School Reform

 In a perfect world, the voices of everyone involved in the education system would have equal weight in the process of school reform - from students, to parents, to the general community. Are we not all affected by the education system in one way or another? However, I feel that the current system in no way gives equal opportunity for every stakeholder to have a voice in this process, and that is one of the primary factors for the current state of affairs in our nation's education system.

When asked who has the primary voice in education reform, I, and I would guess most people, would say the state and federal government does. I imagine a group of older, white, wealthy men in legislative session making decisions regarding our educational process with little idea of what really occurs or what is needed.  These decisions then trickle down and are implemented, sometimes unsuccessfully - however the blame will always be placed on the shoulders of those who had nothing to do with the conceptualization of the reform. 

This form of decision making leaves educational leaders, teachers, parents, and students feeling very powerless and at times frustrated with the educational system. There are some variances across the board however, many states and local districts have enacted voucher or school choice systems, which does gives students and parents a voice in their own academic career. Additionally, private and charter schools have much more flexibility and tend to give more power to the various stakeholders instead of being governed solely by government entities.