In an interesting post yesterday, John Warner makes the point that Governor Sanford is taking South Carolina in the wrong direction by overly focusing on minimizing taxpayer expense in the short term. Instead, John argues that citizens of South Carolina, and cites Thomas Friedman who makes it clear that this is also true for the entire United States, should be focusing on making needed changes to our education system and spending whatever it takes. Otherwise, a continued short-term focus on holding down education expenses will insure that others (states and countries depending on your perspective) are the leaders and we are just followers. So what do we do? Pay and promote the best teachers and fire the worst. That may not sit well with a member of a teacher’s union, but teaching is different from making cars in Detroit and maybe it is time teacher’s unions look at what is happening to General Motors. We also need to invite more scientists and engineers to visit America’s classrooms and bring their excitement for a new invention down to the level where young people can catch a glimpse and maybe see themselves becoming innovators. Employers need to support this outreach to the classroom. Imagine if employers told their employees that a part of their job description included spending an hour each week helping our youth understand why they need their education!
Why don’t we engage in “bold experimentation” as FDR and President Obama have said and maybe extend the standard school day to 4 or even 5 o’clock? Why don’t we extend the school year so there is less time between years for students to forget what they have been learning? I am sure that many who are invested in the way things currently are will say this is “crazy talk.” But why? Do they have their heads in the sand and just refuse to look around at what students in other nations are achieving in their education? Maybe the problem is just the natural desire to avoid the problems that come with change. Well we better wake up because change is going to happen. We can either be involved in where it takes us or we can drift along like ignorant flotsam not caring where we end up. If you can solve the education problem, you don’t have to do anything else. If you don’t solve it, nothing else is going to matter all that much. – Alan Greenspan, outgoing Federal Reserve Board chairman