Commentary; Posted: 10/15/03

In education, money and parents do matter

Joe Nathan
Guest Columnist

Have some educators succeeded in a way thatís backfiring on them? Thatís the intriguing question coming out of a recent national Gallup poll measuring public attitudes toward schools. The poll found:

ï71 percent of the public and 73 percent of public school parents think it is ìvery importantî to close the achievement gap between white, African American and Hispanic students.

ï80 percent of the public (and of public school parents) believes the gap in achievement between students of different races is due ìmostlyî to factors not related to the equality of schooling.

ï58 percent of the public (and 62 percent of public school parents) think it is ìpossible to narrow the achievement gap without spending more money than is being currently spent to help low-achieving students.î

How can this be?

For years, some educators have argued they are doing the best they can with students from low-income families, and those representing racial minorities. Constant letters to the editor from teachers, along with articles and books, insist that studentsí real problems come from poverty, crime and troubled homes, not from ineffective schools.

The recent Gallup Poll (published for the 35th year by the national education group, Phi Delta Kappa, and available at www.pdkintl.org) shows that large percentages of the public, and of parents, believe the achievement gap is mostly not the responsibility of schools. But Americans also have concluded something educators wonít like (more money isnít necessary).

The reasoning may beÖif the real problems of these students are outside the schools, then giving schools more money wonít have much impact.

I disagree with both assertions. For more than 30 years, Iíve seen some teachers and entire schools make a huge difference for students that represent racial minorities, and/or come from low income families. Over the last decade Iíve described schools that are closing this achievement gap. Study after study shows how it is being done. Itís not easy.

But places like El Puente or Frederick Douglass in New York City, Parham School in Cincinnati, or Mesa Arts Academy in Arizona have significantly increased academic achievement of low income and minority students ñ and in high schools, produced high graduation rates and percentages of students going on to college, by:

ïStarting with high expectations

ïRearranging and improving instruction so that there is a huge emphasis on learning basic skills, often through creative approaches including using the arts

ïViewing families as partners, who in most cases will help if encouraged and treated with respect.

ïUsing money wisely

Money does matter, if used, for example, to improve instruction or to involve families. But money is not the most important factor.

The biggest single change we need is to convince educators that most schools can accomplish what some wonderful schools do, use the strengths and overcome the challenges that some youngsters bring from home and community.

The writer is senior fellow and directs the Center for School Change which seeks to help transform public education and to produce significant improvements in student achievement. He has been a public school teacher and administrator and coordinated the National Governors Association education reform project. He offices at the Humphrey Center.

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