Education: Pathways to a More Promising Future

Education is a political issue that overlaps with many others, and it is impossible to completely disentangle them. In the essay that follows, I will discuss the importance of public education, suggest some principles to guide our approach to education policy, and identify some ways Christians can help our nation’s children chart a path to a more promising future.

Every Child Has a Story

I volunteered as a teacher’s aide in a suburban California public school when I was in college. I remember when a new student, Paul, arrived to what would be his third school that academic year. He was a troublemaker from the start: rarely sitting still, pestering his classmates, refusing to do his work, and generally causing mayhem.

The day the school mandated standardized tests, Paul fell asleep at his desk. When the teacher escorted him to the nurse’s office, I peeked at his answer sheet. He had only bubbled in a handful of answers, but they were all correct.

A month or so later, we took the students on a field trip to the Los Angeles Zoo. Paul was among the small group of students I was assigned to supervise. When we stopped for a snack, each child was told they could eat one thing from the sack lunches they brought from home. Inside Paul’s bag was a sleeve of 6 or 7 saltine crackers—his entire meal for the day. As I quietly shared my lunch with him, my heart broke.

I still cannot get Paul’s face out of my memory more than two decades later. Paul arrived at our school sleep-deprived and hungry. His parents never attended a teacher’s conference. He was failing 2^nd grade, and life was failing him.

Education is the Tip of the Iceberg

Paul’s story is repeated over and over across our country, and it emblemizes the problems at the heart of the education crisis. It is difficult to teach a roomful of students in the best of circumstances; the obstacles can seem insurmountable when students suffer from malnutrition, abuse, poverty, or neglect.

We cannot achieve true education reform without also addressing poverty and its damaging effects on children. As the National Center for Children in Poverty summarized: “Poverty can impede children’s ability to learn and contribute to social, emotional, and behavioral problems. Poverty also can contribute to poor health and mental health.” Longitudinal studies reveal a significant, and rapidly growing, gap in achievement between wealthier and poorer students that has lasting and devastating effects.

Public Education: Some Guiding Principles

Although many related issues complicate the task of public education, we can seek guiding principles to help us think about education reform.

Education is an essential public good that should be a policy priority for all—young or old, parent or childless. Education is the most effective anti-poverty policy; it helps everyone in society gain essential skills they need to survive and thrive.

We need to use education dollars wisely. School districts need to focus their dollars on the classroom and invest in teachers, aides, and materials. Overly-bloated administration wastes precious resources.

Education policy should begin at the local and state levels. Borrowing from the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, I believe that most decisions about education policy should be made at the local level, by the individuals and institutions closest to the people that they serve. When local laws fail to serve the common good, state and then federal oversight may be necessary. But it is best to leave most decisions to the people and associations that are most aware of the particular needs of their community.

Significant federal initiatives such as the National School Lunch Program and Title I programs that direct funding to high-poverty schools do great good helping local schools meet needs, but federal policy can reach too far. The No Child Left Behind Act’s national standards had the unintended consequence of crippling innovation rather than encouraging it. I don’t doubt the good intentions of the bipartisan coalition that led to the bill’s passage, but, in practice, NCLB has highlighted the need for policy flexibility and the dangers of over-reliance on standardized tests to measure success.

We should approach market-based models with caution. Although some experiments with charter schools have been successful, others have created more problems than solutions. Insights from the market may be helpful, but the economics of education add complexity. The students with the greatest needs are in the least demand and cost the most to educate. “Reforms” that result in relocating the highest-achieving students may leave neighborhood schools with greater challenges and fewer resources to meet the needs.

Improving Education Now

Education reform has been a hot topic for decades. Many of the problems are deeply rooted and unlikely to change quickly. What are some things that Christians can do to improve education and make a difference for children today?

First, we need to be aware of what is happening in our local schools. Likely the best way to do this is to volunteer. Most teachers welcome regular helpers in the classroom. We can also stay informed by following the activities of local school boards, speaking out when policies seem to be moving in the wrong direction, and participating in local elections.

Many religious schools set aside spaces and waive fees for low-income students, and Christians should encourage this. Generous scholarships provide opportunity for needy students and add valuable socio-economic diversity that enriches everyone’s educational experience.

After school programs are another important way to improve children’s lives. Such programs offer participants a safe haven, filling the afternoon hours with sports, tutoring, healthy snacks, and fellowship. Evening mentoring programs are other ways to connect with kids and meet their individual needs.

Studies confirm what most of us know instinctively: every child needs adults who care, make commitments to spend time with them, and live up to those promises. We in the church can do more to meet needs, make a difference, and share God’s love.