The Future of Education

Yesterday President Obama called for sweeping changes to American education.  One of the more controversial parts of his plan is to implement performance pay for teachers.  Obama laid down a challenge for teachers and public school systems demanding more accountability. 

The President wants to reward excellence.  It’s been a long time since the word excellence and public education have been spoken in the same sentence.  As predicted Union leaders reacted cautiously to the plan, while they welcome the vision they fear its implementation.  The question is: how will we know that our children are learning more?

Almost every school district in American has a mission statement posted somewhere.  Typically it will say to provide the right environment in which children can learn.  Few schools are bold enough to promise excellence.  Now think about any product seeking your consumer dollars.  All promise and some guarantee the greatest satisfaction and the best results when you buy theirs.  Education needs this type of challenge, the challenge of excellence.  

Einstein said we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them.   The system under which education operates needs a new foundation.  It took a long time for the current system to develop its institutional practices and they are naturally resistant to let it go.  But schools must not cave into the resistors who see failure and difficulty with the new proposals. The resistors fear that if one thing is wrong how many others might also be wrong.  How much of this institutional establishment are we going to pick apart? 

Intellectual honesty must be a part on this discourse on change.  If schools are ever going to make real progress they must admit that some of their current practices are wrong.  Changing our thinking is the only hope for the future.