Yes, Master

I have been busy, but only with the same old things that I have already told you about too many times: cleaning, reading, studying, planning. Since it has been too hot (normal) and humid (NOT normal) for any interesting thoughts, I have decided to share some of the writing I have done for my masters* program. Thoughts are welcome.

On the media's role in education:
Americans have one main source of information - the news media. In theory, the media provides a place for citizens to receive data from a variety of sources which can then be synthesized into an educated and informed opinion. Unfortunately, the American media system is largely controlled by a small handful of powerful, politically driven individuals and financially driven corporations. As a result, the media consists of a tightly controlled smattering of talking points, rather than a broad collection of informative material.

Although the media's information on education often comes from respected researchers and research communities, the numbers are manipulated to present the results desired by those in control. Sometimes this means shifting the blame from the guilty to the scapegoat, like when public education is blamed for economic weaknesses. Other times, it means sensationalizing failures and accusations in order to induce panic in the general public, like accenting the worst test scores and minimizing the best in order to influence the future of education. No matter the reason, the misinformation presented in the news media today is intentionally and deliberately designed to induce panic and fear, allowing the political right to maintain control and accomplish its goals of privatizing education and gutting the public school system.

On the "factory model" of education:
Although the pendulum of public education has swung far in the opposite direction since 1912, supporting many child-based education models, it is currently on its way back toward the "factory model". Once again, teachers are being hired, not for the job of educating, but for that of training. Students are again seen as recipients of education, rather than participants, leaving them uninterested and uninvested in their own achievements. Administration's current role in education is to streamline the process, economically, socially, and politically. Increased testing results in more frustration and failure, but not better scores. We are using the factory model of education today and, once again, it is failing to produce the results for which it was designed.

On education and the economy:
By 1983, although the Cold War was still a prominent aspect of American politics, the United States had already demonstrated its superiority over the Russian space program. In keeping with historical habit, it was time to find a new crisis on which to focus American attention. Enter A Nation at Risk, a report on the public education system. Using European and Asian business structures for comparison, this report claimed that American schools were producing students who were incapable of competing in a global economic market. The paper concluded that a dramatic reform of public education was required.

While the U.S. is in danger of losing its place in global economy, I do not believe the greatest threat lies in Europe or Asia. The greatest danger we face is in our own economic practices. Businesses sacrifice quality in the name of increased productivity. Industry demands more high-tech training than it can support, driving down wages at all economic levels. 1% of American families control 43% of the money in the United States, magnifying the existing class divisions and increasing disillusionment and resentment among the remaining 99%. Although we are "a nation at risk", it is not the fault of public education, nor is it a result of superior practices in competing countries.

While the U.S. is in danger of losing its place in global economy, I do not believe the greatest threat lies in Europe or Asia. The greatest danger we face is in our own economic practices. Businesses sacrifice quality in the name of increased productivity. Industry demands more high-tech training than it can support, driving down wages at all economic levels. 1% of American families control 43% of the money in the United States, magnifying the existing class divisions and increasing disillusionment and resentment among the remaining 99%. Although we are "a nation at risk", it is not the fault of public education, nor is it a result of superior practices in competing countries.


*I still feel like I am cheating and getting my masters from the back of a cereal box, but at least I now feel as though I am putting some serious effort into it.