Reopening Schools

[BmorePat87]

(07-15-2020, 03:05 AM)CarolinaBengalFanGuy Wrote: Isn't the American education system one of the worlds worst? At least amongst countries with similar structures. We've long been needing to invest in education.

We're not one of the worst, but we have been passed by many nations in testing scores. The US education system has been improving decade after decade, just not as much as other nations when it comes to some metrics. There's also some metrics where we excel compared to systems seen as some of the best.

One of the issues is that we have one of the highest childhood poverty rates of any developed nations. Our local model of education combined with our size also makes it harder to implement rigorous and necessary standards and reforms as well as fund them. 

Education is one piece of the puzzle of things that are underfunded in the US, but it's often used as a means of addressing those things: hunger, health, mental wellness. 

One good reform would be promoting the community model for schools. This would require a significant investment from the government. We also need to overhaul teacher education programs, teacher compensation, and the role of assessments in education. The last one in particular is why actual education experts are necessary voices in any education policy discussion. Standardize tests are ineffective and nearly useless tools the way they're utilized and valued in our nation.