The hectic start of a school year provides another stark reminder of the urgent need to correct the lingering inequalities that plague public education. The headaches attendant upon administering public education in an urban district, and in particular in the city of St. Louis, tempt some to turn away from public education and seek alternatives, such as charter schools.
While there is great disagreement about the value of charter schools, they have not been around long enough to have proved their long-term effectiveness and they serve only a tiny part of the population. Charter schools also draw funds away from traditional schools and still operate with smaller budgets than public schools. These lower budgets can force charter schools to hire less experienced or unlicensed teachers. Charter schools, like private schools, do not have to hire certified teachers.
While innovation in the tricky business of administering education is welcome, we have no choice – if we are advocating for the best interests of the majority of our students – but to work with the public schools and struggle to improve them. For all the attention that superintendents receive, particularly in recent years in the St. Louis Public Schools, the hope for improving students lies largely with educators.
Skeptics often express doubt that good teachers make a difference in the lives of the poorest children. They base their assumption on the notion that children of poverty typically are not well prepared to learn. In particular, the children of intergenerational poverty, as compared to the children of families in situational (often temporary) poverty, need quality teachers to make a difference in their academic achievement.
A recent Education Trust study, based on reams of data, confirms the fact that teacher experience and teacher literacy levels make a profound difference in student performance. The data, drawn from many states, are especially compelling in the crucial areas of math and science. Importantly, teachers who have majored in these subject areas achieve better performance from students than teachers who have majored in other fields. This underscores again the strategic importance of including science and math in every curriculum at every level of education.
There is a desperate need for qualified teachers to be assigned to all schools, especially in districts with large numbers of poor and minority students. There are many barriers that make it difficult to attract and retain the best teachers in the poorest districts, yet this is essential if we are going to improve the educational systems for the most disadvantaged students. They deserve a future full of opportunity – and we desperately need them in a skilled, educated work force of the future.