Public Education In America
Public Education In America
It’s ironic when you first think of public education, what immediately comes to mind is a progressive experience. And then reality quickly snaps you out of what should be to what actually is…a system full of promise, but often myopic in its approaches to problem resolution.
Managing public education successfully in the United States is a complex, juggernaut experience fraught with all sorts of inconsistencies. The abyss between policy and practice, however, is perhaps the Achilles heel of our nation’s public educational system.
I think the saying goes…”the road to hell is paved with good intentions….” as evidenced by those developing policies to bridge that abyss, all addressing an assortment of challenges such as achievement gap, teacher professional development, charter schools, 21st century skills, etc.
In spite of the challenges, educational reform in public schools should be about continual growth and development with the primary goal of widening access to quality education and educational opportunity.
Yet what has been missing from the ed reform implementation equation is the “substantive” inclusion of digital and information literacy skills, a key bridge piling needed to secure public education’s transformation as a progressive force in the decades ahead.
The newly enacted Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the replacement of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), does offer a great deal of promise. This legislation addresses a number of the technology concerns expressed through the year by many educators disenchanted with NCLB.
However, one must keep in mind that creating legislation is one thing; authorizing its funding another. How Congress funds this new act will tell the real story of its commitment to providing a 21st century quality public education for all.
Although this “Google” generation of students appears to be mini technocrats, the reality is that their ability to effectively use digital/information literacy skills within the context of their learning experiences is woefully lacking.
And, ironically, evidence indicates the same concerns apply unwittingly to their teachers and educational administrators as well.
To build a strong bridge across that infamous abyss of policy and practice, you need leaders with a 21st century perspective. We do have a few. However, we need more if we are to regain our pre-eminence as a world leader in education, but, more importantly, for the future of our own economic welfare and national security.