Flunked: Education in America

Q: Out of 29 participating nations, where did America rank on international student assessment?

A: 24th

Every education reform effort since the National Defense of Education Act signed in 1958 has begun with soaring rhetoric, big promises, and massive budgets and delivered not much in the way of results.

In 1979, Jimmy Carter created the Department of Education; George H.W. Bush promised to “map a new approach to education”; Bill Clinton signed his “Goals 2000”; and George W. Bush had his “me too” moment with “No Child Left Behind.” Yet in spite of all these efforts and billions upon billions of dollars only 23% of American students were proficient in reading by graduation in 2005. In fact, according to the most recent data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), reading scores have remained flat while real federal spending per pupil has more than tripled since 1985. The average freshman graduation rate has also remained flat according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

These statistics give the lie to the myth that increases in educational spending will result in improved academic performance. Moreover, they suggest that it is high time that we recognize the distinction between public schools and public education. Public schools are schools run through the political process while public education is a commitment to spend public dollars wherever children receive the best education, whether that be in the basement of a church or the dining room of your neighbor’s home.

The point is expertly driven home in the new documentary, “Flunked” produced by Steven Maggi of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. The stars of this 49 minute long peek at education in America are the educators and schools that are achieving results by thinking outside of the box and pissing off the organized, entrenched interests in the process.

Highlighted in the film are Howard Lappin, former principal of the Foshay Learning Center in Watts, California. When Lappin arrived at Foshay, he noticed that the kids in 7th and 8th grade were basically at a 3rd and 4th grade remedial math level. He insisted that they be made to do grade appropriate work much to the chagrin of the parents and school unions who all complained that algebra was too difficult for them.

And there is Karen Jones, principal of the Sisulu Children’s Academy in Harlem. Jones has taken this school filled with Title I or at risk children and turned it into one of the top performing schools in all of Manhattan.

However, the star of this film is the outspoken Dr. Ben Chavis, principal of the American Indian Public Charter School in Oakland, CA. Chavis, a Native American raised as a sharecropper, holds no punches when it comes to his ideas on educating minority children in low income areas: “they need structure and discipline and no excuses!” When Chavis arrived at the Indian charter school in 2001, it was the worst school in the district. Chavis describes it as defined by multi-cultural nonsense – “a bunch of Indians sitting around in a circle weaving baskets.”

Chavis immediately began to challenge all of the orthodoxy. Gone went the middle school rotation of classes. With the exception of gym class, students now spend the entire day with one teacher. Gone went the computers. Says Chavis with a chuckle, “They can’t read. They don’t need a computer.” Forget small classes. Chavis has an average class size of 28. Chavis began to emphasize the basics. The first three hours of each day is devoted to math and English. When Chavis noticed that the North Carolina math curriculum was superior to that proscribed in California, he dumped the California books and began teaching the North Carolina curriculum. Chavis’ unorthodox methods have turned the Indian school into the best middle school in Oakland.

The approach of Chavis may not work for every student. “Flunked” makes clear that there is no single solution to the problems of our education system or one school delivering the goods. The one size fits all approach to education does not work. What does work, however, is dynamic leadership, high standards and high expectations for students, flexible curriculum and personnel practices and parental participation.

Public education must empower parents to spend public dollars on education that works. Without options, we can devote all of our GNP towards education and it will only be throwing good money after bad.

Joseph C. Phillips is the author of “He Talk Like a White Boy” available wherever books are sold.