I'd say that the largest concrete problem to me is our thoroughly anti-education culture.
And the largest meta-problem is that we have yet to discover a good way to measure the success of various approaches (and no shared philosophy, however small its kernel, as to what would even constitute success).
Otherwise, a laundry list:
- A problem: Inflexible bureaucratic structure/procedure permeating everything.
- A meta-problem: Debates about education always become proxies for ideological warfare. (C.f. your original reply, or the creationism push, or the "Culture Wars".)
- A problem: Parental non-involvement.
- A problem: Pushy, over-involved parents.
And on and on it would go, if I weren't supposed to be working right now. No wonder education here mostly sucks.
I think you're right about the fact that they're not the problem; I should have chosen my words more carefully. I also admit that I am by no means an expert on these issues. I do believe, however, that they are a problem, and in some places, a big problem. I believe that almost any organization that does not promote or reward based mostly on merit is flawed. I'll allow for character assessment in place of some merit, but not much else. I agree with you that this is ideology, but that doesn't mean it's wrong.
Also, of all the problems you listed, and the one I listed, I think if unions were found to be part of the problem, it would be one of the easier parts to fix.
I hope I'm not coming across hard-headed on this issue. This is something I deeply care about, and I am definitely open to other perspectives.
The problem with ideology is that it generates beliefs, convictions, and orthodoxies -- not hypotheses.
As an anecdote (and counter-example), I grew up in Wyoming, where there are no laws requiring union recognition, in a school district with no union or association at all, and my primary education was not exactly great. Downright poor, actually, especially when it specifically came to teacher quality.
Further, your alternative "promote or reward based mostly on merit" sounds nice, but unless we can define merit in a measurable way, and gain consensus on that definition, isn't it also mostly empty words?
And, even if we could clearly agree on a way of measuring merit, how well would that survive the morass of local politics that education operates within?
All of this isn't to disagree completely with you.
Rather, it is to say that things are rather messier than 'unions are bad'; education issues (in particular) aren't really amenable to bumper-sticker solutions.
I'd say that the largest concrete problem to me is our thoroughly anti-education culture.
And the largest meta-problem is that we have yet to discover a good way to measure the success of various approaches (and no shared philosophy, however small its kernel, as to what would even constitute success).
Otherwise, a laundry list:
- A problem: Inflexible bureaucratic structure/procedure permeating everything.
- A meta-problem: Debates about education always become proxies for ideological warfare. (C.f. your original reply, or the creationism push, or the "Culture Wars".)
- A problem: Parental non-involvement.
- A problem: Pushy, over-involved parents.
And on and on it would go, if I weren't supposed to be working right now. No wonder education here mostly sucks.