Innovative Education Thinking From the President of the AFT? YES!
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, one of the two major national teachers unions, has an op-ed advocating for the creation of national standards in education. She points to research showing that “common, rigorous standards lead to more students reaching higher levels of achievement” and that when states do adopt high standards, their educational outcomes improve. And while she peppers in her advocacy for high standards with routine teacher union desire for more certification programs, money what not (“professional development, and the teaching and learning conditions”), her overall point is pretty damned forward looking.
I should add, however, that nationalizing education policy isn’t a be all end all. A state like Massachusetts, with relatively low child poverty (14%) will always do better in meeting high national standards than a state like Mississippi, with its 30% child poverty rate. But withstanding all the variation in different school districts and states that affect educational outcome, there is the simple fact that there isn’t a ton of special “local knowledge” about what kids need to know or what constitutes good education.
Instead, most countries with really good educational systems have nationalized them. Now, sure, the United States is much, much larger than most all these countries, but the central insight is the same. And, the US has probably gone too far on the localizing side, with school jurisdiction at the state, county, city, and even sub-city level.
Also, insomuch as local knowledge is important in education, then that local knowledge can be part of the implementation of these standards. So, the federal government would set the standards, and individual jurisdictions would figure out how to meet them.
Now, I’m hardly an education expert and can’t even really pretend to be one. So, please check out Dana Goldstein, the quick and the ed, eduwonk, Sara Mead and all the other wonderful edu-experts out there in the ’sphere.
I would also reccomend reading Matt Miller’s excellent Atlantic article advocating for nationalizing education policy.
