The Measure of an Education: A Look at U.S. Education System Statistics

The Spelling Test

My first year in public school was 6^th grade. I have always excelled in spelling and prided myself on knowing my spelling words for each test in 6^th grade. One week, during our spelling test, my teacher gave this sample sentence to help us with the word from the week's list: "When my arm is hurt I put it in a slang." Yes, folks, a slang... for your broken arm.

I am from Texas, as was this grandmotherly, "experienced" teacher. However, the word on the list was slang; it wasn't sling said with a twang. She simply got it incorrect. This would not be the only time this teacher made this kind of mistake. I got the word right because I knew the spelling list, but I would have gotten it incorrect if I had followed her sentence prompt.

I immediately reported this error to my mother, and to this day we talk about putting our hurt arms in "slangs." It's funny now and has been for some time, but the truth of the matter is that it isn't funny. There are many tenured teachers who slip through the system, continuing to teach year after year, despite poor performances.

The Failings of the U.S. Education System

Much is discussed in the media, in the state and federal house and senate chambers and among parents about the state of the U.S. education system. In general, U.S. students rank poorly among other students in the world, teachers complain about low pay, the government is forever trying to find a good system for testing, awarding funds and raising student rankings and many parents feel their children are getting left behind, and they are correct.

I was able to navigate my way through the seemingly meaningless tests that were in place to ensure minimum skills were being learned; I excelled in all subjects, except math; I learned with ease, except math; took tests; applied to universities and went on. My school did not have many, if any, dropouts. My parents were college educated, and dropping out or barely making the grade was a nonissue in my home.

The Linger Effects of Dropping Out of School

It's surprising to me to see statistics that say 68% of 8^th graders can't read at grade level and most won't ever catch up. I am equally floored to know that 1.2 million students drop out of high school each year.

Source: http://broadeducation.org

Here are a few other sad and significant statistics from Broad Education:

• The poverty rate for families headed by dropouts is more than twice that of
  families headed by high school graduates;
• The health of an 18-year-old high school dropout is similar to that of a more educated person over two decades older;
• A dropout is more than eight times as likely to be in jail or prison as a high school graduate and nearly 20 times as likely as a college graduate; and
• Each year, the U.S. spends approximately $12, 018 per student compared to $22,600 per prison inmate.

The Question of Money

Not a year goes by that teachers' salaries are not discussed in great detail. Most of the discussion centers on how low teachers are paid and how teachers' salaries should be higher. I will make some people angry with this statement, but it's my opinion that teachers are not poorly paid for the most part. The average starting salary is not much less or equal to my starting salary as a state district court judicial law clerk. The average starting teacher's salary is approximately $32,000; the average experienced teacher's salary is approximately $55,000.

I have a higher degree; a costly degree; I spent 3 more grueling years in school, and yet the starting salary is not much different in the public sector. Yes, that was 11 years ago, but I did some research and the starting salaries for state judicial law clerks have not changed much in 11 years. Both law clerk positions and teacher positions are state employments. Most states have been suffering from tight, over-stuffed, under-funded budgets for years now. Both kinds of jobs have not seen a great increase in salary over the last decade.

The average teacher's salary after a few years experience or with a higher degree are pretty decent, in my opinion, especially considering that most teachers do get summer break, winter break and spring break too. The stakes are high, the responsibilities higher, and the pitfalls are many, but there are a number of careers that don't pay high salaries, but still require dedication, intelligence and fortitude, just as teaching does. And in all fairness, no one is forced to choose to be a teacher when entering college. University students are choosing to go into these careers in the education field.

I recently read an article that suggested that if the U.S. truly wants to raise the country's student rankings our schools needed to attract highly intelligent, highly experienced professionals to teach, which would require paying the teachers six figures. The article was not suggesting that teachers should receive six figures for the jobs they are doing now, but that we have to pay more to attract better teachers who will be able to raise the knowledge bar.

To find the starting and average salaries of teachers in your state, go to National Education Association (NEA).

Random Education System Stats

There are over 100,000 K-12 schools, including public, charter and private. Over 55 million kids are enrolled in a K-12 school. The student to teacher ratio has been declining over the recent decades and is now 15.7:1 for public schools. Public schools out spend private schools on a per pupil basis. All the public schools in the nation are spending 562.3 billion a year on running a school and educating a child each year. 47 billion or 8.5% of the funding comes from the federal government; $264.2 billion or47.6% is paid for by the state, and $244.1 billion or 43.9% is funded by local and private funding. Find these and other fascinating statistics at: http://www.edreform.com

The Scoop

I do believe it's still possible for a U.S. student to get a good public education, but I think there are many obstacles in students' paths preventing them from becoming the best they can be. I think government minimum achievement testing programs and the mediocrity among teachers are the largest of the stumbling stones. We must not focus on the minimum if we are hoping to soar to great heights. We must understand, identify, foster and nourish the minds and souls of our bright future leaders, as well. And yes, I ask a lot of the Public Education System, but why shouldn't I? Over and out...

Anna

You might also like:

Making the Grade: A Plea to MN Public Educators

Feeding the Minds of Students: Federally Funded School Lunch Programs & Kids' Nutrition

The Changing Seasons: Types of Schools Available to American Children

 

Comments

[Liz Rice]

Could not agree more!!! Had my fair share of "slang" teachers.
Abby currently goes to a private school. Frisco has a good school district. We live in a nice neighborhood which includes a school. After looking at all of our options, this was the best fit. It may not be forever. I used to think homeschooling was weird. Now I'm not so sure:)

[Stacie]

I completely agree with the idea of offering higher salaries to attract more knowledgeable teachers. I also think our schools need to raise the bar and expect more from our students.

[Sarah]

I cannot site the exact statistic, but the reading specialist at my son's school said that in California, they are predicting prison populations based on 3rd grader's literacy rates. Now that is eye opening to the importance of education, specifically literacy. After I heard that statistic I worked with my son diligently and he is in Kindergarten reading at a 2nd grade level. Thanks for the information! Yet another great post.

[Beth]

I remember being stymied by the word "mirror" during an elementary school spelling bee. The teacher advised, "Sound it out! MEEEEEEEER." So I spelled m-e-e-r.

[Susan]

I would love to see a ratio of 15:1. In reality, our ratio is 23:1 with no aide. I am so proud of people who continue their education as I received my masters as well as many teachers who are teaching in my building. I would not flaunt my degree in front of them saying I deserved more. I was very happy to find out the amount of teachers who do hold a masters....who I call master teachers! They do deserve to make their salary. Something to think about. We have all had a bad teacher, doctor, therapist, and lawyer. Those stories do not define how I feel about that particular occupation. It's called life. Everyone has a story. My boys are writing their stories enjoying public education and focusing on the positives that they get every day! Just ask them:) they love school and at the same know that no one is perfect.....

[Anna]

Susan, I agree. And our school district is more like 27:1 and I know some that are worse than that. I certainly know no one is perfect, but I do hold teachers to a high standard and think they should be held accountable for the jobs they are doing, just as others are held accountable in their respective professions. My children will be attending public school too. It's the only option we can afford.

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter!
Anna

[Casey]

Two things from a former high school teacher (and current university professor), if I may.

First, public priorities in the United States are easily identified by the resources allocated to them, either through public means (government spending) or market forces. We give our money to the things we actually care about. If Americans truly gave a tinker's damn about the quality of education in this country, there would be a nationwide hue and cry over the outrageously low per-capita spending on students and the pittance paid to schoolteachers, who typically remain in the profession DESPITE the lack of income and standing. But we don't care. Education is expensive. Good education is more expensive, and you can't extract blood from a stone. Everyone supports improving education until someone has to pay for it, and then, suddenly, all these "pro-education" frauds vanish like roaches under light.

Second, standardized testing, while borne (perhaps) of a reasonable intent to hold educators accountable for the work that they do, does not now and never will sufficiently measure learning. Why? Education is a qualitative process, whereas standardized testing is a quantitative instrument. How in the world can anyone measure a student's sudden appreciation for music, as awakened by a teacher who gave him/her the opportunity to hear a concerto by Mozart? How can anyone quantify a student's discovery of meaning in a painting by Dali or Pollock? It can't be done, which further illuminates our bankrupt understanding of what learning is and how education must proceed—in fits and starts, and in ways that often elude conventional understanding, to say nothing of a "one-size-fits-all" multiple-choice examination. As if that isn't enough, no standardized test can parse the effort given by the classroom instructor from the effort invested by the student, which may well be nonexistent, and a product of factors far beyond the classroom instructor's control (e.g., a home culture that discounts learning or a high school diploma). In my view, this only constitutes further proof that Americans do not truly care about education—it is the path of least resistance, and recklessly unrepresentative of the complex realities of education. If anyone cared, we might actively search for a better way. I see no evidence of any such effort on the near horizon.

[Chris]

I agree with Casey, and have my own points to make. You state vacation days as a perk, and yet our vacation days are not "paid"; we are paid by the day, and our ten month salaries are spread out over a year. I never had a summer vacation while I was teaching the "first time"; I had to work to pay off my college education and classroom expenses, as well as attend continuing education classes. I quote "first time", because I lasted six years before being burned out by 10 hour long workdays with no overtime compensation, and fighting to educate students whose parents wouldn't even supply basic needs for their children, much less read to them or ensure homework was done. It took me six more years before I even thought of reentering the education field, and even then it was for a desk job running special education meetings; paperwork was much easier to deal with than a student who hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday or wore shorts in cold weather.

Your article cites " 68% of 8th graders can't read at grade level". I haven't looked at your source, but I wonder what the reading levels of those students' parents are. Do they live in print-rich environments? Is reading modeled and valued in the home? And if so, are there reading opportunities in their schools, or is precious time being taken up by hours of preparation for standardized testing? (Yes, I have seen that happen.)

I am currently back in the classroom, back to 10 hour days while going through graduate school to become a librarian and manage a household with children. I work with teachers who are often there earlier and later than I am. Do I feel that I need more monetary compensation? No; I choose to stay after hours to complete lesson plans, find differentiated activities for my multilevel learners, and collaborate with my colleagues. However, I find it appalling that lack of funding leads to larger class sizes and antiquated materials. It's also time for this country to start looking globally at countries that do seem to value their children and education, and take some hints. Casey is right: good ol' USA, either put up the funding to educate our children properly, or shut up. And that funding should not be for more mid-management positions or standardized testing! I'll end with a link to my (latest) favorite story on education: http://www.masoncountynews.com/news/print_article.php?id=38280

[Katy]

Great article, Chris! i love it! Thanks for sharing.