The idea of raising standards is an intriguing concept, but that alone will not fix anything. Instead of just raising standards there should be a four-pronged approach to fixing the education system. Without a multicfacitated approach all efforts are doomed to fail.
Prong #1 - Teacher Pay: This often cited problem with education occurs in every state. Consider this, the smartest, brightest, and most gifted of America's graduates find careers that often pay into the six figures. If we raise teacher pay to match these fields think of the possibilities of new young teachers who will choose this career path. But with high pay should come increase teacher standards.
Prong #2 - Teacher Education: The corresponding raise in teacher pay should see a corresponding increase in the standards and difficulty in receiving a teacher certificate. Teacher programs could be created on the law and medical school model. After a four year degree students could apply to enter teacher programs thus making the programs selective and attractive to students who want to earn six figures and change the world for the better. Think about a classroom with a teacher that had to go through that kind of training. The possibilities are endless.
Prong #3 - Raise Standards: Creating a high national standard will solve many problems. Simply demanding that states continue to raise standards will never work. States like Mississippi have set the bar so low that increasing the standards is still far below even the most mediocre state. Require all students to graduate with the same standardize testing and curriculum standards will make our student competitive across the country and set a baseline to compare our students with international students for the new global workforce.
Prong #4 - Student Incentives: The reality is that everybody works better with incentives. How hard would you work if someone was offering you a $100K to complete the job. Students should be offered the ability to go on to college at little or no cost. Make it know to parents and students that from a very young age that if students score X on the standardize test and graduate with a Y GPA that college is free. I realize the vast expense associated with such a program but think of the benefits to our workforce and future. Most students will work hard everyday if college is now an option.
Without addressing all of these issues noting will ever be fixed.
Kyle
History Teacher in Texas
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