The American educational system does not need an overhaul, according to a national commission chaired by IHE faculty member Charles B. Knapp. It needs to be scrapped and replaced.
According to "Tough Times or Tough Choices," the report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, America's educational system will not meet the country's needs in a world where routine work can be automated, or performed at a much lower cost in other countries. The report's authors conclude that, in order to maintain or improve the country's current standard of living, students will need "a very high level of preparation in reading, writing, speaking, mathematics, science, literature, history, and the arts."
The commission, brought together 15 years after the publication of the first report of the Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, consisted of 26 leaders from across the public and private sectors and all points on the political spectrum. Knapp, who served as president of the University of Georgia from 1987-97, was one of two commission members from higher education, the other being Charles Reed, chancellor of the California State University System. Sponsored by the National Center for Education and the Economy, the commission was financed with grants from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Gates Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and the Lumina Foundation.
Knapp has served on the board of the National Center for 10 years, working with his former boss, Ray Marshall, the U.S. Secretary of Labor under President Carter. Marshall, who was chair of the economics department at the University of Texas when Knapp began his teaching career there in 1972, co-founded the center along with William E. Brock, labor secretary under President Reagan, and Marc Tucker, who has served as president and CEO of the center since its inception in 1988.
"The first report was a success, but we needed to rethink a number of the basic premises and the different views of what had happened since 1990," Knapp says. "In summary, what we've got now is something we hadn't anticipated — high-skill, low-wage competition in a world that's getting flatter all the time. And, as we found when doing staff research, you've got a K-12 educational system that is a failure," he continues. It's not to say there aren't great teachers and great schools, but in the aggregate, it's failing, and we're in a competitive world where the Chinese and Indians are hammering us."
The commission met over the course of 2006 and issued its report in December. It identified nine crucial issues for American schools:
Because the current system is incapable of addressing these issues, Knapp's commission proposes a complete reorganization of public K-12 education. Its components include the hiring of teachers and funding of schools on a statewide basis instead of by local districts, mitigating funding inequities. States would recruit and provide certification for teachers, who would receive pay and benefits packages competitive with the private sector, with starting salaries approaching $45,000 on average. High-quality prekindergarten experiences for 3- and 4-year olds are crucial, as are flexible opportunities for adults to return to school to develop the skills they need.
"It's a best-practices report in many ways," Knapp said. "It's not based entirely on European systems, but has elements from Singapore, China, India, the Netherlands, Germany, and Britain." Secondary schools would be organized around preparing students for board exams, which would test students on the skills and knowledge needed for success at the community-college level, and could be taken as early as 10th grade. Successful students could remain in high school to prepare for exams such as those offered in Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs; enroll in career-oriented community colleges; or enroll in two-year programs to prepare them for transferring to four-year universities.
Perhaps the most radical aspect of the plan is the idea of removing public schools from local ownership. Schools would be funded directly by the state on a per-pupil basis and would have complete discretion over staffing and funding, as long as state curricular and accountability standards were met. Districts would function more as local education commissions, and schools themselves would be operated by independent contractors. Efficiency improvements would save the country $60 billion annually, enabling funding of the expansion of education services to young children and adults, as well as higher teacher pay and other educational goals.
The report has received ample coverage in the education media, with stories about it appearing in Time, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Education Week, Community College Week, and many others. Reactions have been largely favorable, though experts warn that state lawmakers will have a difficult time convincing communities to relinquish local control of schools.
Knapp points out that none of the commission's members are political naïfs. "This is one of the most daunting political challenges I've ever seen, but my response to people who say it's too much, too soon, is that we're out of time. We've got to think at the level of change necessary to address the challenge at this point." Rather than rely on Congress or federal agencies to effect change, Knapp and other members of the commission are charged with trying to convince states to adopt the commission's policy proposals. He is working with Georgia officials, including Gov. Sonny Perdue and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and points to some progress already: Perdue signed a bill (inspired by the commission) creating "charter districts" for K-12 schools, after the General Assembly passed it this year. More legislation could make it onto the docket for the 2008 session.
"The data are so overwhelming, and it jumps out at you to such a great degree, that it makes you revolutionary about what has to happen," Knapp says. "It convinces you that the usual tinkering just won't do." He recommends a YouTube video that says that there are more honors students in China than there are students in North America. It's not a xenophobic point, he says: China and India should do everything they can to improve their countries, but if it is to remain competitive in the global economy, America must transform the way it educates its workers and citizens.
by Welch Suggs, assistant to University President Michael Adams