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The Truth about Public Education in the United States

December 14, 2010

The success of public education is definitely not where it should be. According to an article

written by Thomas L. Friedman entitled “Teaching for America,” “One-quarter of U.S. high school

students drop out or fail to graduate on time. Almost one million students leave our schools for the

streets each year.” Friedman expresses how, in one of the most powerful countries in the world, we

have such poor education rates. Friedman continues to reflect “75 percent of young Americans,

between the ages of 17 to 24, are unable to enlist in the military today because they have failed to

graduate from high school, have a criminal record, or are physically unfit.” This clearly demonstrates

how far behind the rest of the world the United States is. According to Friedman, “America’s youth are

now tied for ninth in the world in college attainment.” How is it that in such an amazing country, the

youth are still undereducated and still behind the world in college attainment?

According to Friedman’s article, “Tony Wagner, the Harvard-based education expert and author

of “The Global Achievement Gap,” explains it this way. There are three basic skills that students need if 

they want to thrive in a knowledge economy: the ability to do critical thinking and problem-solving; the

ability to communicate effectively; and the ability to collaborate.” According to Friedman, the reasonstudents are failing in school is because they are not being equipped with the proper tools to succeed in

a college environment. Because these students are not receiving proper instruction in effective

communication, collaboration, and problem solving, they are led down a slope that affects the rest of 

their lives. Therefore, according to Friedman, the main problem with American education is the

instruction methods in classrooms all across the country.

In a comparison with instructors in the rest of the world, Friedman reflects; “If you look at the

countries leading the pack in the tests that measure these skills (like Finland and Denmark), one thing

stands out: they insist that their teachers come from the top one-third of their college graduating

classes. As Wagner put it, “They took teaching from an assembly-line job to a knowledge-worker’s job.

They have invested massively in how they recruit, train and support teachers, to attract and retain thebest.” The education rates of other countries compared with the United States clearly demonstrates the

effect that instruction methods have on students in the future. Teachers who are most clearly qualified

to instruct students in problem solving, effective communication, and collaboration are the teachers

that most improve the future of their students. Due to the time consuming nature of school and the

education process, teachers are one of the primary models for students’ behavior. An effective teacher

will have a large impact on a student if they are an effective role model for said student. Aside from

spending so much time in the classroom, students are also greatly affected by the relationship they have

with their parents and the quality of their home environment.

Friedman further reflects on the effect of parenting styles in the household; “All good ideas, but

if we want better teachers we also need better parents — parents who turn off the TV and video games,

make sure homework is completed, encourage reading and elevate learning as the most important life

skill. The more we demand from teachers the more we have to demand from students and parents.”

What Friedman means by this statement is that the success of the child depends on more than just their

academic and educational environment. It also depends on their home environment and whether or not

they are receiving the support, encouragement, and attention that they require in order to flourish in

the academic environment. Children who have poor support at home are not necessarily doomed to

failure, although lack of encouragement and positive attention is correlated with lower future success.

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Not all of the instructors in the United States are ineffective teachers, and not all students are

effective in an ideal learning environment. The most important thing to do is to ensure that all children

have the same opportunity for success, and that they are each given the tools they need to succeed on

their own in world. Teach For America is one organization that promotes equal education for all. Teach

For America Corps members are educated in effective learning techniques and teach at low income

schools in order to improve the teaching environment for under-privileged students. According to the

Teach For America website, “Research over time has conclusively shown that Teach For America corps

members' impact on their students' achievement is equal to or greater than that of other new teachers.

Moreover, the most rigorous studies have shown that corps members' impact exceeds that of 

experienced and certified teachers in the same schools. The evidence of corps members' positive impact

spans subject areas and grade levels, from pre-kindergarten through high school.” For more information

on Teach For America or information on how to get involved, please follow the link below to the Teach

For America home page.

References

http://www.teachforamerica.org/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/21/opinion/21friedman.html

Title: Teach For America Logo

Description: This is the logo for the prestigious organization, Teach For America.

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Teach For America Core Values

Teach For America's core values reflect how we as an organization want our staff to operate, individually

and collectively. Our core values are central to our culture and represent the style of operating that webelieve to be critical for moving us most quickly and purposefully toward our goals.

• Relentless pursuit of results: We assume personal responsibility for achieving ambitious,

measurable results in pursuit of our vision. We persevere in the face of challenges, seek

resources to ensure the best outcomes, and work toward our goals with a sense of purpose and

urgency.

• Sense of possibility: We approach our work with optimism, think boldly, and greet new ideas

openly.

•

Disciplined thought: We think critically and strategically in search of the best answers andapproaches, reflect on past experiences and data to draw lessons for the future, and make

choices that are deeply rooted in our mission.

• Respect and humility: We value all who are engaged in this challenging work. We keep in mind

the limitations of our own experiences and actively seek out diverse perspectives.

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• Integrity: We ensure alignment between our actions and our beliefs, engage in honest self-

scrutiny, and do what is right for the broader good.