Melvin B. Miller
Editor & Publisher

A clear choice

Critics of the quality of public education usually rely upon the racial disparity in academic performance as evidence of the system’s failure. However, The National Center on Education and the Economy has issued a report entitled “Tough Choices of Tough Times,” which indicates that the problem with public education is even more extensive than racial disparity.

Thirty years ago, the United States could assert that it had the most highly educated workforce in the world. But since then, a number of countries have a larger percentage than the U.S. of their workforce with a high school diploma. Thirty years ago, 30 percent of all college students were in the U.S., compared with only 14 percent today. Clearly, when it comes to workers’ education, the United States is losing ground.

This decline is very significant because the United States has the world’s highest paid workers. In today’s global economy, companies can look for employees in other countries to lower their costs. The report points out that an engineer in India earns $7,500 a year compared with $45,000 for his American counterpart. With the development of the Internet, the Indian engineer can work for an American firm without even leaving home.

India and China are producing about 135,000 engineers per year, compared with only 60,000 for the United States. The economic implications of this disparity in an increasingly more technologically complex global business community are staggering. Americans will be less qualified for the high tech jobs and too costly for unskilled employment.

Some American educators believe that closing the racial disparity gap is all that is necessary to improve the education system. Indeed, the racial gap is a problem. For example, in grade 10 MCAS math scores in 2006, only 41 percent of blacks and 45 percent of Latinos scored proficient and above, compared with 76 percent of whites and 92 percent of Asians. But closing that gap alone won’t do it. According to the report, only 18 of every 100 American ninth-grade students eventually earn an associate’s degree within three years or a bachelor’s degree within six years of enrollment in college.

Researchers compared the American education system to successful foreign models and found the American system insufficient. Without fundamental changes, the United States is destined to become a second-rate economic power. This will lead to a greater disparity in the distribution of wealth between the upper income group and those on the lowest rung of the ladder. Political instability will certainly result in the future.

The authors of the study look to Massachusetts to lead the way in the profound reform needed to rescue the nation from impending economic disaster because of the state’s past commitment to academic reform. The appointment of the next superintendent of schools for Boston will be critical in determining whether the state will assume national leadership on the needed restructuring.

When contemplating all that is at stake, the search committee to replace Tom Payzant should consider appointing Harry Spence as the new superintendent. To do so would require a bit of “thinking outside the box.” Spence is uniquely qualified to lead Boston, Massachusetts and the nation in the real education reform required. But he is not the traditional successful superintendent moving up to a more challenging post.

As commissioner of the state’s Department of Social Services (DSS) since 2001, Spence has developed a profound understanding of the family and personal problems that can interfere with a student’s capacity to learn. A former deputy chancellor for operations for the New York City public schools, the largest school system in the nation, he has practical managerial experience running a school system. As receiver for Chelsea and the Boston Housing Authority, he knows how to operate effectively within city government.

As a member of “The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce,” which produced the report “Tough Choices or Tough Times,” Spence is uniquely qualified to lead the reform to transform public education in Boston and rescue public education in America. It would be a mistake to ignore such an opportunity.

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“I hope they can think
outside the box.”