Washington---We Have a Problem!

Vincent F. Cotter, Ed.D.

In 1970 Appollo 13 radioed mission control with the following message: "Houston, we have a problem!"

With lives hanging in the balance, Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director, rallied his team to solve the problem with the mantra: "Failure is not an option."

Almost fifty-five years later, major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, the District of Columbia, and New York among many others struggle to reach proficiency levels. Years of data document underperformance in the same schools amounting to thousands graduating in the 30th percentile. While lives are not immediately in jeopardy, the long-term negative impact is well-known. Unemployment, incarceration, and other societal issues which are directly correlated to a poor education have plagued communities for years. Despite this crisis, the annual response from Washington is a nuanced message that with more funding the variables such as poverty and its spinoffs that contribute to poor achievement might be mitigated in time. While not overtly accepting failure, the lack of a bold response to it seems outrageous.

When placed in the context of the current presidential election, there is no other way to interpret each candidate's lack of response. Even though the economy and immigration have dominated the headlines, the failure to recognize how education contributes to both is either ignorance or arrogance. If discussed at all, the solutions are narrowed to eliminating the Department of Education or adopting school choice policies. Both ideas jettison systemic solutions which focus on maximizing the potential for ALL children.

How we educate our children that are currently in our schools and those that have arrived "on our doorsteps" will chart our future. Creating opportunities through a rigorous curriculum that places a priority on performance will only solidify our global position in a world that values knowledge, expertise, technology, and creativity. Understanding our differences through a consensus decision-making process does not require the approval of an entire K-12 plan by the "majority" or group with a singular focus but rather requires a general agreement on its key elements.

So Washington, my message is "BE BOLD!" We need an improvement plan that focuses on skill development. We need an education curriculum that instills a sense of patriotism and a faith that our institutions will provide them with an "equal playing field" that is based on skill acquisition and knowledge. No one can think critically, analyze an issue or propose viable solution unless one has the knowledge, understands the science behind something, skill and expertise to do so. If done properly, everything else will take care of itself.

Failure to implement such a plan will result in our incremental self-destruction as a country and people. We as a country will fade away and become irrelevant like many past great civilizations.