More and more, we hear people ranting about the “failure” of America’s public schools. Teachers and administrators hear this from friends, from family, and even overheard conversations at the grocery store checkout line! And negative memes about school failure often go viral on social media.
Despite years of progress, this prevailing myth never quite seems to go away!
Yes, some of America’s schools are definitely failing … and failing badly! (And those are the schools that make the news.) But despite wide-spread media reports, the vast majority of American schools (pre-COVID*) are providing students with an excellent education … even when measured by international standards.
For example, did you know that our nation’s students are usually within a few percentage points of the global leaders? For example, before the pandemic, American students outranked Canada, Germany, and even Denmark in math and science. That despite that fact that America tests all students (even SPED) … a practice that’s unheard of in most nations.
Surprised?
The ongoing push to privatize American education (including the so-called “desperate need” for vouchers … a claim that deserves much closer scrutiny) has resulted in another huge wave of “failing schools” narratives. For a better understanding what’s actually taking place in our public schools, plus some thoughts on why the “failure” myth still persists, read this article. (I wrote this in 2016 and it was published in several Arkansas newspapers … which as you can imagine, resulted in some rather interesting feedback.)
Here are some additional thoughts on this topic:
Public Schools Outperform Private Schools
Public Schools for Sale? (video)
Is “School Choice” Working? (data from the Economic Policy Institute)
The Myth of Public School Failure (historic reference)
The Near-Myth of Failing Schools (historic reference)
Simply put, this is foundational information that all Arkansans need to know in order to make wise decisions. I encourage you to read these articles carefully and to share them with your friends.
*Post-COVID, many schools are struggling with a new reality that not only includes the impact that the pandemic had on student learning, but also new laws that make their work even harder.