The Collapse of Public Education In America

Our K–12 children are increasingly unprepared to meet life’s challenges

W
hy Mary Lynn Manning
November 2008
Of one trillion dollars spent on education in
2007-2008, ninety billion, or about 8%
comes from federal funds.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
The Federal Role in Education
The original Department of Education was
created in 1867 to collect information on
schools and teaching that would help the
States establish effective school systems.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
The Federal Role in Education

1890: Second Morrill Act gave the

Department responsibility for
administering support for colleges
and universities.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
The Federal Role in Education

1917: Smith-Hughes Act and the

1946: George-Barden Act focused on

agricultural, industrial, and home
economics training for high school
students.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
The Federal Role in Education

1941: The Lanham Act and the

1950: Impact Aid laws eased the

burden on communities affected by
the presence of military installations
by making payments to school
districts.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
The Federal Role in Education

1944: "GI Bill" authorized

postsecondary education assistance
that ultimately sent nearly 8 million
World War II veterans to college.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
History of Education in the U.S.
Prior to 1960: the Little Red Schoolhouse
History of Education in the U.S.
Prior to 1960: the Little Red Schoolhouse
History of Education in the U.S.
Prior to 1960: the Little Red Schoolhouse
History of Education in the U.S.
Prior to 1960: the Little Red Schoolhouse
History of Education in the U.S.
Prior to 1960: the Little Red Schoolhouse
Education Legislation

Lyndon B. Johnson 1963-1969

“Great Society” legislation

The “War on Poverty”
1965: Elementary and Secondary
Education Act (ESEA)

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
 MISSION: to promote student
achievement and preparation for
global competitiveness by fostering
educational excellence and ensuring
equal access.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html
Education Legislation

2001: No Child Left Behind Act

signed into law by George W. Bush

Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/education/whschoolsummit/index.html
Objectives: No Child Left Behind

3. Hold schools accountable.

6. Close achievement gaps.

8. Reading proficiency of every

student within 12 years.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020108.html
Objectives: No Child Left Behind

6. Allow "flexibility for

accountability” in the use of
federal funds.
7. Ensure programs that are
research-based and proven to
be effective.
Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/01/20020108.html
•Education is primarily a State and local
responsibility in the United States.
•91 percent of funds (for education) come
from non-Federal sources.
•ED’s 2008 appropriation: $68.6 billion.

Source: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/fed/role.html?src=ln
 Mission
Our mission is to advocate for education
professionals and to unite our members and
the nation to fulfill the promise of public
education to prepare every student to
succeed in a diverse and interdependent
world.

NEA believes the No Child Left Behind Act

needs to be fundamentally overhauled.
Source: http://educationvotes.nea.org/NEAConcrnsAbtNCLB.pdf
NEA is asking Congress to make three
fundamental changes in the No Child Left
Behind law so that it works for children:

3. Use more than test scores to measure

student learning and school
performance;
2. Reduce class size to help students learn;
3. Increase the number of highly qualified
teachers in our schools.
 NEA President Dennis Van
Roekel

A Victory for a Friend of Public Education

Posted by NEA on November 4, 2008, 11:48 PM

The election of 2008 was a milestone for our nation. With a

groundswell of enthusiasm among youth and minorities, the
American people turned out in record numbers to vote for change.
The NEA helped lead the way in this historic event.

To help Obama win the election, NEA distributed 21.3

million pieces of mail; placed more than 2.1 million
phone calls; and sent more than 4.5 million e-mails to
members in battleground states.

Source: http://educationvotes.nea.org/blog/talking-point/a-victory-for-students-and-edu.php
Obama’s Plan:
• Hire 30,000 new teachers per yr
• Add $18 billion a year to federal
education spending
• Expand federal funding for charter
schools from $236 million to $450 million
• Add $10 billion to quadruple the number
of slots in Early Head Start
• Expand the Child and Development Care
Tax Credit, making it refundable allowing
up to a 50% tax credit for child care
expenses

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-10-13-obama-mccain-policy_N.htm
New Leaders for New Schools:
A nationwide nonprofit.
Inception: 2000.

The organization was first conceived by a team of

five graduate students in business and education.

Total number of New Leaders has grown to 431

school leaders in 2006

Source: http://www.nlns.org/AboutUs.jsp
MISSION: It is our mission to ensure high
academic achievement for every student by
attracting and preparing outstanding leaders and
supporting the performance of the urban public
schools they lead at scale.

Source: http://www.nlns.org/Mission.jsp
2007 Locations: New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington DC,
Baltimore, Memphis, Bay Area CA, Prince George’s County and New
Orleans
Source: http://www.nlns.org/Locations.jsp
New Orleans: Tragedy and Opportunity?
Before Hurricane Katrina: the Orleans
Parish School Board (OPSB) operated 127
schools that enrolled over 65,000
students. A vastly different system has
emerged since the storm:

In November 2005, the legislature

expanded the state’s Recovery School
District (RSD) to take control of over 100
OPSB schools performing below the state
average.
Source: http://www.nlns.org/Locations_NewOrleans.jsp
New Orleans: Opposition to NLNS
After Katrina:
Charter Schools enrolled half of New
Orleans school children

The other half were assigned to public

education run by the State that got no
federal funds

RSD (Recovery School District) schools are

for poor students who are being denied a
real education
Source: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8579
--Loyola University law professor Bill Quigley
 2007
• TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS: 94,382
• TOTAL PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT:
49,113,000
• TOTAL NUMBER OF CHARTER SCHOOLS:
4,568
• TOTAL PUBLIC SCHOOL EXPENDITURES:
$411.5 billion
• AVERAGE PUBLIC PER PUPIL EXPENDITURE:
$10,770

Source: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d07/tables/
Of all students
enrolled, only 71% will
reach graduation

Of all Hispanic
students enrolled, only
52% will reach
graduation

Of all Black students

enrolled, only 56% will
reach graduation

Of all White students

enrolled, only 78% will
reach graduation

Source: http://thestateofamerica.wordpress.com/2008/02/29/the-state-of-no-child-left-behinds-progress/
There are other problems facing public education:
My sister, who chooses not to disclose what school
she works for, named these:
CORRUPTION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS
REVERSE DISCRIMINATION IN HIRING, PROMOTING
AND PAYING TEACHERS
OVERCROWDING
STANDARDIZED TESTING RESULTS UNFAIRLY
ATTACHED TO TEACHER EVALUATIONS
REQUIRED INTERVENTION AND DOCUMENTATION
FOR KIDS WHO DO NOT WANT TO LEARN
SEX, DRUGS, CELL PHONES AND TEXT MESSAGING
DISTRACTIONS

Source: JANET BYRD, public high school English teacher for 27 years.
Are you in favor of Merit Pay?
No. Because it already is in place and it is
corrupt. Teachers who are not qualified to
teach are hired, promoted, paid more than
teachers who have decades of experience.
If it could be realigned, restructured, completely
overhauled and overseen, then maybe. But as
it is, it would just be another way for good
teachers to be given bad evaluations in order to
justify lower pay than, say, the friend of the
principal who is hired and given a big title.

Source: JANET BYRD, public high school English teacher for 27 years.
 • Conclusion:
Successful Education Reform will require:
– a complete restructuring of Education in the U.S.
– raising standards for all students
– changing how teachers are paid
– empowering principals to manage their schools
– ensuring that states are honest about
performance
– constant evaluation
– innovation

Source: http://educationvotes.nea.org/NEAConcrnsAbtNCLB.pdf