DamenKugel

CriticalIssuesEdu601
July2,2012
CIAssignmentTwelve

Private
Foryears,theideaofprivationofeducationhasbeeninterpreted,debated,andanalyzed
topromotethehighestlevelsoflearning.Throughthecourseoftimeprivateeducationhasbeen
implementedtopromotehigherlevelthinkingandmoreeffectivewaystoeducatestudentsbut
hasntalwaysbeenhaseffectiveasadvertised.However,thedebateofprivateeducationvs.
publiceducationcontinuesandanongoingdiscussioninourworldtodaythatreflectsonthe
bestwaystoeducate.
ChrisWhittle,FounderandCEOofEdisonSchools,believesthatpublicschoolsstill
operateinaneighteenthcenturymindset.Whittlesaid,Howweeducateourchildrentodayis
remarkablysimilartohowweeducatedthemdecadesago.Hearguesthatconsistencyand
reliabilityinschoolsisnecessary,assumingthattheyareworkinghowever,hebelievesthey
havefailedinschools.HecontendsthatinternationalcomparisonsdocumentthatAmerican
childrenareachievingbelowbasiclevelsinreadingandmath.Hearguesthateventhetop
studentsinthenationhaveseenadeclinesince1971.
WhittlerbelievesthatAmericansareoblivioustothisissuebecausemediaoutletsdonot
promotetheissueduetoitslackofsexappeal.Hesaid,IlliteracycantcompetewithKatrina,
9/11,Iraq,orevenagoodSupremeCourtnominationfight.Inaddition,hebelievesthatthe
UnitedStateshasagreatmilitaryforceandhealthcaresystembecauseascitizensweinvestin
change.However,whenitcomestoeducationAmericansonlyspendaslivercomparedtothat
ofmilitaryandhealthcare.Whittlesaid,Wehaveexceptionalhealthcareandnationalsecurity

DamenKugel
CriticalIssuesEdu601
July2,2012
CIAssignmentTwelve

becauseweconstantlyinvestinchangeaboutandbeyondwhatwespendmerelytooperateour
militaryandhealthcaresystem.Hebelievesthatwithoutsignificantendowmentfromthe
federalgovernmentthatourchildrenwillcontinuetolacktheskillsandresourcesnecessaryto
competeinternationally.
Tocounterthedemiseofpubliceducation,Whittleoffersanindependentlearning
modelasareplacementthathehasimplementedinEdisonSchools.Hebelievesthatthe
privatizationofeducation,inschoolslikeEdison,promotesindependence,grouplearning,focus,
responsibility,varyinglearningstyles,andstudentsabilitytoteachaswellaslearn.Through
forprofitmanagementorganizations,hearguesthatstudentsneedmoretimeforindependent
growth.Hecomparespubliceducationsystemswherestudentshavefortyfiveminuteclassesto
collegeclasseswherestudentsspendonlyfifteenhoursaweekinclass.Whittleroffersthis
realisticcomparison[.]considerthatmanycollegestudentsareinclassfewerthanfifteen
hoursaweek,halfthetimeofahighschoolsenior.Collegefreshmenareonlyninetydaysolder
thanhighschoolseniors.Hebelievesthatifstudentsarenotintheclassroom,theyare
engagedinotheractivitiesthatpromotelearning.
HenryLevin,Professorofeconomicsandeducation,arguesthatWhittlesideology
ignorescontraryevidenceaboutthecomplexissueofschoolreform.Levinbelievesthatthe
evidenceWhittleusesinhisargumentismisleadingandarecontrarytothefacts.Levinsaid,
Edisonsrecordisnotverydifferentfromthatofsimilarpublicschools,thoughithasreceived
greaterfounderingthanitspubliccounterparts.LevinarguesthatWhittlesperspectiveis
cloudedbydollarsignsandeconomics.LevinsrebuttaltoWhittleiscenteredonprovinghim

DamenKugel
CriticalIssuesEdu601
July2,2012
CIAssignmentTwelve

wrongandattackingWhittlesmisrepresentationoftheinformation.Theonlyperspectivethat
Levinoffersisregroupinglostfundsfrompooreducationtorefundeducationprograms.Levin
said,Byinvestinginmoreproductiveeducationalpractices,wecanrecoupmagnitudesof
investmentthatcaneasilyfundtheimprovements[.].
Recently,IattendedascienceworkshopinGrandIsland.Theleaderforthecoursewasa
freshmanscienceteacheratOmahaWestside.Shedescribedasimilarmodelthatpromotesmore
individualizedinstructionbasedonthecollegemodel.Shereportedthatsinceherschoolhas
switchedtoasimilarcollegeblockschedulethatstudentstestscores,behavior,andmotivation
increaseddramatically.However,asshedescribedherschoolmodel,Iponderedtheideaof
accountabilityandtheideaofreachingallstudents.Wecanallagreethatsomestudentsareonly
inschoolbecausetheyhavetobeorbecauseitsthelaw.However,withthecollegemodel,how
doteacherspromotelearningtoeveryone?Personally,inhighschool,ifIwouldhavehadfree
reinoftheschoolforonlyfifteenhoursaweek,IwouldnothavehadthesuccessIdidwitha
morestructuredsetting.
Bothmenhaveinterestingarguments,however,LevinandWhittlebothagreeonthe
fundamentalidealsthatteachersandprincipalsneedfurthertrainingandeducationneedsmore
funding.But,educationalreform,atthiscurrenttime,canonlycomefromoneplaceandthatis
thefederalgovernment.However,manypoliticiansonCapitolHillareunfamiliarwiththe
practicesofpubliceducationanduntiltheywakeupandlistentoteachersthisissuewillcontinue
tobuildsteam.