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By H. Jay Eshelman
Finally, Vermont’s reasonable political practitioners and progressive media are beginning to understand what economic sustainability is all about. Yes, it took long enough. But here they are… at last, with some reasonable discussion about the most expensive aspect of our government and one of the primary causes of high taxes. Specifically, the need for “education reform”.
In a recent VT Digger commentary by Tom Pelham of Berlin, former finance commissioner in the administration of Gov. Howard Dean and tax commissioner in administration of Gov. Jim Douglas, Mr. Pelham lays out what many VDC readers have known for some time about Vermont’s public education monopoly. And Mr. Pelham was, apparently, part of the problem. He also served as an independent state representative, including on the Vermont House Appropriations Committee. But arriving at a reasonable position in this regard is always better late than never.
And kudos to VT Digger for publishing Pelham’s commentary.
Long story short; while VDC readers should view the detailed commentary for themselves, Mr. Pelham ends with the following education reform recommendation.
“One such reform might be migrating public school personnel management structures more toward merit-based principles and systems while diminishing those based on longevity. Such would reduce pressures on both operating and retirement budgets while maintaining high levels of competency in our classrooms.”
My interpretation: The citation of ‘merit-based principles and systems’ is another way of recommending an educational free market consisting of willing buyers and sellers. This is what School Choice is all about. And there is legislation, currently collecting dust on the House Education Committee shelves that will, in one fell swoop, create that market.
H.405: Subject: Education; school choice; elementary education; secondary education
“Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to allow all Vermont students to attend the school of the student’s choice, paid for by a School Choice Grant issued by the Agency of Education. The School Choice Grant would be paid from the Education Fund payment otherwise due to the student’s school district of residence. This bill also proposes to require the Joint Fiscal Office to issue a report with recommendations for the integration of the school choice program into Vermont’s current education funding structure.”
Again, I suggest all VDC readers take the time to review H.405. Basically, H.405 simply expands the School Choice provisions already in place for many Vermont students to all Vermont students. It is the simplest way to make meaningful reforms to Vermont’s education system. Not only does School Choice improve educational outcomes, it saves money – lots of money.
H. Jay Elshelman is a former River Valley Technical Center School Board director, former Workforce Investment Board member (liaison between schools and businesses), a Vermont employer for the last 45 years, and parent of two children who attended our Vermont public school system while taking advantage of its existing School Choice provisions
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Categories: Commentary
Jay, I would love to have an education discussion with you. I was 40 years in classrooms, had a father 34 years on various school boards, and when taking Educational Leadership courses learned of BIG picture learning which Burlington last I knew is still using and Rochester had a 3 year experiment using. I consider it to be the best model for high school education I’ve encountered, though variations exist that I might not so highly endorse.
Not knowing much about current merit pay schemes, I will raise concerns that at this juncture, it would be essential to tie it to academic performance goals and not Social Emotional Learning’s be happy and all is well orientations and embracing of all the sexual modalities that many want taught in early elementary, (if truth be known from birth to kindergarten, too.)
Hhilltop, your point is well taken. But it seems to gloss over the primary principle expressed above. Specifically:
“The citation of ‘merit-based principles and systems’ is another way of recommending an educational free market consisting of willing buyers and sellers.”
Can you express your concerns in this context?
I’ve said for years, and I’ve probably said it here, that education reform starts with a performance-based evaluation system, especially for teachers. It’s how every private business I’ve ever worked for operates. You do a good job, you get rewarded. You do a great job, you get rewarded more. But… if you do a consistently lousy job, you’re out the door. Merit-based advancement. What a concept!
Yes, school choice is also good – again, because competition for students should (in theory at least) encourage school districts to hire better teachers. Fewer students? Less government subsidies. So why do I say “in theory”? Because I have a sneaking suspicion that the great majority of schools fall prey to the “least common denominator” principle as regards teachers.
Look, are there great, dedicated teachers who are truly in it to teach their students and expand their minds. Maybe fewer than in my own youth, but they can still be found. And that’s wonderful. I know personally what an amazing teacher can do to bring out and develop things that a student never imagined they were capable of.
But imagine being that same teacher in, say, a high school. A high school where 95% of their colleagues just “do enough to get by”, who “stay in it for the monetary compensation”, and are quite open about expressing it. How would you feel? I know it would frustrate me to no end. I’d wonder why I was beating my head against a wall. And I’m sure many good teachers have gotten out of teaching because of it.
And while I’m at it, would someone please educate me on why an individual with the desire to teach, the subject knowledge to teach, and the interpersonal skills required to connect with students, is required to have an education degree to teach? I know many, many folks who’ve spent their lives doing this, that, or the other thing – who have years of practical knowledge and experience – who want to make a change and give back – as a teacher. Why are there so many roadblocks to these folks?
Our education problem is a deep, deep rabbit-hole, and I haven’t even touched on unions. I’m afraid that, if we start right here, right now, it will be 20 years at least before the damage of the last 30+ years can be completely reversed. So do we just throw up our hands, or do we begin this journey, as any difficult journey, with a single step?
Robin, while School Choice does promote positive competition between suppliers, the aspect almost everyone misses is what School Choice does for the perspective of parents and their children. Simply having the opportunity to make a choice changes the student’s perspective.
I encourage everyone to check out Self Determination Theory and the difference between ‘intrinsic motivation’ (the incentive to undertake an activity based on the expected enjoyment of the activity itself), and extrinsic motivation (the response by others to one’s actions, be it an external reward or a punishment).
“Perhaps no single phenomenon reflects the positive potential of human nature as much as intrinsic motivation, the inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise one’s capacities, to explore, and to learn.”
“The more students were externally regulated the less they showed interest, value, and effort toward achievement and the more they tended to disown responsibility for negative outcomes, blaming others such as the teacher.”
“Recent research has indicated that “self-determined students were more likely to have achieved more positive adult outcomes including being employed at a higher rate and earning more per hour than peers who did not possess these skills” (Wehmeyer & Schwartz, 1997).