Neoliberalism: The Ideology That Dares Not Speak Its Name

[Eric the Green]

You have a point about parents caring about their children's education. There are such things as PTAs and elected School Boards. People in government and teachers unions also care about how well students are educated.

Having a math or science degree does not make one a good teacher. That is a separate skill.

The data I've seen reported shows no improvement in education as a result of vouchers or charter schools.

Education reform is a big challenge. Conservatives look to market solutions as a result of their ideology. Progressives like me look at the results of free market ideology in general, and do not trust it to work. The free market is an essential part of society, to the extent that it actually exists. To a large extent it doesn't, because government has been stripped of its power to regulate and downsize it. In actual fact it isn't much more than a talking point and an ideal. But the ideology says it is automatically the solution to any problem, since all problems are caused by the government and unions. That approach has failed.

So what would succeed? I don't know. Teaching to the test, no child left behind and common core approaches are also failures, it seems to me. More active involvement by parents and other interested citizens in school boards might work. Holistic and creative approaches that recognize the importance of classroom interaction and independent thinking are needed. There are some schools out there that have moved in this direction, and it may have improved results. Subject for further research and thought. An organized movement toward these ideals is probably the only thing that would work; probably the only thing that has ever worked for social improvements of any kind.

I was the kind of student that liked public school, and it was well done and the teachers were good. I wasn't too diligent about homework, until I took on some specific projects that I enjoyed. I did better in grade school because there were no grades there. I competed in reading contests. But the athletic and more-socially-skilled kids were more respected, and sometimes looked down on me. Education and intellect are not valued by American popular culture, in contrast to other national cultures that do value it. Being cool and having fun is what's valued and promoted. In America, it's the athletic and social skills that are rewarded with popularity. Rather than specific skills, salesmanship is the quintessential American economic value.

I'm not sure that will ever change; American culture is built on an aggressive, competitive, extravert, pleasure-principle value sort. It does have its purpose; self-confidence, physical competitiveness, self-reliance and sociability/popularity are part of the reason American society has succeeded. Education and intellect, however, are increasingly important in a technological society, and America's position in the world is declining in many respects because we don't value either learning nor public institutions very highly.

Happy and prosperous new year to all my friends and adversaries on the T4T forum. Blessings and light to us all. We will all need to be at our best and have lots of luck to get through these coming years.