Thousands of pages have been written this month alone on the failings of America’s education system and what to do about it. Diane Ravitch’s new book, Reign of Error: The Hoax of the Privatization Movement and the Danger to America’s Public Schools, tries to debunk some of the pessimism of those, like Paul Peterson, who have pointed out how American school pale in comparison to many global school systems. Pro Education’s Stephanie Simon takes a look at the perceptions and misperceptions in some of the new books, from whether China is really soaring ahead of the United States to why per-pupil spending has skyrocketed. Here are the four main perceptions that she discusses:
- China is eating us for lunch
- Our kids can’t do math and that’s killing our economy
- We’re spending more, but schools are getting worse
- It’s not an education problem; it’s an equity problem
Read the whole piece for the current education debates in a nutshell and the facts driving the arguments: “The debate has grown so contentious – even nasty – that the two sides often talk past one another, except to hurl insults,” Simon writes. “That frustrates [Education Secretary Arne] Duncan. He has been blunt in his critiques of public schools, arguing that too many have unacceptably low standards for their students. Yet in an interview with POLITICO, Duncan said he has little patience for those who argue that public education is a failed enterprise. Acceptance of the status quo bothers him just as much, he said.”
For more details, please follow this link: http://politi.co/1bA2tZu
