Education in the United Sates is quite an interesting operation. It is intriguing on one end as to the curriculum practiced, and the policies developed to promote such policy and factoring in as well is the policy to provide access and opportunity to education. At the very root of U.S. education policy, if there is such a platform, rests upon the Constitution, as Adolino & Blake state, "education is a state responsibility," (Adolino & Blake, 2010, pp. 322). Fiscal responsibility rests upon property tax primarily, and some federal mandates to create level opportunity throughout (pp. 322). This approach seems destined to be a haves and have not type scenario, that is because more affluent sectors of the population will invest in their children's education, while lower income sectors cannot; creating un-equal opportunity. Although there exist federal money to aid schools, it is not enough because there are still clear scenarios where access, curriculum, and stakeholders will be biased on varying levels. I would argue that the main difference that affects U.S. education policy as opposed to other developed countries would the decentralization of power; there is no direct authority that dictates where resources should be and what policy to fully integrate. I would also argue that the U.S. focuses more so on k-12 because these grades based education years are seen as a basic need provided, a high school diploma, or GED IS the benchmark or basic measure most people use to assure themselves of basic life necessities like a job to provide for themselves and or family. Higher education is a selection and excellence measure (pp. 327). In other words the strife to reach higher education in the U.S. by many is seen as either a hurdle that cannot be accomplished, or a criteria that most be possessed in order to have access. This differs from other perspectives where higher education, as stated by Adolino & Blake state, "Education policy is a domain in which countries are very protective of their national sovereignty and in which a high degree of policy flexibility and independence is maintained," (pp. 329).
Being a teacher in our society is a quality career choice, but most see it as being relatively low paid. The policy choices that impact teachers are a direct impact to the way can be successful in educating. Teachers have small room for error when it comes to delivery of education goals, they must follow state policy and achieve goals to help further fund their respective districts and institutions, so the pressure is steep. Coincidentally students also feel the pressure because the quality of education they receive rests upon performance of their fellows, district, and selves to charter a course to keep funding their efforts. Policy is centered steeply on fiscal concepts, instead of necessity and future value of educated innovators changing and creating better societies. The future sees little change within this policy topic, and like most other policy will only change incrementally. My main reason would be that the system of education is too large to be overhauled, so much is vested in public schooling, and the daily routine of life revolves around what we are accustomed to that any major changes would seem to be more of a disrupt than as improvement. So if it is to be reformed it would have to do so over time, incrementally, and with attention to other policy areas it will affect.
References:
Adolino, Jessica R. & Blake, Charles H. (2010). Comparing Public Policies: Issues and Choices in Industrialized Countries. Washington D.C.: CQ Press
Your contention that one of the reasons for the difference in focus between the U.S. and other nations' on higher education, is the fact that American's value a high school diploma (or GED) as the most basic educational attainment, was quite apt. If we consider most employment applications,a high school diploma (or GED) is required and this may indicate that in most instances this is a standard measure for education. To me it also so the infuluence business could have on the education system, if focus were to shift to higher degrees for entry positions, I am sure the value of the GED would diminish and a push would be made for increasingly higher levels of education.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Attempts to change the education system in the US is a challenge as you mentioned this is due to inherent nature of the decentralized nature of the US government. According to Adolino & Blake (2010), implementation of wide spread change is halted by special interest groups. "This is especially true in political systems where the control of education of education remains firmly in the hands of lower levels of government, as in the United States and Germany" (p. 362).
ReplyDeleteMaybe when the US government is willing to tackle the hard issues facing in this country will they try to centralized the education process more and focus on the things that will work like improving teacher pay and benefits.