Obama's Education Reform
Published in La Prensa Gráfica
(El Salvador) on 1 April 2009
by Óscar Picardo Joao (link to
original)
In modern times the relationship forged between politics and education results in proposals for education reform; generally, new administrations establish guidelines for decision-making regarding public education and communicate them in a process called "reform." From a political-semantic perspective, reform is what one proposes, plans or executes as an innovation or improvement of something.
The change demanded by American society regarding education, which was promised in President Obama's campaign slogan ("The Change We Need"), sought to improve the proposal promoted by President Bush, "No Child Left Behind." Nonetheless, the majority of politicians have eluded two important variables with respect to education politics: 1) The cycles of education reform or transformation transcend government incumbency and 2) real change not only concerns the government, but also the entire society.
President Barack Obama, more conscious or better advised than his predecessors, initiated his proposal for education on a premise: "These children are our children. Their future is our future. And it's time we understood that their education is our responsibility. All of us." What does this emblematic sentence mean? First of all, the responsibility of quality education is in our hands; it is up to those who make the decisions. Children do not have any other option than to trust our judgment. Secondly, given the strategic importance of education, the future of the next generation is decided today, as what we do in the present will have positive or negative repercussions in the long term. Lastly, these decisions related to education are everyone's responsibility, not just that of the secretary or minister of Education.
On March 10th, 2009, President Obama spoke at the 19th annual assembly of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington. In his speech he outlined three areas: health care, energy and education. On the topic of education he remarked, "Well, the time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here. What's required is not simply new investments, but new reforms. It is time to expect more from our students. It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. It is time to demand results from government at every level. It is time to prepare every child, everywhere in America, to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world. It is time to give all Americans a complete and competitive education..."
The content of the cited speech corresponds to the five fundamental tiers of his education reform agenda: 1) Increase the quality of programs for early learning, 2) Improve testing standards, 3) Recruit, prepare and recognize exceptional professionals, 4) Promote innovation and excellence in schools, and 5) Provide every citizen with the highest quality university education and vocational training.
Looking at the big picture with the exception of the differences that exist between the educational systems in the U.S. and El Salvador, one can affirm that President Obama's reform is analogous to the challenges of the National Education Plan 2021, or even to the agenda proposals that we have recently read about including País Más Justo (A More Just Country) and Nace la Esperanza, Viene el Cambio (Hope is born, Change is coming). This is no coincidence. Already the McKinsey report, based on rigorous international studies, revealed that the limitation on the quality of an educational system is set by the caliber of its teachers, that the main way to improve the academic results of international standardized tests is by improving pedagogical instruction, and that the integral quality of an educational system depends on the academic results of "all" the children.
Recommended reading at:
http://www.oei.es/pdfs/documento_preal41.pdf
The change demanded by American society regarding education, which was promised in President Obama's campaign slogan ("The Change We Need"), sought to improve the proposal promoted by President Bush, "No Child Left Behind." Nonetheless, the majority of politicians have eluded two important variables with respect to education politics: 1) The cycles of education reform or transformation transcend government incumbency and 2) real change not only concerns the government, but also the entire society.
President Barack Obama, more conscious or better advised than his predecessors, initiated his proposal for education on a premise: "These children are our children. Their future is our future. And it's time we understood that their education is our responsibility. All of us." What does this emblematic sentence mean? First of all, the responsibility of quality education is in our hands; it is up to those who make the decisions. Children do not have any other option than to trust our judgment. Secondly, given the strategic importance of education, the future of the next generation is decided today, as what we do in the present will have positive or negative repercussions in the long term. Lastly, these decisions related to education are everyone's responsibility, not just that of the secretary or minister of Education.
On March 10th, 2009, President Obama spoke at the 19th annual assembly of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Washington. In his speech he outlined three areas: health care, energy and education. On the topic of education he remarked, "Well, the time for finger-pointing is over. The time for holding ourselves accountable is here. What's required is not simply new investments, but new reforms. It is time to expect more from our students. It is time to start rewarding good teachers and stop making excuses for bad ones. It is time to demand results from government at every level. It is time to prepare every child, everywhere in America, to out-compete any worker, anywhere in the world. It is time to give all Americans a complete and competitive education..."
The content of the cited speech corresponds to the five fundamental tiers of his education reform agenda: 1) Increase the quality of programs for early learning, 2) Improve testing standards, 3) Recruit, prepare and recognize exceptional professionals, 4) Promote innovation and excellence in schools, and 5) Provide every citizen with the highest quality university education and vocational training.
Looking at the big picture with the exception of the differences that exist between the educational systems in the U.S. and El Salvador, one can affirm that President Obama's reform is analogous to the challenges of the National Education Plan 2021, or even to the agenda proposals that we have recently read about including País Más Justo (A More Just Country) and Nace la Esperanza, Viene el Cambio (Hope is born, Change is coming). This is no coincidence. Already the McKinsey report, based on rigorous international studies, revealed that the limitation on the quality of an educational system is set by the caliber of its teachers, that the main way to improve the academic results of international standardized tests is by improving pedagogical instruction, and that the integral quality of an educational system depends on the academic results of "all" the children.
Recommended reading at:
http://www.oei.es/pdfs/documento_preal41.pdf
his words are great but his approach will fail.
merit pay another term for pay for performance lacks understanding of the process of education and understanding of systems and variation.
it is based on results only and not process improvement. we assume if we pay for performace the process will improve the only thing that will improve is how to work the system to get the raise.
surely one can see what pay for performance did to wall street and the banks?
yet we still believe we can create a system that is fair and just. it does not work. period. in fact pay for performace hinders improvement not help. best kept secret in most of the world.
w edwards deming understood this the very best. few in america do. very few.
every president has promised better education results. none have delivered. obama will be no exception.
the cast is set america will continue to fall behind the asian countries.
seek their knowledge in asia but no we americans are too arrogant. best in the world in everything in our minds.