SOLUTIONS

Once we’ve acknowledged that we’re facing an education crisis, we can begin to solve it. The most important factors in student achievement are no secret: highly qualified teachers, clear and rigorous academic standards, strong school leaders who have meaningful authority and accountability, and involved parents.

With these crucial elements in mind, here are some basic policy recommendations:

1. Let dollars follow students to the schools parents choose. Every child is unique, with different needs, gifts, and dreams. The goal of public education should be a well-educated public, and parents should be enabled to choose the educational opportunities that work best for their children.

2. Enable qualified people to teach. Adults who have a mastery of their subject matter, a demonstrated ability to share their knowledge with young people, and no criminal record, should be free to teach in classrooms. Right now, the cumbersome process of teacher education and certification prevents many gifted teachers from teaching, and does not ensure that those who do enter the classroom can do a good job.

3. Reward excellent teaching. In many states, teacher salaries are determined by how long someone has been in the classroom, not by how well they do their job. This discourages the best and brightest.

4. Ensure meaningful academic standards and mandate scientifically valid and reliable testing. The foundation of literacy is proficiency in reading, writing, math and science, and knowledge of our cultural and historical heritage. Giving all children the opportunity to attain this literacy should be the core mission of our K–12 system. Measuring our progress toward that goal (through meaningful tests) will enable us to improve on the things that work and eliminate the things that don’t.

5. Deregulate schools to basic health, safety and civil rights standards. Control over schools should, to the extent possible, rest in the hands of those who know students best: parents, teachers, and school administrators.

6. Give school leaders meaningful authority and accountability. School leaders should have the authority they need to meet the specific needs of their student population, and they should be held accountable for achieving well-defined results. Those who cannot achieve results should not be leading.

7. Prohibit mandatory unionization of schools. Teachers and other school employees should be free to choose their own professional representation, not have it forced on them.

With creative and strong leaders at the helm of schools, many diverse approaches to education will emerge within these core principles. Some schools may require uniforms; separate classes by gender and ability; require parents to volunteer hours; give more or less time to certain subjects; limit class sizes; have longer school days or years; etc.

It isn't necessary for every school to look the same. The important thing is that parents will be able to choose among many diverse approaches based on their child’s specific needs, and schools will be able to adjust their approaches to meet the needs of their specific student populations.