SCHOOL FOR THOUGHT

Everybody talked about public education but nobody did anything about it

For years, politicians all over Canada and the US have been talking about fixing the public schools - think of all the education presidents and premiers - but nobody has done anything much about it. Or, perhaps more accurately, many have tried but few have succeeded. So lately, all over the US, there has been a spate of fairly radical legislation passed by legislators who have come to the conclusion that drastic measures are called for (see, for example, the new school choice measures listed in our blog plus subsequent similar legislation in several other states). 

In addition to the new school choice programs, however, legislators have been bringing in other types of laws - for example, the elimination of most collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin and a major overhaul of teacher pay and tenure in Florida. Which brings me - finally! - the the news item I have been leading up to all this time: new Oklahoma legislation ending social promotion. The main thrust of the new law is to ensure that primary students master reading. 

While it’s delightful to note that the Oklahoma politicians recognize the importance of reading and I especially like the part about research-based interventions (code for systematic phonics), I’m from Missouri when it comes to how well the new policy will work. Educators have proved amazingly resistant to effective methods of teaching reading - and amazingly ingenious when it comes to finding ways to avoid their use. Show me!