PUBLIC EDUCATION

Are We at a Tipping Point?

The CCP virus brought many serious problems, but it also led to an exposure of a longstanding problem in public education.  With kids working from home, parents got to see what their kids were actually learning, if anything.  As they became more aware of the shortcomings, they also dug into the politics, learning about CRT, that math is racist, that the formal education they had themselves experienced was not what their kids were learning, and worst of all, a high school diploma might no longer reflect skills and proven learning.

The Alternatives So Far

Parents with resources to do so formed learning pods, hiring teachers to come in to supplement their own resources.  The number of home-schooling families doubled.  Charter schools and even religious-based schools began looking more viable.  Some parents have tried to challenge school boards and a few are trying to run to supplant those they feel have caused their children to be “left behind.”

But all these strategies assume that the basic public education model is what works best.  What if they’re wrong?  Could we use this moment in time to challenge and replace a model that worked best in the developing country, when the need for specialization was smaller and the number of professions fewer.

A Radical (or Perhaps Not) Notion

As a one-on-one way to heal communities, I’ve joined Braver Angels and have complete my first series of talks with my Red:Blue partner, Bob.  These structured conversations allow people on opposite sides to find common ground and understand each other better.  Speaking for myself, I now consider Bob a friend and a trusted source.  In our last conversation, he talked about needing a “reset” in education.  As he and his wife have spent their careers in this field, I wanted to hear his ideas.

What he modeled sounded similar to the program they use in Germany, with some nice variations designed around American values.  I thought it might make sense to share it with my readers, in the hopes that together, we might spawn a movement to radically reinvent our school system.  His idea means changing schools for endless years of a codified instruction set with an idea that everyone needs college to something that is far more individualized and career- and responsibility-focused.

The Germans

After completing some primary education children at a young age are assessed for how their schooling should continue.  There is Hauptschule designed for those who are not very academic, Realschule for intermediate students, Gymnasium for the academic types and Gesamtschule – a comprehensive program.  The first two programs end around 9th or 10th grade at which point vocational or other schooling is offered.  Only those going thru the Gymnasium program attend university. And only those who reach the highest levels of academic success can aspire to things like law and medicine, but only as the system needs more lawyers or doctors.

A Better, American Way

This sounds too restrictive, and for us, it is. However, an earlier determination of who enjoys/thrives under academic pressure would be helpful to all children.  In elementary school, there should be a heavier focus on interactive/team activities and problem solving.  Offering alternatives in assignments based on a child’s interests would be great.  For some writing assignments, let a child write a song, create a poem or some other way of writing that might be more appealing and relevant.

 In junior high, kids can start being given internship/apprentice opportunities for a part of the day, to help them understand options and begin to gain experience of the working world. Having a chance to understand jobs helps teens define their future goals with real-world experience instead of myth.  In Bob’s mind, every child at 18 owes America some service to the country, which would include the military, but also additional internship time perhaps in an area where there is need. Some might be government-managed; others in cooperation with corporations.

This approach requires a reinvention of the educational experience, but in a way that opens the world to these kids.  Most of us had little experience with professions outside those of our parents and close family friends.  It also introduces a new way of thinking about continuing education.  Where is it truly needed?  Is college a necessity/benefit to everyone or should it be more limited?  Could college be something you opted into later in life, as a continued growth experience or a chance to change careers and focus?

I spent most of my career in IT and I see no requirement for a college education for most fields.  For certain areas, a course or two might be helpful, but the very expensive degree doesn’t make one better at any of those jobs.  In fact, when I switched careers, I went to night school to learn about operating systems and the like.  I didn’t need four costly years.  Most kids who are into IT are already far more knowledgeable than the average college grad in the field.  Why not get them going earlier, especially as the demand for workers is huge in this field?

The demand for people in the trades is only growing and people who begin an apprenticeship in auto repair, electrical work, plumbing and the like can start out working for someone and end up owning a business.  With a insistence on college being necessary, too many people miss out on high-demand careers that don’t require the time or the debt.

It’s time to consider a new approach, especially given the failures we’re seeing at all levels.  SAT scores and GPAs are being dropped as metrics, colleges increasingly offer remedial high school courses and our young people are increasingly being made to feel like a success when they haven’t achieved what they need to.  There has to be a better way.

Careers without College