The 10%

            We as Academy students are getting a pretty great education. The amount of advanced and AP classes, along with college prep that we are offered is much greater than the average student in an American public high school. Most of us, therefore, are going to go on to at least a four year college, if not graduate school. However, many students are much less fortunate. While The Academy has a much higher college entry rate than the rest of Fayette County Schools, we have a pretty good education system. With roughly 75% proficiency rate in math and reading, one might assume we are below average, however on the contrary these are very high numbers. In the United States, state levels for math and reading range from 20% to 35% proficiency by 8^th grade. Broadly speaking, our education system has failed.

            The reason that the statewide proficiency levels are so low is that there are many failing schools, or so called “dropout factories”. These schools, which are quite numerous, fail over 40% of their students. Certain places have a very high concentration of dropout factories and bad schools, and these are often labeled failing districts. One example of this is Washington DC. In Washington DC, the proficiency rate for reading is 12% by 8^th grade. This means that 88% of public high school students in DC begin high school without a real chance to ever do well. Washington DC is not alone, and there are many schools and many districts across America that are failing. The problem with failing districts is that there are many students whose only options for education are through a failing school. Many students enter into schools where they know that statistically they will probably not graduate. Any family who lives in a failing school zone who cannot afford private schools is forced to send their students where they will not succeed.

            In the United States, the worst schools usually fall in the worst neighborhoods. The common assumption has always been that when students come from a rough uneducated background, they do not want to learn, and therefore drop out. Recently, a very different perspective has been presented. Some education reformers, like Geoffrey Canada believe that the failing schools cause the failing neighborhoods. Failing schools create uneducated dropouts who often become homeless or turn to crime. This is why failing schools are in bad neighborhoods. This has been proven by the opening of charter schools in the worst school districts in America. These charter schools ensure all students are held to high standards and are allowed to succeed. Even in the worst neighborhoods, many of these charter schools have achieved over 90% college entrance rate. While charter schools and magnet programs often have good results, they are not always perfect, or accessible. In many large school districts where spaces in charter schools are limited, lotteries are held to determine placing for students. Only some can get in, many others will be forced to go to their district dropout factories.

            Also, not all charter schools and magnet programs are perfect. What it comes down to is the quality of teachers. In schools with good teachers, students generally thrive. The problem is that there are many bad teachers who can not be fired. These teachers achieve tenure which makes it almost impossible for them to be fired. After a teacher has earned tenure, even if it is proven that they do not teach and that they are causing kids to be behind and not learn, the schools can not fire them. There is no accountability for teachers, and they can really do whatever they want.
            Teachers unions have become extremely powerful, and make the task of reforming schools almost impossible. Created originally to ensure equal pay for female teachers, teacher’s unions currently ensure that teachers receive tenure and cannot be judged or paid based on performance. Anyone trying to reform education runs into these barriers and cannot actually make teachers perform any better. If any schools go against the policies of the teacher’s unions they could face teacher strikes, legal penalties, and more. The teacher’s unions have also have massive political influence, and are the largest political donor out of any interest group. The problem here is that the teachers unions serve to protect the adults, and care nothing about the children.

            It has been figured that if the bottom 6-10% of teachers and schools were completely eliminated and replaced with average schools, the American education system would be the same as that of Finland, who currently leads the world. The bottom 10% that the teachers unions are protecting are the cause of our national education crisis.
            One example someone who tried to fight the unions was Michelle Rhee. Rhee became the Washington DC Chancellor of schools in 2007. She made it her goal to make teachers accountable and to improve education. One of her first moves was to close 23 schools, fire a quarter of all principles, and many teachers. She did this against the teachers unions and ran into powerful opposition. In the end she was legally forced to rehire every teacher and administrator that was fired because they had earned tenure. Rhee actually proposed a plan than involved giving teachers a choice between a small pay increase and being paid by performance up to double their original salary. While this plan would have given all teachers a pay increase, the teacher’s unions denied it because it involved teacher accountability and therefore threatened their job security.

            What we need are national education regulations that eliminate tenure for bad teachers and get rid of the bottom 10%. Teachers and schools that are failing completely need to simply be eliminated and replaced. As well, teachers should be accountable for performance. Good teachers should be paid much more, and bad teachers should be able to be fired. What this would do is make education in America a competitive work environment. Making teaching a high paying job that rewards those who do it well will attract many people who are good at teaching to become teachers, and make teachers work hard in order to continue teaching. Also, all students should be held to higher standards. Almost all students are capable of achieving good grades and scores if they are held accountable to do so. If everyone took higher lever classes, they would be forced to learn the higher lever material. Reforming education is not by any means going to be easy or fast, but it is also definitely not impossible.