Education 101

One of the major problems that we are facing both as a region and as a county is a crisis in education. I want to look at a few issues that surround this problem here: funding, testing, and the goals of education.

At the Bishop’s statewide hearings on public education, funding was a topic of much discussion. While local school districts struggle to find adequate funding for equipment and supplies, unfounded government mandates, and the upkeep on aging buildings, they are forced to beg for levies from people who often accuse then of squandering the money. This is especially troubling when you consider that the voters decide if new funding is provided, for equipment, upkeep, programs, and (if the school needs them) new buildings. With our current method of funding being ruled unconstitutional in 2003 (for the fourth time), we are quickly reaching a crisis point. One school’s superintendent remarked, “The whole issue is very difficult to understand. With changes in Ohio’s tax code, and with more strings attached to the state money that is given, it becomes very difficult to explain to your average voter why money was spent the way it was and where the money (which was never there) has gone.”

Another troubling issue is the new testing that was instituted with the No Child Left Behind legislation. While this testing seeks to measure the abilities in key areas before they can be passed on, the methodology is flawed in many ways. First, all a test can tell you is how a child did on one day. I know of two specific instances where a child was either ill or going through a rough time with family issues. In both instances, the child struggled with material that they would have easily dealt with on a normal day. By putting so much weight on these tests, we are essentially setting up many students to fail. Another major issue is what this testing does to curriculum. Speaking to a teacher in my congregation, I was informed that the curriculum has shifted towards teaching to the tests. The problem with this is that it limits the potential of the education to the standard set by the test. Finally, there is legislation being discussed right now that would add even more testing and adjust teacher’s pay based upon the results of their students. This is unjust. A teacher with a bright class does not deserve to be paid more than a teacher who has to put out the extra effort to help slower students achieve.

The issue comes down to a simple question – what is the goal of education? Is it to make sure every student is able to pass a test that measures key areas? Is it to make sure teachers are being properly compensated? No! The goal of education is to prepare the next generation of citizens to be productive members of society. With an increasingly global economy and a general move from a manufacturing base to an information base, the need to a more comprehensive education is evident. If education does not become a priority in the next few years, the area will be a mere ghost of itself in the next ten to twenty years.

So what can we do? First, we can begin to petition our lawmakers to begin to address the funding problems. While there are no simple solutions, I am sure there are ways to make the funding of Ohio’s schools fair and equitable for every student. Second, we can push for a move away from test-driven education. Testing for a grade is one thing, but it has gone far beyond that. Finally, volunteer in a local school. Ask the principle what you (or your church) can do to help. Only by working together can we find a solution to the education problem we now face.