U.S. Public Schools Are NOT Failing. They’re Among the Best in the World
Everyone knows U.S. public schools are failing.
Just like everyone knows you should never wake sleepwalkers, bulls hate red and Napoleon was short.
Wrong on all counts. Waking sleepwalkers will cause them no harm – in fact, they’re more likely to harm themselves while sleepwalking. Bulls are colorblind; they’re attracted to movement. And Napoleon was 5’7”, which was above average height for Frenchman during his lifetime.
So why do we believe that American public schools are doing such a terrible job?
Because far right policymakers have convinced us all that it’s true.
It’s not.
Let me repeat that in no uncertain terms – America’s public schools are NOT failing. They are among the best in the world. Really!
We have made a commitment to every single child regardless of what their parents can afford to pay, regardless of their access to transportation, regardless of whether they can afford uniforms, lunch or even if they have a home. Heck! We even provide education to children who are here illegally.
That can’t be said of many countries with which we’re often compared – especially countries comparable to the U.S. in size or diversity. So from the get-go, we have an advantage over most of the world.
We define education differently. Though our laws are woefully backward, in practice we look at it as a right, not a privilege. And for a full 13 years (counting kindergarten) it’s a right for every child, not just some.
But that’s not all! We also provide some of the highest quality education you can get in the world! We teach more, help more, achieve more and yet we are criticized more than any system in any country in the world.
TEST SCORES
Critics argue that our scores on international tests don’t justify such a claim. But they’re wrong before you even look at the numbers. They’re comparing apples to U.S. Public Schools Are NOT Failing. They’re Among the Best in the World | gadflyonthewallblog:
