Republican Candidates Discuss Abolishing the U.S. Department Of Education
Republican presidential candidates have expressed support for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education. Why? It’s not like our schools are failing miserably when compared to other industrialized nations.
According to the most recent Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores, we were 30th in math, 23rd in science and 17th in reading. As a Polack who has endured a lifetime of jokes, I have to note the U.S. finished behind Poland in all three categories.
The Department of Education just needs a little more time. In twenty years, I bet we can finally challenge Kyrgyzstan for that elusive bottom spot.
OK, maybe we are failing miserably, but based on these rankings, it’s clear we need a Department of Education more than ever. Much like our education system, it just needs to be reformed to the point of being unrecognizable from its current form.
Last year, Bill Gates recommended that we change the way we pay teachers. They should be rewarded for results, rather than advanced degrees or seniority. I imagine the Bolshevik teachers’ unions wills oppose this, but Bill Gates is a pretty smart guy, and this seems like a good start.
Canada also made the top ten in all three categories. What are they doing that we’re not? We should treat education like a technology. Find out who is doing it better, borrow their best ideas and improve them.
I’m a product of a public school, and one of my teachers, Patricia Douglas, had a very positive influence on me. She worked hard, inspired students, and she didn’t accept second-best. Our school system should do the same.
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