The State of American Public Education  

Oleh:

Severin, Jean Richard

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: International Journal of Arts and Sciences vol. 06 no. 02 (2013), page 731-742.
Topik: Education policy; Charter school; No child left behind; Race to the top
Fulltext: 06_02_52_Severin.pdf (341.25KB)

Isi artikel

Public schools in the United States had a long history of academic success up until the 1980s, when education became a political battlefield at the federal, state and local levels. During the Progressive Era, public education became a priority for state and federal governments, regardless of political party affiliations. Reformers such as John Dewey and presidents such as Woodrow Wilson placed an emphasis on the need to adequately prepare citizens to become the bearers of American civic culture and economic development. However, in the past thirty years, partisan politics marked by the ideological battles of the so-called “culture wars,” has seriously hindered educational processes and impaired the education of American children in public schools. In this article, I present a theoretical argument on government decisions that have contributed to the decline of US ranking among the leading industrial nations. From the ‘Elementary and Secondary Education Act’ of 1965, ‘Nation at Risk’ of 1983, to ‘No Child Left Behind’ and ‘Race To The Top,’ significant resources have been poured into education. However, not much improvement has been recorded. Using a critical analysis model of the federal, state, and city policies in New York City public schools, I have evaluated the empirical evidence, and assessed whether these policies significantly improve education within one of the largest public school systems in the country. Based on my theoretical discussion and critical analysis, I recommend that playing politics with the education of our children has not improved the quality of public schools in NYC. Education ought to be left to educators, not politicians who are using the business model of cost benefit to drive education and maximize profit from over the top managers of education. This case study, I suggest, can be extended throughout the country.

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