There seems to be little disagreement in America that urban public schools are in trouble. Test scores are dropping, students are dropping out, and a general sense of hopelessness seems to be pervading the system. You won’t find a candidate for public office who isn’t decrying the state of the schools, and saying that by God, something has to be done about it. The question is, what needs to be done, and do we have the will to do it?
Let me get my biases out in the open on this one. I definitely lean to the left of the political spectrum, I live in the city of Philadelphia, and I am working on a degree and teaching at a public university. I also, somewhat paradoxically, spent sixteen years in private schools before I got here. That said, I am convinced that the argument I’m about to make is as well-supported by facts as it is unpopular in certain circles. We, as a society, are failing the public school system, and we will continue to fail it until we change the way education is paid for in this country. Continue reading “Apples to Apples”