Educating for Democracy: School Closings and National Priorities
In recent weeks a number of cities and states have announced school closings and teacher layoffs due to several factors including population shifts, budgetary problems and, as in the case of New York City, low scores on standardized tests. Although these factors indicate a complicated picture, my concern is that the notion of closing schools in itself for reasons that have little to do with student safety is a sign of a profound change in attitudes in this country toward equal opportunity for all young learners.
In Detroit, because of population shifts -- "white flight" -- the school population has precipitously declined in the past decade. Forty-four city schools will be closed and a recent cut in per pupil allocation will be offset from public employee pensions. In California 10,000 educators will be fired and in NYC 8500 will be laid off in addition to 19 schools scheduled for closing due to low test scores. In Kansas City -- with a similar situation as Detroit -- 29 schools will be closed and 1000 educators are being laid off in Chicago. These measures will certainly have an effect on reducing the quality of the education of young learners in these