I am a retired college of education professor. For years and years I asked everyone I could: teachers, students, professors, employers and politicians what does it mean to be “educated” in the U.S.A. and never received a concise answer. The problem is that we the people have never defined the characteristics of product of public education – the graduated student. If the U.S. public education system was a manufacturer and we examine the rhetoric, strategies and policies shaping the actions and product of U.S. Ed Inc we would see the definition of a camel – a horse designed by a committee.
The first thing any valid company does is decide what business it is in and what its products are, what features they have and what they should do. Can we say that with certainty for U.S. Ed Inc.?
The fuzzy answer is that they products are graduates. OK but how about some specifics. That’s what all these milestone tests are about is the response from those who have a stake the company. OK but what can a graduate demonstrates that they can do? The terrifying answer is that they can show you their diploma.
The real answer is that U.S. Ed Inc. is really a form of day-care. It’s a place to park children and young adults until they can join the work force or be incarcerated in the prison industry. That isn’t what any of the stake-holder will tell you and they are not lying, but speaking from their heart when they tell you their intent is to enable their student to be successful, productive citizens. But what can the product, the graduated student do?
How many anecdotes of high school graduates not being able to: read, write, do simple arithmetic or demonstrate the ability to logically make simple decisions do you know of have heard about?
The problem is that we, the U.S. tax payers haven’t been clear about what we expect from U.S. Ed Inc.
Here is my proposal. You are educated if you can:
- Balance a personal bank account
- Explain and apply percentages and margins
- Read a common contract and write an explanation of what it entails and requires
- Write a letter of introduction that could be used in applying for a job
- Describe and explain the scientific method of research
- Explain what critical thinking is and how to use it in practice
That’s it. If you can do the above, no matter at what age, you are officially educated.
These specifications can be easily tested. They all require the student to produce something that can be easily evaluated. If a student can to this when they are 13 years old, then they can get on with learning the knowledge and skills that will result in gainful employment. If by the time they have reached the age legal adulthood, then U.S. Ed Inc. isn’t responsible for them and can declare them beyond the reach of public education.
If an industry wants employees with more knowledge or skills, perhaps those industries that need employees with such attributes can provide opportunities for would-be employees; like establishing specific education curricular for instance. In fact U.S. Ed Inc. might be able to use their facilities and staff to do the education and training for industries on a contract basis.
Until we determine what we the people expect U.S. Ed Inc. to produce, we will continue our current efforts to catch fog in a bottle and fall into the ranks of countries where workers make $5,000 U.S. per year. Perhaps that’s the real reason we haven’t defined what “educated” means.