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The Purpose of Public Education Jason E. Glass

Superintendent & Chief Learner

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In school, you get the lesson - and then the test.

In life, you get the test - and then the lesson!

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Quiz!

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On a scale of 1-10, rate your answers to the following questions. “It is important that my community school …” 1. Has high test scores. 1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important 2. Emphasizes arts and music education.

1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important 3. Gets students accepted to a top-tier college.

1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important 4. Offers job-related programs (e.g. information technology, medical, automotive, etc.).

1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important 5. Emphasizes instruction in citizenship, democracy, and leadership.

1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important 6. Teaches students how to work with people from diverse racial, ethnic, or socio-economic backgrounds or cultures.

1 …. 2 … 3 … 4 … 5 … 6 … 7 … 8 … 9 … 10 Not important Very Important *Adapted from: What Parents Want: Education Preferences and Trade-offs – A National Survey of K-12 Parents by Zeehandeleer and Northern. Fordham Institute. 2013.

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If you had # 4 rated highest…

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If you had # 5 rated highest…

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If you had # 1 rated highest…

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If you had #6 rated highest…

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If you had #2 rated highest…

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If you had #3 rated highest…

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A Brief History of Public Education § 1600’s

-  Puritans point out the need for public schooling for moral purposes. -  Boston Latin, first known school in America, opens. -  Massachusetts towns with larger populations required to hire schoolmasters, open

schools.

§ 1700’s -  Classical liberal philosophers (Locke, Franklin, Rosseau, Jefferson) challenge long-held

notion that knowledge is innate, say instead it can be learned. -  Focus is on classical academic studies (literature, Latin, classical Greek philosophy). -  Thomas Jefferson proposes 2 track education system for “the laboring and the learned.” -  U.S. Constitution & Bill of Rights ratified – no mention of education. -  Importance of the 10th Amendment to education policy. “The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expense of it. There should not be a district of one square mile without a school in it, not founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the public expense of the people themselves.” John Adams, 1785

A Brief History of Public Education – 1600 & 1700’s

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A Brief History of Public Education – 1800 & early 1900’s § 1800’s

-  Thomas Jefferson proposes a system of free public schools, stresses importance of education to democracy, 1817.

-  Industrialization creates drive for public schools begin to be built in populated areas across the nation. The nation needs workers.

-  Segregation is the norm – Plessy v. Ferguson establishes “separate but equal.”

§ Early 1900’s -  Carnegie Unit created, equating “seat time” to classroom credits, 1905. -  Standardized testing - Iowa Test of Basic Skills, 1935 -  Frederick Taylor pens Principles of Scientific Management, standardization ideas applied

to factories, assembly lines … and schools. -  John Dewey introduces “constructivist” ideas: student centered, learning is doing. -  Step and lane pay system and tenure created to combat racism, sexism, nepotism, and

political favoritism with teaching pay and jobs.

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A Brief History of Public Education – 1950’s – 1980’s § 1950’s-1970’s

-  Brown v. Board of Education overturns “separate but equal” in 1954. Federal troops enforce Civil Rights Act, force integration in Little Rock, 1957.

-  Economist Milton Friedman offers “market-based” education reform ideas. -  Soviets launch Sputnik – science, math, foreign language become priorities, 1957. -  National teachers’ unions adopt practices of labor movement, demanding better wages,

working conditions, teacher empowerment. -  Lyndon Johnson passes Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA - the precursor

to No Child Left Behind) as part of “War on Poverty” in 1965. -  Schools expand art, music offerings in response to parental demand. -  Public Law 94-142 requires free, appropriate, individualized education to “handicapped

students,” a precursor to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 1975.

§ 1980’s -  A Nation at Risk is published, U.S. fared poorly in international rankings. Began narrative

that public schools were failing. -  Plyler v. Doe, Supreme Court case that allows free education for undocumented children. -  Rose v. Council for Better Education, Kentucky case that set off flurry of state equitable

funding lawsuits, 1989.

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A Brief History of Public Education – 1990’s and Today § 1990’s

-  Minnesota establishes first charter school, intended to spur innovation, 1991. -  Massachusetts Education Reform Act passes, marking that state’s path to greatness, 1993. -  Current Colorado school finance system established, 1994. -  Goals 2000 - reauthorized ESEA of 1965, establishing a “standards” based approach to

education, adds education technology funding, 1994. -  Colorado passes charter school legislation in 1997.

§ 2000’s and today -  ESEA reauthorized as “No Child Left Behind” – requiring grade-by-grade measurement,

school accountability, market-based and privatization reforms, 2001. -  Performance pay systems expand nationally and in Eagle County. -  School choice options expand dramatically, 13% of students nationally by 2012. -  Accountability shifts from schools to teachers, bringing increased pressure on evaluations,

rating teachers based on student outcomes. -  Obama/Duncan policies align with accountability and market-based approaches, use Race

to the Top grant funds & NCLB waivers to advance policy goals. -  SB 191 in Colorado, educator evaluation. SB 213, school funding redesign.

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So, What is the Purpose of Public Education?

§ Character

§ Democracy

§ Cultural Socialization

§ Academic Knowledge

§ Economic Growth and Industry

§ Equality of Opportunity (Equity)

§ National Security

§ Humanity and Expression

§ Tolerance and Diversity

§ Personal Growth and Learning

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Which Way?

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Which Way?

§ All of the ‘raison d’etres’ for public education are … -  Important -  Compelling -  Necessary -  Valued

§ Statement for debate and discussion: -  Without a strong and quality public education system, none of the

purposes for public education can be realized at scale.

§ What do you think?

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Current Popular Education Reform Approaches

§ Market-Based Reform – rather than a public good, education is a commodity that can be bought and sold in a competitive market. -  Charter schools -  Voucher programs -  Privatization -  Parent “trigger” laws

§ Accountability-Based Reform – measuring results, publicly displaying them, and establishing consequences. -  Major theory in NCLB -  Focuses “blame and shame” on schools and teachers serving most disadvantaged

students -  Relatively new variant – educator evaluation using student results

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Common “Silver Bullet” Fixes

§ Relentless pursuit of lower class size

§ Adding hours/ days to school

§ Eliminating athletics and activities

§ Hyper-focusing on “the basics”

§ Removing or cutting pay of administrators

§ Disenfranchising or eliminating unions

§ Eliminate testing

§ Arguments over pure state versus local control

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Some Answers from High-Performing Education Systems

§ Focus on instruction

§ Treat teaching like a profession and educators as professionals

§ Customize instruction and educational pathways for students

§ Engage teaching with high standards for all students

§ Surround all students with in-school and out-of-school supports

§  Invest in early childhood education

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Discussion