When my family relocated to the suburbs a few years ago, we had some essential criteria in mind. We aimed to be relatively close to our extended family, find a location with access to public transportation, and, most importantly, settle in an area with outstanding public schools.
After extensive searching, we discovered a modest fixer-upper just three blocks from the train station, a mere 15 minutes from family, and located within an excellent school district. We felt fortunate, grateful, and blessed.
It’s easy to find discussions about the struggles of America’s public education system. Complaints about inadequate curriculum, excessive standardized testing, overcrowded classrooms, and failing schools are rampant. Politicians, media outlets, and everyday critics often assert that our children are falling behind their peers in other countries, pointing fingers at teachers, administrators, and the educational system itself. But let’s be honest: It’s far simpler to express outrage and assign blame than to confront the uncomfortable realities of the situation.
The harsh truth is that our schools aren’t failing our children; we are failing our schools, and consequently, our children. We’ve been misled into believing that standards, curriculum, and supposedly unaccountable teachers are the root causes of the struggles in American education, but that narrative is misleading. The reality is that the primary determinant of educational success is a family’s income.
We often shy away from acknowledging this uncomfortable truth, as it forces us to recognize our own roles in perpetuating educational inequality. It’s much easier to blame others. The reality is that the deficiencies in public education don’t impact all students equally, and some individuals benefit from this inequity.
Educational psychologist Dr. Mark Thompson highlights that family income significantly influences test scores on standardized assessments, which are often used to evaluate educational quality. In other words, as a family’s financial resources increase, so do a child’s test scores. When a community’s wealth rises, so do the overall scores of its schools.
While many lament that our students can’t compete globally, research indicates that American students from affluent families are quite competitive with their counterparts in the highest-scoring nations.
“When we compare our students with those in other countries, it’s evident that some of our students and some of our public schools are indeed lacking,” Dr. Thompson explains. This raises crucial questions: Which students are struggling, and why?
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Education revealed that the quality of teachers in low-income schools is comparable to that in high-income schools. Therefore, we can no longer place the blame solely on teachers. Frankly, teachers are often overworked heroes who don’t receive adequate compensation.
We can’t fault the curriculum either, as affluent students in public schools, predominantly filled with their peers, are performing well against international standards. Since the curriculum is generally consistent across different environments, it’s not the root cause of the disparities.
So, if the teachers and curriculum aren’t to blame, what is? The answer is unsettling: We are the problem.
As Dr. Thompson emphasizes, we have engineered a system that relegates low-income students to the margins of public education. This system systematically segregates schools based on socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity.
The most significant contributors to this issue are the upper-middle-class and wealthy individuals who have the means to choose alternatives, such as homeschooling or private schooling, or reside in financially stable districts. The government and affluent individuals have concentrated their wealth and catered to their own interests.
“The wealthy often cloak their actions behind the guise of ‘local control,’” Dr. Thompson notes. “We have constructed an education system that is separate and unequal.”
This segregated framework is likely to deteriorate further with proposed budget cuts, including a reduction in federal education spending by $9 billion (or 13.5%) and the elimination of after-school programs that support the nation’s most vulnerable students. We have established, and with the current government, will continue to maintain, a system of haves and have-nots. The responsibility to rectify this lies with all of us.
While I may advocate for public education, and you may have valid reasons for enrolling your children in private schools, that does not absolve you from addressing this issue. In fact, if your children attend a school that benefits from this flawed system, you have a heightened obligation to contribute to its resolution.
Instead of diverting funds from schools serving lower-income students or shuttering them, we must increase their resources. We need to eliminate property tax-based funding for schools. It’s essential to offer quality summer programs, parent education classes, and after-school initiatives. We should ensure that low-income students are not going to school hungry or facing food insecurity. We must also end PTA fundraisers that allow parents to “bid” for privileged access to teachers and other resources.
We need to compensate teachers fairly and evaluate their performance based on metrics beyond student test scores. Of course, implementing these changes will require additional funding, and it may mean that families benefiting from the current system will need to sacrifice something. But, as the saying goes, equality can feel like oppression if you’re accustomed to privilege, so prepare to feel a bit uncomfortable.
Ultimately, we all desire the best for our children, but that cannot come at the expense of others when it comes to education. Investing in the education of the next generation yields returns for communities, including a more robust workforce, reduced incarceration rates, and lower healthcare costs. Most importantly, it’s simply the right thing to do.
We are talking about innocent children—the future of society. They should not be pawns in a flawed political landscape. Public education transcends politics; it is a moral imperative. All children, regardless of their background, deserve access to a high-quality education. Children do not choose their families or their circumstances. They are innocent and deserve the same opportunities in education.
As I reflect on my own children’s fortunate placement in a strong public school, I recognize that I, too, benefit from this flawed system. If I fail to take action to address it, I am part of the problem. And so are you.
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Summary
The article asserts that the perceived failures of public schools are not a reflection of the schools themselves but rather a result of societal failures, particularly in terms of socioeconomic disparities. It emphasizes that family income plays a crucial role in educational success and urges those who benefit from the current system to advocate for equity in education for all children. The author calls for increased funding for underserved schools and highlights the need for community involvement in addressing educational inequalities.