Vantage point: Good schools: A civil right and economic necessity
By:
CSBA President Josephine "Jo" Lucey
Published: January 1, 2014
Public schools are the foundation of our American democracy. Our commitment as a nation to offer a free and public education to all of our children is a bold statement about our beliefs in democracy, justice and equality. Public education offers the children of our nation the opportunity to discover their talents, pursue their personal dreams, and become productive, contributing members of society. However, whether we call it an achievement gap or an opportunity gap, our system currently leaves many children out.
And therein lies our challenge as school board members. Many will talk about educating all students as a civil rights issue—and it is. But it is also an economic issue. Our children’s future and the future of our communities depend upon our ability to provide an education that enables each and every student of California to contribute to our increasingly complex and global economy.
The 2013 API data reveals a 200-point gap between the highest-performing ethnic subgroup and the lowest; and the largest subgroup is at the bottom half of performance. What does it mean for their future and for the future of our communities if over half of the students who graduate from our schools do not have the necessary skills to land jobs in our increasingly complex work force?
As we look at the achievement gap, the question we have to ask ourselves is why? What is it about our society and our educational system that perpetuates a clear and consistent gap in student achievement? How do we, as school board members, make a difference?
We need to ensure that the money we invest in public education is spent effectively, with positive results for all children. We must invest enough resources to educate our students well, and we must distribute that money in a manner that matches resources with need. Adoption of the Local Control Funding Formula is a step in the right direction because it indicates that raising the academic achievement of all students is a state priority.
As board members we must also be knowledgeable about curriculum and what it takes to challenge our students, all our students, to high levels of academic achievement. Common Core implementation has the potential to infuse our educational system with the academic rigor and the critical thinking skills that our students will need as they enter an information- and technology-based economy. Again, another positive step in the right direction.
We must remember that in many ways, the future of our communities rests in our hands. Circumstance is not an outcome. Children can learn when the educational system has the necessary resources and is designed with high expectations. As board members we should be on the cutting edges of innovation and creativity, not settling for the traditional system because it is safe but pushing the envelope because it is right for the times. We know that it can be done. It’s our job to get it done. It’s why we ran for school board. Together we can strengthen our educational system, graduate students with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful, and, in doing so, strengthen our communities and our economy.