Holden Berlin

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Reign of Error

Diane Ravitchs Reign of Error systematically challenges education reformers who seek

to dismantle public education by giving a realistic insight on the foundation of public schools.

This paper will focus on one of the most important factors in public schools: the community. In

the book, the author makes her point clear: public schools solely represent the community that

surrounds it. The school will represent the communities culture, ethnic background, social

economic class, and values. What the book states, and this paper will continue, is that public

schools have no choice but to accommodate the needs of the communities without the support of

the government; more recently, with the federal government working against public schools by

confiscating support and creating test score fanaticism. By exploring the root of shaming public

education, it is possible to provide solutions to turn the tide and allow the public education sector

to rebuild with the support of its communities.

One of the most visible factors in communities is its social economic class. The wealth of

a community directly affects the school and its ability to provide the resources students need. In

the beginning of Reign of Error, Ravitch clearly states that public school is not failing, rather

poverty is spreading. Many factors stem from poverty; from lack of school supplies to

widespread school shutdown. While students who are in more lively social economic class

continue to succeed, poorer students seem to struggle and fall behind at an alarming rate. It is

not coincidence that private schools seem to be performing better than rural public schools.

Children who do not need to worry about their next meal or their safety will be more focused on

academics, extra-curricular activities, and their overall success. Ravitch states:

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Poverty affects their [students] motivation and their ability to concentrate on anything other
than day-to-day survival. In a society of abundance, poverty is degrading and humiliating.
Page 93-94

Instead, let us ease students minds and allow them to give more focus on their studies. Continue

to establish and further programs that provide transportation, meals and shelter. While we cannot

give them the exact environment that mimics upper class families, we can provide stability and

assurance. All children want to succeed; programs like the Indianapolis Schools RightFit

Program are facilitating success by providing students nutrition and transportation to and from

schools. Programs like RightFit are noticing that the achievement gap is not from ability level,

rather it is from the starting point in which kids are beginning their academic journey. In most

public schools, there is a population of kids that are starting much farther back than their peers

due to their social economic class and ethnic background. While public schools combat this huge

difference in child mentalities, private schools continue to show progress with a student

population that is virtually similar.

The argument that private schools perform better than public schools is an illogical one.

Private schools deal with a specific group of students, mainly white and upper class, than public

schools who are taking the rest of the nations children. There are not same levels of English

language learners in private schools, not the same levels of children with special needs. In Reign

of Error, Ravitch eloquently says:

Public schools must accept all children. They cannot pick and choose among them. They cannot
reject those who are homeless and those who do not speak English. They are responsible for
educating them all..
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In this case, we cannot compare apples to oranges. There is no evidence that private schools,

with the same diversity as public schools, succeed more than public schools. However, that is

what education reformers believe. As the government moves towards privatization of schools,

students will become categorized, selected by surface ability, and then profited on. Not only is

this a failed business model, as realized by Jamie Vollmer (found on page 300), but also is

immoral. In a society that is growing more divided, allowing schools to pick and choose their

students, to control their raw material, is unethical and would only create more divide. Schools

will be entirely English language learners, or special needs students. Schools comprised of

impoverished students will be struggling more than before, as it is too much of a burden to carry.

Public schools are rooted in their communities. They exist to serve the children of their
communities. If the school Is doing a poor job, the leadership of the school system must do
whatever it takes to improve the schools...not close them..
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What our government is not understanding, whether through disconnect or defiance, is

that schools are not failing because lack of resourcefulness, but a lack of support. Public schools

have shown a vast amount of resourcefulness and tenacity, but they cannot be expected to solve a

national economic crisis. However, they are; they are being held responsible and blamed for

societies failures. There is so much blame on the public education sector that local and federal

governments are just eradicating any failing school by literal closings or through voucher

programs that are slowly draining support for public schools. The government also seems to

forget that these private schools are not equipped to handle impoverished or special needs

children. They are not prepared to deal with broken homes. They are only dealing with the

students who come from educated parents with more wealth. Closing public schools is the exact
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opposite of what must be done. How does closing schools improve our education? How does

removing educational opportunities provide students with the best tools? How can isolating

students based on ability, race or wealth create a sense of community? Rebuilding our education

system is about reforming society and the role of a teacher in the community.

To make progress we must decide the role a school has a in a community. Does it provide

academic guidance and shape students to be good workers? Or should it be community hubs, a

place where students can practice being a member in society? Should schools only focus on key

academic subjects? Or should it explore culture, democracy and heritage? Ravitch believes that

the ideal school curriculum is balanced between all subjects with a vast amount of activities that

mimic roles in society, allowing students to discover their role in the community.

No Child left behind and Race to the Top program have undermined this ideal curium and
restricted it only to the most affluent communitiesfederal policies only value test scores.
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However, the fanaticism on global competition has lead education down a funnel, destroying

anything that is not what is on comparable global tests. This did not make schools better, rather it

undermined them. Competition has taken away complementary subjects forcing students to learn

material they may not want to learn. Students who are demoralized at school will act out and

refuse to participate. Furthermore, test scores have destroyed the teaching profession by

depriving the relationships between students and teachers. Test goals have ruined innovation in

the classroom and has done away with actual learning. Students are not applying skills they have

learned in school, they are regurgitating formulas, test-taking strategies, and other information

from the teachers; all so the people who are educators can keep their jobs. It has forced workers

to adapt their strategies so that they may continue their lifestyle. The pressure from the
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government to show improvement on tests has demoralized and discredited the teaching career

by claiming educators as failures. The education sector has become so politicized; governments

are appointing lawyers and policy makers who never taught in schools to lead schools to replace

failed teachers and school leaders. These people do not see the culture of a school, the

individuality of the students or the investment teachers put into their classes. They only see

results. These results only turn teachers and students into statistics that make students into

numbers and teachers expendable. As a teacher, nothing is more disheartening than being told

they are failing.

We have discredited teaching by deeming them failures. We have cut their benefits,

discrediting their hard work while at the same time invited uncertified individuals, and worse,

unqualified individuals to replace them. People who teach should feel engaged and meaningful;

that society is encouraging them. Ravitch claims:

In a healthy profession, all those who engage in its practice are professional. They are
responsible to do their best and adhere to the expectations and the ethics of the profession. To
have a great educational system, we must build a respected profession.
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Ravitch calls for more difficult certification processes. Educators should be the highest educated,

making their process to educators filled with obstacles that include certification exams in math,

reading writing as well as in their field of study. To educate, one must be a student and a scholar

first. Teaching is more than knowing how to present information, rather it is also being a model

for learning. Students who see teachers who are willing to learn will be more likely to learn with

them. Teachers need to know how to nurture students of all abilities and backgrounds and how to

apply individualities to enhance lessons. There is also a call for education to be an inbred

profession, meaning anyone who is in education must start with teaching. This is to eliminate
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principles, superintendents, and school board members who have never experienced education in

the classroom. If everyone who made decisions for schools, taught in schools, our education

system would be shaped in a way that gives teachers freedom to individualize lessons while also

holding high expectations for growth. Criticism would not be demoralizing, it would be

constructive. While programs like No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top have divided

schools, education could be much more collaborative; creating a network of idea sharing and

heathy evolution in education.

Public education is a federal responsibility. A contract between the tax paying people and

its government. For the government to pass on the education sector to private owners is breaking

its obligation to provide quality education to American people. Privatization allows a wide range

of bias misinformation from uncertified individuals that could be sent from any large source of

wealth. While private and charter schools have a place in society, by providing families a specific

choice on what they want their child to learn, it does not merit for a wide spread privatized

school system. A rampant private school system does not end up giving families choice, on the

contrary, it gives the schools a choice. A choice on who they want to educate, and what

curriculum to educate. A choice on what child will provide the highest test score; the highest

amount of profit for the corporation. Public education is bound by law and moral code to accept

all children regardless of ability or background. It is their duty to give students an opportunity to

gain the knowledge necessary to become good standing and contributing citizens in the

community. For that to be affective, public schools must individualize, they must become what is

best for their students, to invest whatever it takes for their specific population of students.

Education is a vital part to society; as society is a mere reflection of the education provided.