Book or the EDIB report, which includes demographics, vital statistics, test scores and budgetary information on every school in Hamilton County. This school-by-school report provides a comprehensive look at schools for the general public. This EDIB report is now available online and can be downloaded by going to www.hcde.org/report.
The demand to educate everyone to the level of their ability and the push for excellence in education is not contradictory. Our society demands the maximum development of individual possibilities at all levels. The argument of quantity versus quality education is still heard from time to time. Behind such arguments is the assumption that a society can choose to educate a few people exceedingly well or to educate a great number of people somewhat less well, but that it cannot do both. But a modern society such as ours must do both.
Yet, because of a more informed educated consumer in this age of technology, will we see greater efforts on behalf of local school districts and less education bureaucracy? Or will we see the same type of spin and distortion of statistics that we have grown accustomed? One thing is certain the face of education has changed with the advent of technology, and I do not know if bureaucrats will ever be able to put the Jeanie back in the bottle.
John C. Bowman is President of Children First Tennessee/Children's Educational Opportunity Foundation of Chattanooga. He is the former Director of Research for the Texas Public Policy Foundation. From 1992-1998 he served as Director of Government Relations for the Professional Educators of Tennessee. He also served three terms as vice-president of the National Association of Professional Educators. His experience also includes over a decade as a teacher in public schools.