It's no secret that education is important to us in the United States. From the small towns of Oklahoma to the inner cities in Pennsylvania, educating children has been at the forefront of our minds. Especially in recent years, we have been tackling with how to go about it in our national and state governments. What is unique about education is that everyone learns differently, which is often overlooked today.
I have been in both public and private schools. Both have their own pros and cons, especially when it comes to a child building their human capital. I am also a teacher's kid, and other members of my family are involved in education. So, as you can imagine, education is no small matter to us.
However, the same can't be said for those in government.
Time and time again, our national and state governments think they know best. Examples include, but are not limited to, the implementation of Common Core, my state's Governor cutting education dollars from the budget and telling teachers to "step it up" (like that has any logic), the No Child Left Behind Act, the U.S. Department of Education being created during Jimmy Carter's time in office, President Trump appointing Betsy DeVos as Secretary of that same useless department, and the procrastination of dealing with for-profit schools.
As I think about public schools today, my first thoughts always go to a school district I've never been a part of yet is relevant to my hometown, the Oklahoma City Public Schools (OKCPS). For years, OKCPS has not been a well-favored district for many reasons. I could go on listing them, but instead, I will put a link here so that you can see some recent statistics up to the 2015-2016 school year starting on page 21. I've actually visited two of the many schools in the district, and reality sets in when you're there in person. It's no wonder why more and more families in the OKC area flock to the other school districts like Deer Creek, Edmond, Putnam City, Bethany, or even yet, any of the private schools.
My problem with the federal government being involved in almost every aspect of education is that politicians treat it as what the system is becoming- a bureaucracy. Bureaucrats (or public servants, if you prefer,) don't make education great, teachers do. As Brad Henry (D) once said, "A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning."
I would love to see the day when we can take education back to the states AND to the people. The states can keep their own education departments, but let the people have greater say before allowing any state legislature to make decisions that regard allowing our children to learn. To a certain extent, the states know their own schools better than the federal government ever will.
School choice should be favored.
Common Core should be thrown in the dumpster.
Students should have the responsibility to learn.
Teachers should have the responsibility to teach.
As I said in my headline, education isn't and should never be one-size-fits-all. Solving its problems won't be that way, either. But once we figure out that the federal government doesn't know best with education woes, and once people in my state figure out that they shouldn't vote for candidates solely on a political party and rather vote more on experience, then we can be closer to achieving our goals together.
