The Reality Tale of Two Education Systems: One for the Poor, and One for the Rest

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/education/reality-tale-two-education-systems-one-poor-and-one-rest



In fact, except for the debilitating effects of poverty, our public school system may be the best in the world.

The most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reveal that the U.S. ranked high, relative to other OECD countries, in reading, math, and science (especially in reading, and in all areas better in 4th grade than in 8th grade). Some U.S. private schools were included, but a separate evaluation was done for Florida, in public schools only, and their results were higher than the U.S. average.

Perhaps most significant in the NCES reading results is that schools with less than 25% free-lunch eligibilityscored higher than the average in ALL OTHER COUNTRIES.

The Obvious: Reduce Poverty and Improve Education.

What should be obvious to our legislators is apparently not. K-12 funding declined in 2011 for the first time since the Census Bureau began keeping records. A 2014 study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that "States' new budgets are providing less per-pupil funding for kindergarten through 12th grade than they did six years ago — often far less."

[GreatGazoo]

1. awkward writing style

Maybe it is just me but I had trouble following the cause and effect in much of that. Lots of idioms and logic jumps.


For example:

The evidence for national improvement is staring us in the face, but the people in charge are ignoring facts and experience and turning instead to the corporate profit-seekers.

Odd use of the word "evidence" -- 'evidence for improvement' (?) Also: "Tax money...is not paid." And: "...Charter schools..pays CEOs many times more,...in one case double the pay of executives in just one year." If the most they pay is "double" then that isn't "many times more" it is just double.