Parents Taking Charge in Education: Part III. - The United States Department of Education: Your Stake in Society’s Most Precious Resource- Our Children by Mrs. Dorothy Barron
The United States Department of Education is a federal agency that has the oversight, inclusive of regulatory enforcement of the programs and education systems which it funds. The purpose and objectives of this agency as well as additional information can be found at the US Department of Education’s Website; the URL link has been included below.
My purpose is not to assess blame, nor do I wish to discourage those who are trying to turn the Education System around for the better; my purpose here is to 1) share what I find to be three major problems that have and will continue to prevent the US Department of Education from accomplishing its mission or stake in providing a quality education for society’s most precious resource- our Children and 2) show how these problems unresolved, adversely affect local schools, Parents, students and their education, and other involved sectors.
Those three major problems are as following:
1. Credibility Issues- The masses are already aware that our education system is in crisis and education for a large majority of our youth have failed, yet, for the US Department of Education to gloss over and/or ignore what is not working in education and instead continue highlighting the few positive accomplishments in education pose serious threats and problems. It also makes it difficult to put confidence in that which does not appear credible. Education Reform has often and continues to result in the running around in circles and repeating that which did not previously work or were not effective. Problems of credibility with this agency occur from its failure to be responsive and accountable for problems and concerns in Education.
2. Systemic and entrenched oppression, suppression, division and discrimination within the Education System, and the many state and local programs which it funds. Such continues to occur although some no longer believe these systemic problems exists, while others believe such are so deeply entrenched and ingrained that the systemic problems cannot be corrected. Such have been documented, will not be repeated here, but have and continues to prevent students from obtaining equality and equal opportunities in Education.
3. Lack of regulatory enforcement of the law and policies and failure to uphold and support the mandates of the Constitution of the United States. Without proper oversight and regulatory enforcement and adherence to The Constitution by The US, continual waste, abuse, fraud and other violations will cause this agency to cease to have an effective and productive stake in the education of society’s children. Regulatory enforcement can neither be turned over or left to the States to enforce.
Sadly, the above major problems result in a host of problems:
v We have one of the wealthiest education systems, yet many schools cannot meet their budgets and lack crucial educational supplies/materials; some schools are structurally unsound and unsafe, all of which impede and/or prevent learning. Such are inexcusable in this day and age; if such results in fraud or mismanagement, the US Department of Education should exercise its regulatory enforcement powers to hold those accountable, accountable.
v Failure to listen to those who work closely with students (or students, themselves) and have knowledge of academic and other needs of students in an effort for them to be successful in education and/or failure to incorporate and fund initiatives that actually work in education for young people foster discouragement and frustration for Educators, students, parents and other involved sectors. Schools and systems continue to fail students and students continue to fail. Sadly, “failure in Education has become a profitable business.”
v Failure to ensure that education programs and grant proposals receive Parental involvement and input or failure to uphold the rights of parents and their children.
America, the choice is ours; we can continue to lose standing or rank in important areas or fields throughout the world; we can continue to disregard the major problems in Education which plague us and we can even continue to fudge/falsify education scores, deceiving and bamboozling only ourselves, but rest assured, the rest of the world will continue to march on with or without us. Educated (does not have to consist strictly or solely of a formal education), confident and well-rounded individuals who can think critically and/or for themselves are those who will be able to respond to and resolve many challenges of the future.
Note: The URL for the US Department of Education: http://www.ed.gov/
Mrs. Dorothy Barron, Author
E-mail: barron.Dorothy@yahoo.com
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