From
a moral perspective, the variables of economics, racial inclusion, and social
equity, speak to core American
inalienable rights whereby all men are created equal. These rights include life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. Truly, we the
people could not be true to our democratic principles unless we use Executive
power and legislative mandates to maintain these principles and ensure opportunity
gaps are mitigated.
From
an educational perspective, the variables of economics, racial inclusion, and
social equity are undeniable factors that can mitigate efforts to promote
learning for all. Beginning in 2009, Race to the Top competitive
grants exercised the Executive branch’s power and encouraged legislative mandates
be brought to bear to promote social justice and equity in quality goals. The Great Recession
provided the need and opportunity because, at the time, diverse states were not
exhibiting the same effort toward achieving social justice or equity in quality
goals. This increased the need for the
federal Department of Education to utilize its funding streams to influence implementation
of mandates designed to ensure the learning for all mission.
Executive
power can be maximized through the federal Department of Education. Beginning ten years after the initial 1959
questioning of federal aid to public schools, Berke, Bailey, Campbell,
and Sacks (1971) conducted an eighteen-month study of the pattern of how
federal aid to education was allocated.
As a result, the authors reported the “story in general is grossly
disappointing” (p. 52). Major findings
were:
“(1) in most urbanized
areas, there is a crisis in educational finance, yet school districts in rural
areas received more federal aid per pupil; (2) there was no compensatory relationship
between federal aid and assessed property valuation; (3) because of the impact
of Title I, districts with lower income and higher proportions of nonwhite
pupils received more aid than those with lower proportions; (4) amounts of aid
received varied markedly and erratically in individual school districts; (5)
the failure to concentrate funds on most needy students has resulted in
fragmented programs or new equipment; and (6) amounts of aid are too small in
view of the existing problems” (p. 53).
During the ensuing four decades,
education has become increasingly politicized while the findings identified by
Berke et al (1971) remain pervasive.
Based on ignored or politicized conditions, the lack of equity in
quality continues. This results in the continued
inability of public education to close the achievement gap and increase the
quality of equitable education, especially when compared to other
industrialized nations.
In
the United States, two main philosophies have emerged: One group advocates that federal aid for
public schools should be increased. They
argue that since current funding systems for schools, such as dependency on
local property taxes, do not provide just and
equitable compensation for public schools.
Federal Aid, they contend, would provide the equity in quality required
for effective schools.
By
contrast, opponents to Federal Aid for public schools, led by the Cato
Institute, advocate for the privatization of schools with funding coming from
sources outside of the tax base. The
Cato Institute “argues that schools cannot cater to their constituents when
government institutions run and fund them” (Fitzpatrick, 2010).
Clarity over the role of
Federal Aid in public education is more important than ever. Since the premise of equity in quality is
grounded in civil rights and social justice, the role of the Federal government
in assuring this policy should be clear.
Therefore, the focus of any debate should be less on “whether” and more
on “how” to optimize the role of Federal Aid to optimize reform of public
education in pursuit of social justice and equity in quality goals.
To cite:
Anderson,
C.J. April 30, 2018) Discussing how economics, racial inclusion, social equity,
and executive
power influence school reform [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/
power influence school reform [Web log post] Retrieved from http://www.ucan-cja.blogspot.com/
References:
Berke,
J.L., Bailey, Campbell, and Sacks, (1971) Federal
Aid to Public Education: who
Benefits? http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED051441.pdf
Fielding, L., Kerr, N., & Rosier, P. (2007). Annual growth for all students, catch-up growth for
those who are behind. New York: Foundation Press.
