From an organizational perspective, politicians must become comfortable with the idea of change, and understand why it is important. National policy makers must buy into it as a problem, and realize that the change is needed. This is especially difficult in the current economic climate, and education is one of the first places where budgets are cut at a national and state level.
The rate of return is tremendous. In 1994 alone, MIT graduates created 4000 companies, and some 1.1 million jobs. Increasing the GI bill could do the same. Adding more money to the NSF would as well. In order for national change to be enacted, buy-in from politicians is essential. Policy makers cannot see it as an optional expenditure that can be cut when it’s inconvenient to fund. They must recognize the current situation as a problem, and become involved in and support the implementation of the needed changes.
There are systemic issues with the educational system itself that also contribute to the problem. One is with the textbook publishers; buy-in is needed from them as well, which won’t be easy, but they need to support the change as well. The core educational problem however is the resources educators have for themselves.
Firstly, educators need to be better supported if they are to thrive, and allow our students to thrive. Ideally, educators would receive the training they need in order to gain greater mastery of the subjects they teach. There should be equal opportunity for all students, regardless of their different abilities or economic background. It would be nice if educators were viewed with the same respect as lawyers and doctors and paid accordingly, as that is the level of skill you want in an educator. Teachers should have the resources they need provided for them, rather than needing to provide it without being properly compensated. Educators are entrusted with shaping the minds of tomorrow, and we should honor that trust.
Educators also need to agree on a cohesive vision. The current system has no clear vision, largely due to the nature of these United States, and our penchant for federalism. Textbooks are currently written in such a way so that they can be used in any number of ways to suit any number of curriculums. Tools perform the function they are designed for; the less specialized a tool becomes, the less effective it is at solving a particular task. The same is true with educational materials – by attempting to appeal to a wide audience, they fail to work especially well with any one method of instruction.
This can be referred to as an “organizational process model” – a collection of various actors pursuing their own ends at a national, state, and local level. The obstacles to forming cohesive standards are significant, not the least of which is primarily cultural.
The culture of the United States isn’t especially supportive of intellectual pursuits. Many academics regard the US as being somewhat anti-intellectual. The core economic engine in the United States is due to the efforts of the women and men who have spent years of their lives in order to help improve the lives of everyone. Without those scientists, engineers, artists, and educators our rich and vibrant culture would not thrive as it has. It would be nice to see those who help others through their services to the community be more recognized for their efforts. It would also be nice to see education and a desire for greater understanding be attributes that everyone aspires to, regardless of what they do.