How’s everyone’s weekend going? Thanks for spending a portion of it with the Six.
The concept of school choice is a popular––and controversial––issue in our country as we roll towards the conclusion of the 2022-23 academic year.
To briefly summarize, school choice allows public education funds to follow students to the schools or services that best fit their needs—whether that be a public school, private school, charter school, home school or any other learning environment. The essence of the initiative is choice.
As a parent, you get to pick.
There are two distinct variances of opinion on school choice. Those in favor cite the failing performances of public schools and argue that parents should be in the drivers of their children’s education. The opposing viewpoint sees choice as a threat to public education and cite evidence how choice impedes academic progress.
With so many of these debates, whatever side chosen is a function of worldview: do you believe privatized open markets solve problems or do you believe public sector institutions are best equipped to lead?
It should come as no surprise that teacher’s unions oppose school choice. They don’t want competition. Some state governments are also rejecting options for education, citing concerns over how to best use taxpayer money.
Here’s what’s pretty transparent: the record.
It’s well sourced now how the performance of K-12 public education students is on the decline. Not just in Illinois, but nationwide.
A recent article in the New York Times reported how, “A growing number of students are falling below even the basic standards set out on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a rigorous national exam administered by the Department of Education. About 40 percent of eighth graders scored “below basic” in U.S. history last year, compared with 34 percent in 2018 and 29 percent in 2014.”
When asked about these non-biased statistics, public education leaders don’t have an answer.
I got into a back and forth with a suburban school district union Twitter account a few weeks ago. It was an account for District 128, made up of Vernon Hills and Libertyville High Schools in Lake County, IL.
I reached out about a webinar sponsored by two Illinois teacher’s unions. The content of the webinar was an attempt to discredit any push for school choice in Illinois.
The obvious question in response to an event like this is…what are they so worried about? If doing their job, educating kids and sending them off to the next phase of life, why the anxiety over other options?
Because the data is the data. They know the achievement record isn’t good.
Some of the subject matter listed in this webinar reads like boiler plate DEI marketing copy. When I asked on Twitter about results and “return on investment” from taxpayers in that district, the response from the @128Union account was the following, “That’s just the thing: public schools don’t look at ROI. We look at the students-all the students.” Whoever runs the account then proceeded to admonish me for not understanding “ed policy.”
Whatever.
Here’s what I do know about ed policy: it’s supposed to teach reading, writing and arithmetic to children and prepare them for adulthood. Right now, K-12 public education is getting worse at doing just that. And parents know the record.
They want other options. So give them choice.
Let the marketplace sort it out, and as history tells us, it usually does.
Let’s proceed with the Six.
1. Most People Support Common Sense Gun Control.
The weekly stream of mass shootings in this country has us in a desensitized collective state. Oh, someone opened fire at a grocery store and shot up the place? Anywhere near where I live or anyone I know? No, OK, swipe to the next article. That condition of acceptance should be unacceptable. The fact is, most Americans are moderate on gun control and don’t believe in outright bans or pro-weapon anarchistic laws. This Fox News poll provides a data point on just how reasonable even right-of-center voters are. If prosecutors and judges just enforce existing gun laws, we’d see less mass shootings. But progressive DA’s in major urban cities won’t do that and make dopey comments to justify that stance. Sorry, leftist wackos…even the so-called MAGA’s don’t think that the 16-year-old down the block should be firing rounds at mommy and daddy’s backyard Nancy Pelosi gnome.
2. The Uncertain State Of The SAT Test In 2023.
From 2000 to 2018, about 200 colleges dropped the SAT or ACT requirement, a trend which exploded following the onset of Covid Hysteria. Here’s that decline by the numbers: students took just 2.8 million SAT and ACT tests in 2021, down from 4 million in 2019, and test-taking has only mildly rebounded to 3 million SAT and ACTs in 2022. Many universities are now test-optional, and the data on how students are reacting to that is interesting, according to this piece via Vox: about 50 percent of students take the tests and submit their scores, around 20 percent just skip the test, while about 30 percent take the test but don’t submit their scores to colleges. That stat indicates more of a decline. Columbia University just this year became the first Ivy League school to permanently suspend the SAT. As the article explains, that development “is the latest in a series of setbacks for the college testing industry.”
3. Inside Our Evolving Tipping Dilemma.
I wrote about this a few weeks ago in the Six, about the crisis of excess fees in all matters of entertainment. This piece in the LA Times focuses on tipping and the social pressures that come along with it. Tipping 15-20 percent used to be the norm, partly in recognition of the fact that service workers are poorly compensated and don’t have the best employment rights. Now, when the digital screen pops up and begins the timer on the awkward liminal space when the shop employee is waiting for you to decide between the three options, the customer often approves the "guilt tips" of 30 percent or more, or, as one source of the story says, “the social tax.” My new rule is 15% gratuity on take out, 25% if served in restaurant but only if the IPA glass never dips below half full.
This is a terrific profile of an 81-year-old ultramarathon runner who lives in a school bus on a mountain, down by a river (if the subject’s life story was ever optioned to Hollywood, in a world where Chris Farley still walked the earth he would have to be involved somehow). From the article: "At any given time, he looked the part both of a battle-hardened warrior and a sage, old mystic. Especially when he slowed his pace, approaching a fellow runner who was keeled over in pain. He would appear to them like some half-naked septuagenarian messiah, his figure distorted through their sweat-blurred vision." This piece is an excerpt from a book written about the man—known as “Dag”—racing against mortality.
Sound tips for self-education from the author of the newsletter Honest Broker. In summation: be prepared to spend a lot of time reading. Read out loud to yourself. Read one or two long and challenging books a year, even if you don't want to. Some writers need to be read slowly; a few pages a day will add up. When in school, read classics, and then as one ages, read whatever is new. Keep lists. Design your plan to please yourself and nobody else. As I write this as I have open Bono’s memoir (which needs to be read slowly as the U2 front man could have used an editor he took seriously), a book on the Bush (W.) Administration and a Men’s Health magazine article on what I need to know about Turmeric (does it come with complementary scoop and can I put in coffee?) Any message that promotes reading as lifelong pursuit is one that should be promoted heavily.
6. King Charles Coronation Summed Up In A Photograph.
A big party this weekend in the U.K. as the Prince becomes King. Eight months after the death of Queen Elizabeth, her eldest son, Charles, officially took the throne Saturday. American celebrities like Katy Perry and Lionel Richie flew across the pond (for a massive fee) to perform at the Coronation Concert after His Majesty got turned down by the likes of Elton John, Adele and The Spice Girls. How would one describe the collective psyche of Brits over the transfer of power? That answer can be provided in a photograph, via the Brit pub Mirror. A penny for your thoughts, my dear.
Thanks for reading everybody and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Have a suggestion for The Sunday Six? Send email to jonjkerr@gmail.com
Jon, when it comes to public school effectiveness, I think we also need to look at how the performance of schools and teachers is measured. At one point we had an Education Secretary who did not understand the difference in measuring via proficiency vs. growth. My concern is measurement by proficency. Hypothetically, let's imagine a teacher with a class of 30 fifth graders focusing on reading at grade level. 10 are reading at 6th - 7th grade level; 10 are at 4th - 5th grade level; 10 are at 2nd - 3rd grade level. Where is this teacher likely to focus his efforts? Those in the 6th - 7th group aren't likely to dip below, so they won't get much attention. Those in 2nd - 3rd group are not likely to reach grade level, so they also will not be a focus. Those in the 4th - 5th group will see most of the teacher's efforts, so that he probably will be able to report two-thirds of the class reading at grade level. But, if measured by growth, perhaps all of the students will get the attention and resources they need in order to grow and improve their performance. Just my thoughts.
Hi Jon! I used to think that I was a proponent of vouchers, etc.... until I read an article on the topic. Now I don't know anymore. Here's the link.
https://thenewamerican.com/print/vouchers-school-choice-trap/
It's a tough one to solve, I'll give you that. And the declines continue. :/
Thanks for the reading material!! Have a great week!