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What needs to be done to reform public education in the United States?
Toni Broussard
Science of Social Work, Liberty University
ENGL 101: Composition and Rhetoric
Professor Brian Powell
February 8, 2021
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What needs to be done to reform public education in the United States?
This topic has been recognized for decades, tracing back to the critical date in 1983 when
"A Nation at Risk" was disseminated by President Ronald Reagan's National Commission on
Excellence in Education, a landmark study that influenced reform efforts. America's schools face
great challenges, including a shortage of high-quality teachers in many underserved communities
and an ever-growing disparity in achievement. As a result of this our public schools have
continued to suffer under the weight of misguided reform and regulation, despite the reforms and
developments spawned by reports. In order to reform public education in the United States, our
government needs to increase school funding. This will decrease layoffs, school shutdowns, and
give educators access to more resources that will improve the education system (Pianta, 2019).
Low-wealth school districts are hit hardest during cuts, resulting in teacher layoffs,
increased classroom sizes, and reduced services in areas ranging from counseling to after-school
programs. A national analysis of changes in school finance showed that under this aid, children
from low-income families in states who spent 20% more on them over the 12 years of school
experienced graduation rates 23 percentage points higher than similar children without this
benefit (Darling-Hammond, 2019). It was recorded that, “In nearly half of all states, affluent
districts still receive more funding from state and local governments for their schools and
students than poorer districts” (Martin et al., 2018, para. 5). Due to this, “A 2016 study found
that, between 1990 and 2011, states that reformed school finance policies in order to allocate
more funding to high-poverty school districts narrowed the achievement gap by an average of
one-fifth” (Martin et al., 2018, para. 5 & 6). Now that individuals have become aware of how
low-income schools receive less funding than those in richer communities, they were able to find
evidence that shows how these schools have a higher percentage of dropouts, shutdowns, and
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less capability to provide high-quality teachers. By increasing school funding, low-income
schools will be better equipped to provide their students with up-to-date equipment, curriculum,
shelter, and benefits for a high percentage of students who are more likely to drop out due to a
poor education environment or financial inability. This change will cause the education system to
update its curriculum, gearing it to what is best for the students now, and not years ago.
With the changing world, the priorities of public education must change, and today,
schools must prepare students for college, career, and adulthood. Just as Thomas Jefferson once
said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people” (Martin et al.,
2018, para. 15). For example, a 2014 study showed that narrowing the gaps in educational
achievement between native-born white children, African American, and Latino/a children would
stimulate the development of the U.S. economy by 5.8 percent by 2050. Such was proven, when
the “research finds that states that have achieved both equity and adequacy see stronger
achievement and graduation rates, which translate into societal savings in lower rates of crime,
incarceration and welfare and higher rates of employment, wages and taxes” (Darling-
Hammond, 2019, para. 6). While the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) study
found that spending increases improved high school graduation rates among low-income
students and increased their adulthood earnings by 10 percent (Martin et al., 2018). The key to
shape our next generations into leaders who serve, defend, and represent society, is by creating a
schooling system that is dedicated to preparing all students, including the most disadvantaged,
for adulthood and well-rounded education. Although this is a problem that has been discussed
many times over the years and has a high number of people who agree, we need the government
to listen and act, or our educational system will never change, not fixing anything. Of course,
even with the data given, some individuals disagree that it is a good idea to increase funding for
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the educational system.
These individuals rebut that giving failing schools more money would not guarantee that
the school will have improved results, such as test scores and graduation rates. One man who
disagrees with increasing the education system funds is Jon Caldara of Colorado's Independence
Institute, as he made a public statement stating, "Use the money you have more wisely and
educate our children" (Turner, 2016, para. 16). Though it is understandable for people to have
separate opinions on a matter, this argument is unreasonable, self-centered, narcissistic, and
shows no support to the educators who are fighting to make a better future for the students.
These individuals revolve their argument on not providing further funds to low-income schools,
around the perception of there being no evidence that it will solve the issues within these schools
or of there being any inequality when it comes to the decisions made for the educational funding.
But, once provided proof of the discrepancies in school funding between the wealthy and poorer
districts, they shifted their argument to blame the school’s, declaring that it is the school’s fault
for how they spend their money, and to be thankful for the increase in school funding’s since
2015. Even with the fact that school funding has increased since 2015, it is due to years of
budget cuts during the Great Recession that almost half of the Member States spent less on
schools in 2016 than they spent in 2007. It is also a fact that “The top-spending states spend
about three times what the lowest-spending states allocate to education and, in many states, the
wealthiest districts spend two to three times what the poorest districts can spend per pupil”
(Darling-Hammond, 2019, para. 3). Educators are becoming more aware of the flaws in the
school system and are fighting to create an improved future for students by providing hands-on
evidence that money does matter, and that increasing school funding is the key to the future of
the students and our society. Just as Karen English, who taught there for 36 years stated, "I really
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think that the funding was like winning the World Series" (Pianta, 2019). A student’s education is
a critical stage in life that requires a strong base and robust education to provide them with every
benefit possible that they need to succeed in life. To do this, schools need the extra money to pay
for high-quality teachers they need who will provide the students with a higher quality of
education and prepare them for the next stage in life.
While many people have paid attention to the cries for increasing the funding of the
education system and the advantages that will bring, it is still awaiting struggle with the
government about whether they will listen and act eventually. No matter how hard educators
fight or how many joins together to make a difference for students, they can only do so much to
improve the quality of education they are capable of providing with the current state of school
funds. Our government needs to increase school spending in order to reform public education in
the United States. This would minimize layoffs, shutdowns of classrooms, and give teachers
access to more services that will strengthen the education system. If the nation is to resolve the
problem of reforming public education, now is the time to intervene and increase funding for the
education system.
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References
Pianta, R. (2019). The one education reform that would really help? Giving public schools more
money. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/12/10/all-
reforms-world-wont-help-our-school-much-more-money/
Darling-Hammond, L. (2019). America's School Funding Struggle: How We're Robbing Our
Future By Under-Investing In Our Children. Forbes.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lindadarlinghammond/2019/08/05/americas-school-
funding-struggle-how-were-robbing-our-future-by-under-investing-in-our-children/?
sh=48a102215eaf
Martin, C., Boser, U., Benner, M. & Baffour, P. (2018). A Quality Approach to School Funding.
Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-
12/reports/2018/11/13/460397/quality-approach-school-funding/
Turner, C., Mccorry, K., Worf, L., Gonzalez, S., Carapezza, K. & Mcinerny, C. (2016). Can More
Money Fix America's Schools? nprEd How Learning Happens.
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/04/25/468157856/can-more-money-fix-americas-
schools
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