Policy and Accountability

During my Public Purposes of Education class, we have discussed the linear history of educational policies, starting with the formation of the Office of Education in 1868, which later became the Department of Education in 1980. The main purpose for such government office was to address the education of the newly-freed population. This issue, as we all know, gave way to the landmark legislation of Brown vs. Board of Education, which made segregation in public schools illegal.

Through the diplomatic issues of the 1960’s, the focus of the education debate shifted gears. The government was no longer looking towards education as a means to provide equal opportunity to every American, but as a means to compete in the international theatre. They began a never ending “obsession” with proficiency in the core subjects of science, reading, and math. It seems like every piece of legislation that was passed from the 60’s onward stressed the need for accountability, and the emphasis of the three core subjects.

Now, I am not making any form of scholarly review or assessment of educational policy in the United States. I am simply attempting to make some sense of the mess in which our educational system lies. It seems as if, out of all of the objectives planned by the government for public education, the purpose hidden behind these objectives is everything but the betterment of kids and the nurturing of productive and educated citizens. Weather it is the emphasis of the sciences and mathematics in global competition, to the need for “accountability”; I parenthesize the word accountability because it refers to the accountability for the federal funds that are put into public education. To me, accountability should be shown for how our students are treated and short-changed in some communities, while in others, children thrive and have better opportunities. Education is the way in which we prepare our kids for their future, and in a sense, for our future as well because they will be the ones making the major political decisions when we no longer can.