What is the purpose of public education?

by desertjim

The NY Times recently interviewed Randi Weingarten, the probable next president of the American Federation of Teachers, who wants to replace NCLB’s standardized testing with a vision of public schools as community centers.

Ms. Weingarten imagined in the interview. “A federal law that promoted community schools — schools that serve the neediest children by bringing together under one roof all the services and activities they and their families need?” She would like a federal education law, “...that promoted community schools — schools that serve the neediest children by bringing together under one roof all the services and activities they and their families need...Schools that include dental, medical and counseling clinics.”

Public schools historically had a much narrower mission - to create educated citizens. My parents immigrated as children from German occupied Poland before WWI. They were both taught to read and speak English in the Chicago Public Schools. Society saw that as sufficient and it seemed to be; my immigrant father eventually ran his own business. The four children in our family were also educated in the Chicago public schools in the 1940s and 50s. Three of us earned college degrees (two on partial scholarships the third using military benefits) based on our solid public school educations. The public schools of the first half of the 20th century seem to have served us all very well.

Now, at the start of the 21st century, we are looking for ways to reform, upgrade and “make more relevant” our public schools. Perhaps even turn them into the community centers suggested by Randi Weingarten. 

In a commentary on his blog Going to the Mat, Matt Johnston questions the effectiveness of such an approach. Johnston points out that ever since the “War on Poverty” we have been asking schools to provide more and more social services to the students.  “We ask schools to provide psychological services, counseling, and other non-educational services under the rubric of ‘it will help the student learn.’” I think this all ties in to a June post on this site in which a teacher stated his opinion that he is not a social worker.

Is it realistic to expect such expansion from schools and teacehrs that are already stretched thin just trying to teach reading, math and the other traditonal school subjects? Can (or should) our public schools become all things to all people?

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I believe the most important role of a school is to provide a relevant education in which students learn skills that will help them throughout their lives.

However, if children and families need services that impede them from taking advantage of the education offered, then something needs to be done.  I don’t think that the AFT’s main lobbying point should be community schools, but I think that students’ needs must be met somehow.

desertjim (or other readers), how do you propose that the diverse needs of learners be met?

"how do you propose that the diverse needs of learners be met?”

That is the perfect question of course. Teachers cannot adequately educate students who are hungry, sick, over-tired, etc. Yet, as Lucy Klocksin said in her TEN post last week, schools are already underfunded.

Perhaps the answer is to adequately fund schools for their primary job of preparing students academically and then find new sources for the suggested expanded services. Perhaps government departments like Health and Human Services and Medicaid need to become involved.

I completely agree that schools are underfunded--If these additional roles were to be added, additional funding would need to be delineated from some of the sources that you mentioned.  I think the key factor might be the relocation of such services inside (or at least near) the school to increase access.

Perhaps we need to consider outside partners, rather than create new additions to the schools’ duties. Other community organizations could take on the additional duties, using their own sources of funding.

Certainly, a clinic run by an existing healthcare organization would make more sense than some exponential expansion of the school nurse position. With careful vetting of partners, this might work out fairly well.

I agree 100% that any additional roles (outside of education) in schools should be taken on by community or other organizations that have expertise in the field and I also think that it is crucial to maintain a level of communication between partners in order to best serve kids and families.  (Of course, while still keeping necessary confidentiality in mind as well.)