Selective Abandonment

If there are finite resources, and there are, then both the government and the subset of schools need to practice selective abandonment. If we are going to support universal health care, what will we give up to have the funds to do so?  This is a question that has not been asked, and it speaks, in part, to why we have the national debt that we have.  I think this is the “guns or butter” concept in economics; every choice has an opportunity cost. As a nation, we have been behaving as though this is not the case.  We have funded expanded services and entitlement programs while also waging wars and lowering taxes.  We need to decide what our bottom line is and then selectively abandon the expenditures we can’t afford.  I know this is a simplistic explanation, but forcing choices is necessary—and will also help define what we value.  I’ll bet it won’t be wars in far-off countries.

The concept also applies to schools.  Unfortunately, many of the choices are taken from schools in the form of mandates.  Special education costs rise, and there is no option except to fund them. I wouldn’t argue against funding special education, but there are many other mandates that place an unfair burden on districts.  For instance, the federal law says that all spaces in a building need to have a flashing light smoke detector so that hearing impaired people will be warned in the event of a fire.  (Not sure if we are in compliance with this.)  That means that closets and storage rooms need this device, even if no hearing impaired employees or students are ever in that area.  Schools—at least theoretically—have no choice but to comply, and there is no option to meet the need in a different way.  Having to pay to comply often means cutting something that is more discretionary but may not be in the best interest of providing the needed programming.  The state and federal governments are constantly adding unfunded mandates. (Of course, if the state or federal government is footing the bill, we are still ultimately paying it!)  There is room for selective abandonment in schools, but an equal emphasis should be put on reviewing and eliminating many of the mandates.

Can We Fix It?

Many of the points made by Friedman and Mandelbaum offer specific direction on how to get where we need to get:  cut entitlement programs, reduce the national debt, raise taxes, etc. I’m guessing that the legislators find these requirements daunting, even if we weren’t suffering from political gridlock.   But I’m really not sure how we get to the educational piece.  We need creative creators and creative servers.  We need to produce critical thinkers and collaborators.  We need to improve the schools students attend.  We need to raise the levels of black and Hispanic young people.  The authors suggest that we can get there by having better teachers and principals, parents who are more involved and demanding, politicians who raise educational standards, neighbors who support schools, business leaders who raise educational standards and students who come prepared to learn.  First of all, please spare me the politicians who raise educational standards.  After that, I would say that Hatboro-Horsham does not represent the majority of schools/districts in the US.  We have a good level of the required supports, but so many areas of the country do not.  How do we get from zero to 60?

A friend of mine spent the end of his business career heading a non-profit organization that works with businesses and the Philadelphia public schools to provide school-to-work opportunities for Philadelphia students.  He was in a position where he could afford to do something he really believed in and was passionate about. When he retired, we spoke about his time with this organization, and his ultimate conclusion was that the Philadelphia schools are irretrievably broken.  Of course, there are notable exceptions to this dismal picture, but overall, in his view, Philadelphia lacks all of the requirements to do the work it needs to do.  Unfortunately, Philadelphia is not alone in this predicament.    Where do we start? How do we start? We can’t legislate involvement, readiness for learning, and community and business support in the same way we can legislate increases in taxes and reductions in spending.  Oh, wait a minute.  The legislators did legislate achievement levels.  They just weren’t possible for districts such as Philadelphia to attain at this time.  It would be a Herculean task to create a school system in Philadelphia—or many other places in America-- that has all of the requirements that Friedman and Mandelbaum state, but we can’t afford not to.  If you look at the requirements, they don’t involve more money, just more of an investment from parents, students, neighbors and businesses.  That’s actually a bigger task.

Entitled Americans

             “Somewhere in the last twenty years of baby boom rule, Americans decided to act as if we had a divine right to everything—low energy prices and big cars, higher spending and lower taxes, home ownership and health care, booms without ceilings and busts without massive unemployment—all at a time when the country was waging wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and then Libya.  Our sense of entitlement expanded far beyond Social Security and Medicare to encompass. . .well, everything.”

This is so true.  Of course, the authors go on to say that the reason this happened was because we, as a nation, were running up a big deficit and playing fast and loose with financing.  When I bought my first house in 1974 or 75, I needed to put 20% down, and the interest rate was 9%. People who bought houses had to prove that they were solvent.  A few years ago, before everything blew up in the mortgage world, I saw more than one episode of House Hunters where the buyer put nothing down and either rolled the settlement costs into the mortgage or had the seller pay them.  And they were so proud to be homeowners!  They didn’t really own even a piece of anything.  I’m betting that all of that blew up on them.

But, why wouldn’t someone do that if they could.  It’s the American dream to own a home.  Why wouldn’t we use energy if the price were being kept low, etc.  People believed they had a divine right to it because it was there for them to take.  It suited business and government to allow us to behave as though we were entitled.  I’m guessing that it was a slippery slope, and most citizens didn’t—don’t-- realize that there would be long-term consequences to these policies. So, now it appears that we have a nation of people (voters) who have been spoiled, and nobody who wants to be elected or re-elected can tell them that the party is over. 

Cristo Rey

In the "Up in the Air" section, the authors write that every worker's challenge in holding "a job for any length of time at any company - large or small, new or old, is to develop the skills needed to keep up" (65).  Just KEEP UP?!  I thought that was crazy!  Are we falling so far behind that workers should not worry about exceeding or transcending or making great changes....they should only worry about keeping up?

Later on in "Homework x2 = The American Dream," the authors state that with our world changing so drastically, education is no longer a choice like it was 50 years ago where educated or not, people could still get a decent job and make a decent living.  Now, education "is a necessity for a middle-class standard of living" (101).

So an education will get you a middle class job and then your skills will only allow you to keep up?  It sounds dull and mediocre and like many others who have already posted....I too felt disheartened and concerned about what I can do to change our current situation....which is why I was excited to read about Cristo Rey Philadelphia High in Tuesday's Inquirer.  Cristo Rey is a new private school for low-income students.  The first (and only class so far) consists of 125 ninth graders who are currently participating in a three-week boot camp that includes classes and activities to prepare them for their new school experience.  The school offers college prep classes and work study jobs.  Students work five days a month at local corporations and these wages cover 60% of their tuition.  The rest of the tuition will be paid by the family depending on their income and the rest is covered by fund-raising.  The corporations participating so far are Temple University, the Mayor's Office, and Independence Blue Cross.  These establishments provide jobs and mentors for the students that will teach them promptness, responsibility, and a strong work ethic.  It also gives the students a look into a possible career.

I love the idea of making the students accountable for their own education and tuition.  If they don't go to work or if they are irresponsible in some other way while at their job, then they can't work and can't pay their tuition.  I think too many students take their free education for granted, but if they have to actually work to fund it, then it is that much more important to them during the process and much more satisfying in the end.  Plus, they are gaining work experience and a glimpse into career options.

Looking at the big picture (and not just my little bubble at H-H), an innovative school with a novel idea will hopefully produce creative students with critical thinking skills.  Since this book focuses on the crisis in American education and the loss of so many jobs, I hope that new schools, new programs, and new initiatives will foster the growth of education in our country.    

It can be disheartening. . .

Although I find myself disagreeing almost as often as I agree with what is proposed in this book, I am glad to have the chance to read it this summer in particular, in preparation for this fall’s election. I am very frustrated by our current two party system – not even by what they represent, but by how they choose their candidates. The section on gerrymandering (now I know how that name came about) just made me even more depressed as I see it so alive and well in my own legislative district. Havertown was, last month split in two pieces, even though the state constitution supposedly states that a municipality should only be spilt as a last resort. It wasn't due to population, just election rigging. The party in power in Harrisburg (although I am not saying things would be different if the Democrats were in power) have needlessly carved out and spilt a district to benefit the party, not the constituents.  As long as this is the accepted business practice, I feel we are doomed. The book is rife with stories of how extreme people and parties have become and all this does is create more gridlock and paralysis whether it be in Harrisburg or Washington. I've heard stories about how although they were political enemies, Reagan and Tip O'Neil used to drink together after hours and had real respect for one another. This seems impossible today. The 24 hour news cycle zealots would find out and destroy you.

To get your party’s nomination you have to appease the extremist in your base – they are the ones who work all year for your organization. The base is most often the most extreme. To successfully help this country get back on track I think one has to adopt a more moderate/middle path. This is, as things stand, political suicide. I know Friedman and Mandelbaum say that third party candidates can help bring along this chance, but I see that as such a slow process. If the rest of the world is so much more nimble and able to adapt, I fear where we are and where we are headed.

Not finished but close

I have a few more sections to go but my overwhelming emotion is scared.  After feeling inspired by the education section (i agree should be longer) I can't get the idea out of my head that if all our debts are called in we would be bankrupt and the society as a whole is too disjointed to work together to solve our mess.  I have read some what i hope are some brighter moments in blogs towards the end of the book and hope I come out of this summer with a less heavy heart.  While the authors maintain that our "americanism" is what was our downfall and can be our savior I feel as though it is exactly what is stopping us from being a united front.  The haves vs. the have nots is and always will be two sides with far different interests. This separation in my mind is what will keep us from working together to fix our country and get us back on top.  My optimism is fading and in its place I have this feeling that our country's empire is falling and most of us can see it. Whether or not ALL americans want to believe it or not.

What a way to start my week...i need a vacation from my vacation... I am depressing myself.  

I'm not doing enough...

I've had a few rollercoaster moments while reading this book and I've just experienced another. I was very optimistic and motivated by the individuals who have found opportunity in dark moments. In this same section, though, I have finished reading that "despite rising educational attainment and $18 billion spent annually by the federal government on job training, employers say they cannot find workers with specific skills...[students also] lack a clear picture of which jobs to prepare themselves for." This is scary and nerve-racking. As I prepare for another school year, I am excited to meet my students and begin teaching. But, what am I really teaching? And what skills am I REALLY developing that will help my students in a future that is unclear in which they have no cut agenda? We are encouraged to begin with the end in mind when we teach a lesson or unit. Our students are also encouraged to begin with the end in mind when it comes to their own goals. How will they get there when there is no clear picture of what is ahead? How can we help this and contribute to making America sharper, more competetive, and less mediocre?