Education
Education reform has always focused on increasing standards or increasing funding, but neither of these strategies fundamentally changes how we approach education. 53% of students enrolled in Rhode Island's public colleges dropout within the first year and 78% of students arriving at CCRI need to take remedial courses. This is not sustainable. Solutions:
Higher Education: The cost of college has increased much faster than the cost of living. This is because the colleges can charge whatever they wish, and the federal government will loan as much money as the student needs. This effectively exempts colleges from the influence of market forces.
Standardized Testing: If the test is given April, results don't come back until June or July, too late to be used that year. The new year starts, teachers have new students, and the millions of dollars spent on collecting information on an individual child's strengths and weaknesses goes to waste. If we want to get better at the way we do things, we can start by looking at the data we already have by moving the standardized exams to the beginning of the school year.
Eliminate Legacy Preference: A system of giving special preference that is passed on from generation to generation is a throwback to the days of nobility. Legacy preference is at odds with the fundamental design of a democracy. Education institutions that accept federal dollars should not be allowed to take legacy status into admission decisions.
- Year-Round Schooling - School children spend three months every summer losing ground. For the last hundred years, children haven't helped with the summer harvest - the origin of the summer break - yet they still get three months off. Children in K-8 should be on a year-round schedule.
- Vocational Training - America still needs skilled workers who can build and fix things and vocational training needs to be brought back to high schools.
- Merit Based Hiring Practices - In almost all school districts, seniority is either the main factor or the only factor considered in the hiring and firing of teachers. The hiring and retention of teachers should be based on merit.
Higher Education: The cost of college has increased much faster than the cost of living. This is because the colleges can charge whatever they wish, and the federal government will loan as much money as the student needs. This effectively exempts colleges from the influence of market forces.
Standardized Testing: If the test is given April, results don't come back until June or July, too late to be used that year. The new year starts, teachers have new students, and the millions of dollars spent on collecting information on an individual child's strengths and weaknesses goes to waste. If we want to get better at the way we do things, we can start by looking at the data we already have by moving the standardized exams to the beginning of the school year.
Eliminate Legacy Preference: A system of giving special preference that is passed on from generation to generation is a throwback to the days of nobility. Legacy preference is at odds with the fundamental design of a democracy. Education institutions that accept federal dollars should not be allowed to take legacy status into admission decisions.