American Education Comment # 1: What's REALLY Wrong?

What's REALLY wrong with American Eductaion?  Where do I begin?

At the beginning, of course.

"The Beginning," is the value system, governing our "culture," (quotation marks are used this one time, on the term, "culture" because there are those who take issue with this term applying to America.  Many think the USA to be too young to really have defined it's culture, for example) society and country. 

Our thoughts, words and actions/behaviors, identify the values, that govern American Education.

Here is a list of 10 American Educational Values, as identified by this country's thoughts, words and actions:
1.  All children can learn.
2.  Taxes, support and pay for, public education.
3.  All children must attend school, through graduation from High School (12th grade, or until their 22nd birthday (in the case of children designated as "special education" students).
4.  Private education is allowed but parents and/or entities responsible for any private school, pay for their child's education, with monies generated by the private educational entity and the parents it serves.  Most often, "private schools" in America, are religious schools (Catholic, Lutheran, as 2 examples).
5.  Parents must/should, be highly involved in their child's education.
6.  American Education must include a "social" component, as part of a "well-rounded" education.  "Social" components, as defined here, include sports, activities (band, student government are 2 examples) and clubs
(foreign language, cooking are 2 examples).  Often, public perception of a school's excellence, is directly related to the school's social education component's excellence (seemingly, especially true of the school's sports success).
7.  Many American parents, oppose any "values" education, being taught in the school.
8.  "Standardized tests," are used to determine student learning and learning progress. The results of each child's standardized test are shared with parents and become a permanent part of each student's file.  Standardized test results for the grade level for which they are administered, are diseminated to the media.  The total standardized test results for each school is shared with the media.  A collection of each school district's standardized test results, is shared with the media.  The media, especially the written media, then compare the progress of each tested class, school, school district and state results, to those of other classes, schools, districts and states. 
9.  The educational excellence of a school, district or state is determined, in large part, by their results on standardized tests.  A movement is growing, to determine teacher performance, by their class's results, on standardized tests.
10. Historically, American Education has been "driven" by a variety of "sub-components" of American Society.  American industry; business; religious, politics, ethnic and racial groups; traditional values (the "worth" of the individual, over the interests of the state: example) and myriads of other "pulling forces."  All these different sub-components demand representation in the American Education Curriculum.

How am I qualified to examine these values and comment on them?  I have spent 42 years as a public educator.  I have taught children at every level (elementary, middle school and high school). I have taught and served Special Education students with severe learning barriers/problems. I have taught, or worked with caucasian, black, latino, arab/muslim and native american students. I have served as a school principal at every level.  I have been a teacher, school site administrator and central office administrator.  I have spent years representing both the Union and Management (local Boards of Education and Administration) in the collective bargaining process and in contract management.  In addition to being a teacher and administrator, I have served schools as a custodian, bus driver, coach and playground supervisor.  I possess a Doctorate Degree (Century University, Albuquerque, NM); Masters Degree (Xavier University of Cincinnati, OH) and BA Degree (Olivet Nazarene College, Kankakee, IL.).

This blogging commentary will unfold as a series, in which I will share my observations and ideas.  Feel free to disagree but please do so as a "lady," or a "gentleman."  I promise to treat your ideas with respect.

Dr. Walter Wayne Hopewell