Bumper stickers have a way of affirming the obvious. Have you seen this one? “IT IS BETTER TO LIVE IN DENIAL THAN NOT TO LIVE AT ALL.”
This captures the epitome of narcissism in our society. Bumper stickers often bring attention to issues with hyperbole or double meanings. What’s amazing is there are people who really believe this statement! However, folks who do live in denial and refuse to recognize their condition have a serious problem, and really do not live at all. Talk with anyone who works with hurts, habits, and hangups. He knows the first step in recovery is recognizing that there is a problem.
A few months ago, a report was released that confirmed the denial that prevails in public education. Public Agenda is a polling and research organization, not a conservative group. They recently released “Where We Are Now: 12 Things you need to Know about Public Opinion and Public Schools.”
This report lays out the opinions of various education stakeholders on issues ranging from student testing and achievement to teacher compensation and parental involvement. What caught my attention were not the results of the report but the dramatic disparity of the opinions of the stakeholders.
The report verified that there is an enormous gap between the way parents and teachers rate high school graduates, and the way that employers and college professors view them. When asked, “Based on your experience, how would you rate the public schools?” A total of 73 percent of parents and 93 percent of teachers rated public schools “excellent” or “good,” but only 42 percent of employers and 39 percent of professors agreed. Almost half of employers and professors thought that schools expect students to learn too little, while less than 22 percent of teachers and parents felt the same.
The most disconcerting statistic addressed whether a diploma meant that the typical student had learned the basics. While teachers, students, and parents overwhelmingly said the diploma had significance, fewer than 40 percent of employers and professors said high school graduates had learned the basics. Many teachers, parents, and students might be living in denial until after graduation, when the student faces the real preparation of higher education and the real world of work.
One reason for this dichotomy may be a philosophical belief about the focus of colleges of education. Eighty-four percent of education professors say it is “absolutely essential to encourage prospective teachers to be lifelong learners.” Excuse me, but “lifelong learners” should be a generally accepted value for every citizen, not just teachers.
Fewer than 20 percent of education professors thought it is “absolutely essential to produce teachers who stress correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation.” North Carolina’s Department of Public Instruction and North Carolina colleges of education must embrace this view. Tenth-graders scoring at grade level in grammar dropped from 37.5 percent in 1991-92, to only 8 percent in 1998-99.
Denial will prevail if folks don’t look at the facts, are unwilling to change, or wait until their pain exceeds their fears. Until the money flowing to the education monopoly is disrupted, it seems that the status quo will continue. The fastest way to improve this system is to open it to the free market and competition. Maybe we need another bumper sticker:
“WHEN SCHOOLS COMPETE, KIDS WIN!”