FINAL PAPER FOR EDEF 607 – FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION1
Final Paper for EDEF 607 – Foundations of Education
John Jozsa
Radford University
Final Paper for EDEF 607 – Foundations of Education
Education should remain a public commodity whose purpose is to provide society with benefits that can be collectively shared. This goal is best accomplished when the ideals of democratic equality, social efficiency, and social mobility (Labaree, 1997) are in balance. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure every student is afforded equal treatment and the opportunity to acquire an adequate education at any level. Oversight for sustaining this ideal should be given to the Department of Education. Their focus would necessarily turn away from a governing administrative body into an entity which holds schools accountable for ensuring education remains a mechanism for preserving democracy. Put differently, the federal government would not meddle in the day-to-day affairs of schools (nor would they mandate a national curriculum) but would function as an agent for upholding equality and equity, for advocating citizenship training, and for requiring that learning environments meet adequate standards of health and safety.
Local and state governments would be given the responsibility ofcounterbalancing the power of the federal government by implementing policies related to social efficiency and mobility.Curriculum would be organized and structured on a local level, but would have to abide by minimum academic standards set by the state. Advanced placement, international baccalaureate, gifted education, and general advanced classes would be abolished for grades K-11; however, the 12th grade would be a period of exploration for the student where they are given free range to explore their interests. For K-11, cooperative education focused on inclusion would be used to foster acceptance and understanding within the student so that individual aspirations are grounded with a reverence for social responsibility. The last year in secondary school would be where the mechanisms of social efficiency and mobility play a critical function. The student decides his curriculum and can choose from classes in the arts, traditional vocational, military science, or advance his/her academic studies by having state university classes subsidized by the high school. This freedom of choice would satisfy the demands of the occupational marketplace, promote the essential ingredient of competitive advantage, and capitalize on the student’s potential to function as a productive citizen.
The current public education funding model would need revision for this to happen. As opposed to school districts being funded by three separate entities (local, state, and federal), the federal government should become the sole provider. Sensible redistribution, as described by Rothstein (2008), would take money and reallocate “in proportion to need and in inverse proportion to capacity” (p. 147) in what he describes as interstate fiscal equalization. This would effectively eliminate the need for local property taxes, which only exacerbates funding inequity due to the grossly unequal distribution of property in the U.S., and could reduce the silently growing epidemic of re-segregation. Again, this directly correlates with the federal government’s responsibility to uphold the democratic equality as mentioned earlier.
To ensure schools were using tax-payer money efficiently an accountability system would need to be established. National standardized testing should be abolished and local school districts, parents, and other members of the community would develop the criteria for holding schools accountable. This places emphasis on the citizens being active participants within the community and empowers localities with adjusting educational priorities to fit their needs. Power and influence would be inversely proportional and can be visualized as a pyramid: the local district would yield the most influence over day-to-day affairs (constituting the base of the pyramid), followed by the state, and finally the federal government. The federal government, embodied through the Department of Education, would have the authority to subject local and state entities to federal mandates if such entities were found to violate civil rights. In addition, the federal government would control spending and could allocate additional money to schools in need or serving low-income, minority populations.
Within the Department of Education an agency of inspectors would need to be established. These inspectors do not have the authority to question a state’s curriculum or academic accountability standards, but do have the power to close schools if found unsafe, to enforce policies regarding civil rights, or to increase funding to ensure an adequate learning environment. These inspectors would also serve as administrators of a test much resembling the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In agreement with Rothstein (2008), the federal government should gather “valid and reliable state-level information”(p. 147) to assess the relative performance of students in different locations. These tests would be given to representative samples in each state with scores reported on scales for each demographic subgroup and states ranked accordingly. The ranking of states creates a market incentive and inspires competition with the public being the benefactor. Schools will adjust their policies and accountability mechanisms accordingly so that they are not at the bottom.
I believe this vision is pragmatic, yet would require a redistribution of power and funding that would face tremendous political opposition. First, simplifying the tax code and eliminating local property taxes to promote interstate fiscal equalization takes control away from the wealthiest, and most politically active, constituents. Although I support a parents’ right to send their child to private institutions, I vehemently disagree that they should be given a tax break or be excluded from paying taxes that buttress public education. Within the system I have outlined, charter schools and vouchers would be disassembled and erased sincesubsidizing private education at the public’s expense is disgraceful. Secondly, by giving the Department of Education more oversight I am, to some effect, concentrating regulatory power to the federal government. I believe this is a step away from the current status quo with No Child Left Behind, but undoubtedly radical right-wing conservatives will crucify my proposal as a liberal agenda aimed at reducing free market practices. Lastly, eliminating “advanced” classes in grades K-11 in order to foster inclusion and understanding would likely be viewed as decreasing school excellence and “dumbing down” student achievement. In response, I believe society’s concerns with grades, acquiring certifications, and getting ahead at all cost are dehumanizing our culture and devaluing the intrinsic nature of learning. Regardless of if some or none of my visions become a reality, the essential message is that our current educational environment lacks substance and something needs to change.
References
Labaree, D. F. (1997).How to succeed in school without really learning: The credentials race in
American education.New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Rothstein, R., Jacobsen, R., & Wilder, T. (2008).Grading education: Getting accountability
right. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
607 Final Paper Rubric
Level of Performance / Distinguished /Proficient
/Basic
/Unsatisfactory
Written paper-mechanics, formatting, feel(15%)
/ Spelling, punctuation, grammar, and phrasing are flawless or there are only 1-3 errors.
Length and formatting are correct (e.g. margins, font size, page minimum)
The writing is compelling. It hooks the reader and sustains interest throughout.
13.5-15 pts / There are 4-9 spelling, punctuation, grammar, and/or phrasing errors.
The writing is generally engaging, but has some dry spots. In general,
it is focused and keeps the reader's attention.
12.75 pts / There are 10-15 spelling, punctuation, grammar, and/or phrasing errors.
The writing is dull and unengaging. Though the paper has some interesting parts, the
reader finds it difficult to maintain interest
10.5 pts / There are 15+ spelling, punctuation, grammar, and/or phrasing errors.
Length and/or formatting are incorect
The writing has little
personality. The reader
quickly loses interest and stops reading.
7.5 pts or below
Bibliography and in-text references– format of references
(7%)
For this, please use resources available on WebCT, meet with me or with someone at library or LARC if you have any questions about how to do proper APA. / APA format is used accurately and consistently in the paper and on the “References" page.
7 pts / APA format is used with minor errors.
5.95 pts / There are frequent errors in APA format.
4.9 pts / Format of the document is not recognizable as APA.
3.5 pts or below
Organization
(8%)
/ The ideas are arranged logically. They flow smoothly from one to another and are clearly linked to each other. The reader can follow the line
of reasoning.
7.2 -8 pts / The ideas are arranged logically. They are usually clearly linked to each other. For the most part, the reader can follow the line of reasoning.
6.8 pts / In general, the writing is arranged logically, although occasionally ideas fail to make
sense together. The reader is fairly clear about what writer
intends.
5.6 pts / The writing is not logically organized. Frequently, ideas fail to make sense together. The reader cannot identify a
line of reasoning and loses interest.
4 pts or below
Level of Performance / Distinguished /
Proficient
/Basic
/Unsatisfactory
Quality of response(complete-ness, connections to course content)
70% / What do you think schools should be seeking to do? What would be the specific end goals that you seek?
(17.5%) / Does everything listed in proficient level, but also has “something” extra – perhaps a very original take on the question, useful examples, insightful connections, an extra thoroughness, or an in-depth connection to course content
17.5 points / Student responds to this question, showing an understanding of possible options for school goals and their philosophical underpinnings.
14.875 points / Something is lacking, listed below:
12.25 points / Multiple things are lacking, listed below:
8.75 or below
Is public, tax support necessary to meet this goal for every child? (should schools be publicly funded?)
(17.5%) / Does everything listed in proficient level, but also has “something” extra – perhaps a very original take on the question, useful examples, insightful connections, an extra thoroughness, or an in-depth connection to course content
17.5 points / Student responds to this question, showing an understanding of how schools are currently financed as well as other possible ways that they could be funded.
14.875 points / Something is lacking, listed below:
12.25 points / Multiple things are lacking, listed below:
8.75 or below
How would you hold schools accountable for meeting these end goals?
(17.5%) / Does everything listed in proficient level, but also has “something” extra – perhaps a very original take on the question, useful examples, insightful connections, an extra thoroughness, or an in-depth connection to course content.
17.5 points / Student responds to this question, showing an understanding of how schools are currently held accountable as well as other possible means ways to hold schools accountable for meeting goals.
14.875 points / Something is lacking, listed below:
12.25 points / Multiple things are lacking, listed below:
8.75 or below
What difficulties would we face in trying to shift from where we are to where you want us to be in education?
(17.5%) / Does everything listed in proficient level, but also has “something” extra – perhaps a very original take on the question, useful examples, insightful connections, an extra thoroughness, or an in-depth connection to course content
17.5 points / Student responds to this question, showing an understanding of the intersections between education and politics, economics, historical and cultural forces.
14.875 points / Something is lacking, listed below:
12.25 points / Multiple things are lacking, listed below:
8.75 or below
Total ______/100