Getting there

The path to reform
[You can view the PDF here.]

The path to privatization will require significant effort and resources centered around three pillars: achieving progressive standards, preparing the infrastructure, and assisting parents, teachers, and administrators through the process.

Getting the infrastructure in place

2.1 The first objective will be to establish a national basic schools curriculum for subjects and types of schools. This basic curriculum is exclusively an articulation of expected competencies. A transition from town-halls to drafting an actual curriculum will allow input to be secured from parents and teachers.

2.2 The committee responsible for national education is appointed by the president and approved by Congress. The committee includes teachers, scholars, and international officials from prominent countries.

2.3 Concurrently, means for distributing national assessments will also be sought ideally, a digital, on-demand system would be implemented.
2.4 The curriculum would be approved by each state—similar to a constitutional amendment—and would be updated regularly by the commission.

The progressive agenda
Progressivism is based around the continual increase of standards of efficiency and optimum operability with minimal political or bureaucratic influence. The standards ensure that the systems in place that serve as the basis for the institution’s operations—taxation, construction,
standards, etc.—are pegged to the necessities of each school.

Loosening the binds
The most typical standards would encompass school funding— allowing tax rates to float in accordance with needs and economic conditions. By these means, schools would not be forced to reign in programs or governments need to reallocate resources and assume debt.

Another critical standard would be teacher to student ratios in the aim of preventing overcrowding. Drawing on demographic forecasts, districts would be held accountable by law to build new schools to accommodate population growth.

Metrics themselves would be subject to continual, progressive increases. In some cases, such as the metric for ideal classroom size, the metric would decrease over time.

The essence is to remove the often polarizing political influence from affecting—and as is
typically the case, hindering—the systems that enable the institution’s operations. Politicization decays the institution’s ability to respond to external developments.

2.5 This period of transition would also enable districts and states to optimize their operational structure: building new schools to meet population standards, reconfiguring taxation policies, etc.
2.6 Districts at this time would be responsible for soliciting contracts for or designing the structure of its schools with intensive parental involvement.

Educating the folks

2.7 In addition to the town halls and other formats, districts will be expected to take the lead in informing parents of their new liberties and the enhanced measures of accountability in place for students.

Getting there first

2.8 The federal government will offer substantial monetary incentives for districts that manage the process to privatization fastest while achieving progressive standards. There should be no reason—or exception—for districts that fail to privatize within the five-year period.

Dropouts

2.9 States will be encouraged to adopt dropout policies that limit the opportunities for work and drivers’ licensing in the absence of reasonable allowances. It is consistent with this paper’s philosophy that through school incentives and the opportunity for engaging, flexible schooling, the amount of dropouts will ultimately decrease.

In a 2006 Time Magazine–Oprah Winfrey Show poll, 89% of respondents acknowledged the school dropout rate to be an “extremely” or “somewhat” serious problem. Respondents reacted strongest in support of increasing parental involvement (87% viewed the initiative as likely very or somewhat effective), followed by strengthening truancy enforcement.

Respondents fiercely opposed lowering academic standards (78% not very or at all effective). Broad disagreements arose over outlawing dropping out of school under the age of eighteen and even more so in regard to penalizing the parents of students that fail to finish high school (see chart). Sixty-five percent of respondents supported denying drop-outs a drivers license until they turn eighteen. Only 33% supported denying work permits – with 64% disapproving.[1]

[1] Time-Oprah Winfrey Show Poll. March 2006.
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200604/tows_past_20060411_c.jhtml