Steve Lagoon for District 833 School Board
Your Clear Common-sense Conservative Choice November 7
Public Education: Problems and Solutions
By Steve Lagoon
We have much to be proud of with our schools in Minnesota,
and in South Washington County in particular. We have made
great strides forward over the last generation, yet major
challenges remain.
Disappointing Testing Scores
Pat Ryan, Chair of the Minnesota Business Partnership, recently wrote an editorial in the Pioneer Press: “Test Scores: An Alarm and a Call to Action; The latest round of Minnesota’s student test scores is out, and there’s little to celebrate” (Pioneer Press, August 20, 2017, 1/B). Ryan explained:
"Statewide, barely six in 10 students can read or do math at grade level, and among students of color, that drops to just four in 10 students. These results from the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs) are an alarm and a call to action . . . Minnesota’s student performance in reading and math has been generally flat for five consecutive years, and there has been little or no improvements in the state’s worst-in-the-nation achievement gap. And this is not a money problem. In recent years, taxpayers have poured more than $1.7 billion in new money into K-12 education system."
The Achievement Gap
As was just alluded to, another continuing problem is the achievement gap. Writing in the Pioneer Press, Christopher Magan wrote:
"In Minnesota, students of color routinely score at much lower rates in reading and math than their white peers . . . The latest results, released Aug. 8, showed flat scores across the board with little change in the achievement gap. Minnesota leaders had hoped to cut the gap in half by this year, but some large gaps remain, and some have increased"(August 20, 2017, New View of Achievement Gap: Lawsuit Spurs Twin Cities Superintendents to Change Approach to Improving Education Equity).
Shortage of Good Teachers
It is also getting harder to find and retain good teachers. A recent headline in the Star Tribune tells the story: “More Minnesota teachers leaving jobs, new state report shows. One-fourth of new teachers leave within first three years, according to new state report” (Beatrice Dupuy, Star Tribune, February 3, 2017, Web: http://www.startribune.com/more-minnesota-teachers-leaving-jobs-new-state-report-shows/412565693/). The story reported:
"Administrators first began to notice the gap in special education and science, but now the openings are showing up in all subject fields, said Gary Amoroso, executive director of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. The story is the same nationwide. “I hear from the superintendents in the state on a yearly basis that it is more challenging to find licensed teachers,” he said. “This has turned into an epidemic around the state.”"
Out-of-Control Classrooms
Certainly a contributing factor accounting for teacher shortages is the difficulties educators are facing with disruptive students and out-of-control classrooms. In virtually every class, unruly students divert teacher’s time, attention, and energy away from their normal teaching duties. More alarming, many teachers are literally fearful for their safety, with some actually being assaulted as has been highly publicized in recent years.
In some schools, there is definitely a feeling, if I can use a figure of speech, that the inmates are running the prison.
The Black-hole of Education Spending
Another perennial problem is runaway costs of education. We hear never-ending calls for more and more spending, and yet we never seem to have enough! But is it as simple as pouring more and more money into the metaphorical black-hole of education spending?
Beatrice Dupuy of the Star Tribune reported that Minnesota spends $11,949.00 per pupil on average (Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 22, 2017, web: http://www.startribune.com/does-minnesota-lead-the-nation-in-per-pupil-spending-not-anymore/430138833/). Dupuy’s article reported that after adjusting for inflation, Minnesota per pupil spending on education is up by 32%.
Dupuy also reported that: “Minnesota funds a higher proportion of education costs from state funds (66 percent) rather than local funds (29 percent).”
Greta Kaul reported that: “In 2016, K-12 education expenditures accounted for about 42 percent of the state’s $20.4 billion general fund — or more than $8 billion” (The Legislature is going to be Debating Education Funding Again. How, Exactly, Does Minnesota Pay for its Schools?, MNPOST, 2/2/2017, Web: https://www.minnpost.com/education/2017/02/legislature-going-be-debating-education-funding-again-how-exactly-does-minnesota-p).
The foregoing makes it difficult to argue that our current educational problems are the result of a lack of fiscal resources.
Local Control
I would prefer that educational funding sources would be about the reverse of what they are currently. That is, it would be better to have a greater share of the costs come from local sources rather than from the state. This is because it is easier to control costs locally than through a state bureaucracy. Further, with money come strings. The greater the share of education costs paid by the state, the less control local school districts have over their education policy.
Special Ed Costs
Special Ed Spending is also increasing dramatically, putting a strain on state and local budgets. Jeffrey Meitrodt and Kim McGuire reported: “Spending on special education is soaring — it has risen 70 percent in Minnesota over the past decade to $1.8 billion this school year”(Rising Special Ed Cases are Huge Cost to Minnesota Schools, Star Tribune, June 9, 2013 Web: http://www.startribune.com/rising-special-ed-cases-huge-cost-to-schools/194572221/).
I will be arguing that a big chunk of this special ed spending is being wasted on those who do not have an organic special need, but are merely willfully obstinate. Unchecked, these ever-increasing levels of spending are not sustainable. We are going to have to make the tough decision to have greater accountability for those who drain public tax dollars by their willful refusal to behave in the classroom.
Solutions
I have merely outlined just some of the many challenges facing educators in the coming years. But what are some solutions?
In the article by Christopher Magan, the article closes with this statement by Dave Webb, Superintendent of South St. Paul Schools: “Our state needs a new educational vision to support the success of all learners”(Pioneer Press, August 20, 2017, New View of Achievement Gap: Lawsuit Spurs Twin Cities Superintendents to Change Approach to Improving Education Equity).
Magan’s article further outlines what many believe will be solutions to flat testing scores in general, and the achievement gap in specific:
“Under Gov. Mark Dayton, Minnesota education spending has grown by about $2 Billion a year when adjusted for inflation, with the state pumping new money into all-day kindergarten and early childhood education. Education leaders hope those initiatives coupled with work to improve diversity and increase social supports for students should help improve school equity and close the achievement gap.”
Though they come with good intentions, I do not believe these ideas will achieve the success supporters are hoping for.
Is Early Education a Solution?
Studies have shown that the gains made by early education tend to equalize over time when compared to those who did not have the early education. For instance, David L, Kirp reported:
"Does preschool work? Although early education has been widely praised as the magic bullet that can transport poor kids into the education mainstream, a major new study raises serious doubts"(Does Pre-K Make Any Difference?, New York Times, October 3, 2015, Web: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/opinion/sunday/does-pre-k-make-any-difference.html?mcubz=1).
Kirp described the alarming results:
"Since 2004, Tennessee has offered state-subsidized prekindergarten, enrolling more than 18,000 of the state’s neediest 4-year-olds. An early evaluation showed that, as you’d expect, youngsters who attended pre-K made substantial gains in math, language and reading. But, startlingly, the gains had evaporated by the end of kindergarten. Those first results were alarming, and worse was yet to come. A just-released study tracks the same kids to third grade. There’s still no evidence that the children benefited cognitively from preschool. They may be better socialized to school life — a skill, emphasized in preschool, that may well bring long-term benefits — but many of them haven’t mastered the three Rs. That’s terrible news, since being a proficient reader by third grade is widely regarded as the best predictor of high school graduation."
Ultimately, time will tell how successful early childhood education can be. Nevertheless, once these children enter the k-12 system, they will be affected by the same problems that plague our schools today.
Further, I believe this drive for early education is robbing children of important cultural bonding time with their families. As we have been moving to a system of day-care and pre-school, thus taking children out of their homes for much of the day during these key years of development, I am convinced that this has long-term detrimental effects on the emotional growth and mental health of our young people. Indeed, perhaps this alone accounts for the explosive growth of many social disorders and special needs that are challenging our school staffs.
Is More Education Spending a Solution?
We have seen that just pouring more and more money into the system is not a solution either. For instance, the Private School Review reports that in Minnesota, “The average private school tuition is $4,175 for elementary schools and $10,597 for high schools” (https://www.privateschoolreview.com/minnesota).
So Minnesota’s current per pupil spending of just under $12,000 per year, would be enough to cover the expenses of many excellent private schools whose testing scores regularly outperform those of public schools. Quite likely, the difference in the testing scores is the higher expectations and greater behavioral consequences in the private school.
Is Having More Diversity in the Teacher Workforce a Solution?
Magan’s article also said educators are working “to improve diversity,” which reflects the belief of some reform advocated that minority students will perform better when they have more minority teachers. For instance, the National Education Association website states:
"It is also important to expose children to a diverse teaching staff within each of our schools. Every child has a basic right to a great public school with a qualified and caring staff, including educators who look like them, who share similar cultural experiences, and who can serve as role models demonstrating that education and achievement are things to be respected”(Teacher Diversity: The Need for a Diverse Teaching Staff, http://www.nea.org/home/15200.htm).
A Paper published by The National Collaborative on Diversity in the Teacher Force stated:
“Students of color tend to have higher academic, personal, and social performance when taught by teachers from their own ethnic groups” (Assessment of Diversity in America’s Teaching Force: A Call to Action, Web: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/HE/diversityreport.pdf).
This seems to be a simplistic proposal fraught with unrealistic implications. Do we need to have a one to one match-up of minority students with minority teachers of the same ethnicity? Should white students feel disadvantaged if they have a teacher that doesn’t look like them? Surely this approach must be rejected.
A better approach is that represented by Kati Haycock:
“To increase the achievement levels of minority and low-income students, we need to focus on what really matters: high standards, a challenging curriculum, and good teachers” (Closing the Achievement Gap, ASCD, Web:
Rather than looking endlessly for a magic wand to fix education, we should recognize the importance of these very basic things: good materials, good teachers, high expectations and a good learning environment. I am convinced that it is in the last area that is the source of most of our problems in education today since high expectations includes cooperative and appropriate behavior in the classroom.
Taking Back Our Classrooms
That is, we are tolerating disruptive students and allowing them to poison the learning environment in the classroom. So the ‘reform’ that we need is really simply a return to common-sense in which disrespect for authority and disruptive and uncooperative behavior is not tolerated.
What I am suggesting specifically is that there be greater consequences for willfully obstinate students. That is, when a student is given repeated chances to correct there behavior, and simply refuse, then they should be expelled from school.
The options for them (and their parents) should include homeschooling, on-line learning, and private schools. Further, I suggest, that public charter schools that have greater discipline along the lines of military type programs would be appropriate. Unfortunately, despite the valiant efforts of the staff, most Alternative Learning Schools suffer from the same behavior problems as mainstream schools.
I am not advocating permanent expulsion of chronically disruptive students. Rather, I believe that they be given opportunities to return to the public school setting when they are ready to comply with reasonable expectations of behavior (i.e. listen in class, do your homework, not be disruptive, don’t physically or verbally assault other students or staff etc.).
The Consequences of No-child Left Behind Reforms
The current situation has resulted from the pendulum swinging too far in the direction of the noble goal of leaving no children behind and as a consequence we are leaving the whole class behind.
The attitude of no child left behind was to make sure that every child received a quality education. So we test them to track their success; and we raised the bar on quality instruction and teachers. Yet, despite all these advantages, we allow a small minority of students in each class to disrupt the entire class on a daily basis. Rather than have meaningful consequences for such behavior, we merely slap their wrists and allow the teacher and the other students to bear the consequences.
The results of this should not be downplayed. Many teachers leave the school exhausted, emotionally drained, depressed, and even in tears, because of the constant stress of these students. Indeed, many fear for their personal safety, as recent headlines have shown. There can be little doubt that this problem is a factor in the exodus of teachers from the classroom.
There has also been major costs associated with this problem as schools have had to hire extra staff to manage these disruptive students.
I am convinced that most of these children would comply, and end the endless games they play with staff when they learn of real consequences involved, and they realize they can no longer get away with such behavior.
We do these willfully disruptive students no favors by tolerating their behavior, for when they get into the real world, they will find that employers will not tolerate such disrespectful and obstinate behavior.
It is time that we use common-sense and demand more from such students. Let us remember the old adage that said, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.” Why should we waste so much time and energy trying to cater to obstinate students at the cost of poisoned learning environments for the remainder of the class?
Does Minnesota Law Allow for Greater Consequences?
Some have suggested permanent expulsion from Minnesota public schools is unconstitutional, arguing that the Minnesota State Constitution requires that every child receive a free public education. This is not exactly correct. Yes, the State is indeed required to “provide” a free public education, yet, this is not to say that this privilege cannot be withdrawn for valid reasons.
Under Minnesota Public School Fee Law, Article 13, Section 123b35 states in part:
“It is the policy of the state of Minnesota that public school education shall be free and no pupil shall be denied an education because of economic inability”( https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=123B&view=chapter#stat.123B.34). Clearly, the intent of the law is that no child should be denied a public education because of an economic inability.
Lisa Larson explained the Minnesota law in this regard:
"Minnesota Statutes, sections 123B.34 to 123B.39, compose Minnesota’s public school fee law. The public school fee law regulates the fees that school districts may and may not charge to students. Underlying the law is Article XIII, section 1, of the Minnesota Constitution, which directs the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools, using taxes or other means that will provide “a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state.” This provision is construed to mean that a public school education is free to all eligible students" (Minnesota’s Public School Fee Law, Lisa Larson, 2010, http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hrd/pubs/ss/sspsfee.pdf).
I have no quarrel that a free public education should be provided to every minor resident of the state. But these provisions do not construe that the privilege of a free public education cannot be temporarily rescinded for failure to comply with reasonable expectations of learners.
Certainly, there are other rights and privileges that we enjoy as citizens that can be removed or rescinded when they are abused such as the right to vote, drive a motor vehicle, and even parent children. Indeed, we should think of a free quality public education as such a privilege; one to be take advantage of and one that can be rescinded by those abusing the privilege.
What about Compulsory Education Requirements?
Minnesota does have compulsory education which is defined in 120A.22, subd 4 as:
“School defined. For the purpose of compulsory attendance, a "school" means a public school, as defined in section 120A.05, subdivisions 9, 11, 13, and 17, or a nonpublic school, church or religious organization, or home school in which a child is provided instruction in compliance with this section and section 120A.24”( https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=120a.22).
I think a good case can be made that the compulsory laws are not strictly demanded by the Minnesota State Constitution. Nevertheless, I am not arguing for their removal. Instead, I am arguing that nothing in current law should restrict local school districts from taking measures to protect the staff and other students of a school in which a child represents a continuing threat or obstinately refuses to reasonably participate.
Why should a school have to tolerate behavior from a student in which the same behavior would lead to the removal of a staff member guilty of the same behavior (violent, disruptive, threatening, and disrespectful)?
Yet, many students regularly act with very disruptive and disrespectful behavior.
My Educational Agenda
I suggest that is it time to rethink how we handle these situations. I believe it is time that we relieve educators of the burden of disruptive students so they can successfully do the job they were hired to do and love to do.
I am not suggesting that we give up on these kids. I am suggesting that they and their families have the same consequences that occur in the real world. I have no doubt that many of these children are dealing with difficult situations in their lives, and for which they deserve compassion. There are social agencies and counselors available to help with such personal problems. But it is not compassionate to let them self-destruct and rob those around them of a proper learning environment.
The results of such reform (providing meaningful consequences to chronically disruptive students) will be remarkable. With higher expectations and greater accountability in the classroom, we will close the achievement gap, save millions of educations dollars, make teaching more attractive and thereby facilitating the retention of quality teachers, cut down on bullying, and make our classrooms the best that they can be.
Such is my educational agenda.
Steve Lagoon
