Our public education system in America is at a crossroads. One doesn’t need to look hard to see examples of failing schools, unknowledgeable students and reform measures that fail to redress the woes befalling our public schools. 

In the
latest PISA reports on world education, the U.S. ranked 14th in literacy, 17th in science and 25th in mathematics out of 35 developed countries. All of this mediocrity occurs despite spending the most money per capita on education of any of the countries in the reports. Education reformers hardly agree on the causes of this underperformance. Many point to incompetent teachers, political influence, standardized testing importance and societal and cultural shifts in the nation’s youth. It’s safe to say that not one of these things can be construed as the root cause of our education problem, but rather a combination of all these factors and more.

Our schools cannot control for any parental or societal factors that may trip up
their students, so their duty should be to focus on influencing the student body
during the eight hours they have each day in the most positive way possible. Positive reinforcement and encouragement of children by schools is an invaluable way to push education as a major priority. Too often, however, our public schools fail to
instill basic values into their young, receptive students. Many urban
public schools instead fail their most fundamental and important duty: the
ability to provide a stimulating and positive environment conducive to learning. The importance of education then takes a backseat to other competing,
less important discussions and agendas present in public education.

The role of the school in instilling the importance of education cannot be undersold. Too often, students do not find any applicable value for their education and then neglect to make it a top priority in their lives. Schools, to the best of their ability, need to promote a culture of education that infuses itself into every aspect of the school day.

Although the problems in our education system cannot be repaired simply with a renewed vigor regarding education importance, it can provide a crucial first step in the right direction. Luckily, many public and charter schools have taken this first step.

Through after-school learning programs, better communication between teachers
and families and school-wide educational goals, many schools are promoting
positive reinforcement for young children with regards to their educational
successes. By functioning as an institution with a concrete and unified
educational mission instead of as a mandated, monotonous exercise, schools can move closer to their true calling.

Jacob Berger ([email protected]) is a freshman majoring in finance and economics and a member of Students for Education Reform.