Problems with Public Schools Essay -- School Education Academics Teach

Problems with Public Schools In order to fully understand the issue of school vouchers, we must examine first the current situation in public schools and identify the problems. Then, we must look at the effect vouchers will have on these problems. Finally, we must discuss the objections to vouchers leveled by their main political opponents. In order to examine the potential benefits of school choice, we must first look to the current situation in American education. Public schools today are in a state of crisis, while access to private schools is diminished because the private schools cannot adequately sell what some are giving away for free. The organizational structure of these public schools is inherent to the centralized and bureaucratic structure (Boaz and Barrett 1996). The crisis in American schools takes three major forms. First, student academic performance is declining, particularly in urban areas and among traditionally disadvantaged student populations. Second, discipline and moral behavior is quickly becoming non-existent. Third, the per-pupil expenditure is inflated beyond what is necessary. Declining Academic Performance The first problem with public school today is that academic performance is declining, particularly in urban areas and among disadvantaged populations. America is faced with an educational crisis in two areas: business skills and liberal education. First, we examine the problem with skills. In the 1980?s, America?s ?education crisis? received widespread publicity. Several reports were done on the impact of this education crisis on the workforce. These reports, especially those by the Hudson Institute and David Kearns, indicated massive shortcomings in education that left high-s... ...ling. http://www.educationext.org/20023/73.html. retrieved April 28, 2003 Savas, E. (2000). Privatization and public private partnerships. New York: Chatham House Schaub D. (2002). Can liberal education survive liberal democracy? Public Interest, Spring2002 Issue 147 Tyson L. (1990). New Perspectives Quarterly, Fall 90, Vol. 7 Issue 4, p26 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (1996). Report assessing environmental education in the United States and the implementation of the National Environmental Education Act of 1990. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office. Woiceshyn G. (2000). Ayn Rand Institute. Rational Education. retrieved April 28, 2003. Socializing students for anarchy. http://education.aynrand.org/anarchy.html Wolfram G. (2001). Michigan?s prevailing wage law forces schools to waste money. Michigan Education Report, Fall 2001.