Educational Spending and Results
The last decade has brought tremendous debate about public education costs and the derived benefits. Much of the focus has been based on federal and state testing programs and whether they are fair or portray an accurate reflection of education and learning. In the last couple years mass introduction of Common Core Education has made the debate even more heated and the statistics bandied about by all sides are seemingly completely contradictory.
There is not and never will be a definitive answer to something as subjective as the “value” of education, and trying to place a true cost benefit equation that satisfies all parties would be impossible. Perhaps though by stepping back from statistics and partisan political mudslinging and attempting a simple discussion that involved all parties, including students and young recently out of schooling adults as well as economists, politicians, and Union heads could result in some common sense agreements, and from a place of agreement a plan could be formed to actually address the educational needs and deficits faced in the country and the world.
The simple facts cannot be argued. The cost of education and educational spending has risen dramatically in the last quarter century. Anything that attempts to say differently is twisting the truth and using statistical manipulation to such an extreme as to lose all credibility. The amount spent and the cost have both gone up dramatically. The second part of the equation is where the arguments begin- Has there been a significant benefit realized from all this increased cost and spending?
The simple way to determine that by testing students has been tried and is central to much of the debate. If spending substantially more, why not simply test for knowledge and see if scores have increased as much as spending? The concept does make sense on many levels whether you believe in testing or not, but the real truth is that test results have remained consistently flat for many years. This leaves up to debate if the testing is flawed, if the money is not being well spent, or if there is something inherently wrong with the theory despite the seemingly obviousness that increased spending and resources should result in increased knowledge or ability as measured by testing.
If looking at the testing, the argument is, of course test scores have stayed the same, but the tests are harder. The only way to compare test scores would be to give the same tests, when admittedly by most parties the testing has become far more intensive and challenging. This renders the scores meaningless as a way of tracking the return on spending, as the average score may not change but if the difficulty in achieving that score has.
If we look away from testing to other “measurable indicators”, such as readiness to enter work force as rated by business, government, and the students themselves. Also, we can consider the very unreliable assessment of are young people today smarter and do we feel they are getting a better education. Sadly, it is this last completely subjective and bias filled opinion sort of determination that gets the most discussion and debate.
In the end, while nicer schools and better books, more highly paid staff, better equipment etc., all indicate that students should perform at a and achieve a higher level, some portion ultimately falls to the individual. It is the pointing out of the individual that excelled in the worse possible circumstance, and the individual that succeeded greatly after a change in circumstance and proclaiming them to be the model for all as a fact that really causes the issue.
This is because national policy and state guidelines cannot be based on the exceptional, nor can the exceptions be used as a key indicator of success or failure. It is the old trick of attorneys to personalize and put a face on a response to lend credibility to solution with no basis in actual fact or practice as a whole. Introducing the teacher or the student and telling their individual story as a way to demonstrate the success or failure of policy may humanize the discussion, but it does little to resolve situation at large.
None can argue the value of education and a solid educational base to nurture the future. It is however a worldwide discussion, not even just a US discussion on what the solution really is and how to achieve desired results. In the UK the same discussion of finding money to fill the gaps in educational budget spending is receiving just as much attention as here. The fact that spending has increased so much and the discussion has gotten louder as opposed to being quelled does however point to the truth that throwing money into education without careful stewardship of how spent is not the answer.
The answer will not be found until people begin looking for points they can agree on instead of looking for points to argue. Working forward from points of consensus will allow more points to come into agreement until all working to solve the problem instead of prove themselves right or somebody else wrong.