The Real 21st-Century Problem in Public Education is Poverty
November 6, 2013
This post first appeared in The Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog.
Teacher Lori Peck, helps first grader Timia Harris at Grace L. Patterson Elementary school in Vallejo, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
A new study showing explosive growth in student poverty suggests, though, that we have misidentified the problem. What if we have actually been teaching the right skills in US schools all along – math and reading, science and civics, along with creativity, perseverance and team-building? What if these were as important a hundred years ago for nurturing innovative farmers and developers of new automobiles as they are now for creating the next generation of tech innovators? What if these are the very characteristics of US schools that have made us such a strong public education nation, and the current shift toward a narrower agenda just dilutes that strength? What if, rather than raising standards, and testing students more, the biggest change we need to address is that of our student body?
The October 2013 Southern Education Foundation study indicates clearly that poverty, which has long been the biggest obstacle to educational achievement, is more important than ever. It is our true 21st century problem. Fifty years ago, we educated mostly working-class kids and up, and we did not expect those at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder to graduate. Now we educate all students,
Happy Wednesday morning! Lots of politics in the news — here are some of the stories we’re reading this morning…Election news you may have missed…MSNBC’s Rebecca Smith reports that a $15/hour wage ordinance passed by Sea-Tac voters is a big win for working America.And in New Jersey, voters not only raised the minimum wage to $8.25 per hour, they also amended the state’s constitution to tie future
