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U.S. Education By DEMIAN SMITH To view the article in magazine format,
Please click here for the PDF File  Education is one of the most significant political issues in the minds of many Americans. Few issues are as personal and controversial to citizens as deciding how their children should be taught. During elections, from local to federal, education is consistently one of the most hotly debated and influential topics in determining for whom an American decides to vote. The United States provides high-quality public education to all citizens as a right, rather than a privilege. Most children attend public (government funded) schools from kindergarten through high school, also known as K-12 education. In short, the U.S. education system presupposes that education gives anyone the ability to succeed. The United States does not have a nationalized education system or a national curricula, so not only parents, but all voters have a say over how children are educated. Americans can vote for or against local taxes to fund schools, teachers and equipment. They also elect local school boards and state, city and county officials who decide how to spend the money and set policies on curricula and even dress and behavior. Also, most schools have organizations made up of parents, teachers and sometimes students that work together to improve their school. What education-related issues are debated? Curricula:
In addition to the No Child Left Behind Act's ability to affect federal funding to state and local school districts, there are debates on the question of who has to pay for public schools. Some taxpayers whose children attend private school claim it is unfair for them to fund an educational system they are not using. They argue that if their child attends a private school, they should be able to take the funds which the public school no longer needs and apply that money towards private school tuition in the form of vouchers. However, tax proponents point out that every person pays property taxes for public education, not just parents of school-age children. Indeed, without it, public schools would not have enough money to remain open and the country would not be able to provide free education to all. They argue that a public school system has many benefits such as producing a more educated and informed electorate, a more skilled workforce, and a better standard of life for all when most citizens are trained to reason and understand important issues. How did the U.S. education system develop? U.S. public schools have traditionally focused on assimilation into American culture-an important and necessary aspect for a nation comprised of immigrants from around the world. The country has come a long way since the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1870, only two percent of American schoolchildren graduated from high school. By 1900, 31 states had passed laws requiring children to attend school until age 14. Teaching methods have also changed. In the past, lessons consisted of students reading aloud from their texts and emphasis was placed on rote memorization. Corporal punishment, such as hitting students for incorrect answers, was common once but is now illegal and not tolerated. Higher education in the United States began in the 1600s. Many of the early colleges and universities were founded to train church clergy and many still operate today, offering liberal arts education to all. Between 1880 and 1885, more than 150 new colleges and universities were opened in America. One interesting federal government program to promote higher education was the land-grant initiative in the late 1800s. In this program, the federal government offered to give 12,140 hectares to each state, on the condition that they used the land (or proceeds from its sale) to establish universities. The University of California, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M are examples of higher education systems which were formed as part of this program. Who makes decisions about how students are educated? While there is a federal Department of Education, it plays a relatively minor role in education policy in comparison to school boards and state governments. In fact, the Department of Education is the smallest Cabinet-level department, with only about 4,200 personnel. Local school boards are a common entry point for those seeking a career in public office due to their visibility and control over such an important issue. The effects of the decentralized approach to education were apparent from the country's founding. Different regions had different approaches, based on the needs and desires of the citizens. For example, regions such as Boston, New York and the rest of New England had more need for their children to have formal education to meet the local demands of an industrialized workforce, and therefore wrote this into their state constitutions. Southern and western states, which were more rural and agricultural, needed this less, and many did not address formal education in their constitutions until later. Today, however, all regions place high importance on excellent education for all students. What is the most typical education route for American children? Many children begin their formal education at preschool, but it is neither mandatory nor widely funded. One large federal program known as Head Start funds and offers preschool to economically disadvantaged students in an effort to assist with educational development at early ages. Public school is usually compulsory from first through eighth grade (or age 14). These schools are tax supported and therefore students pay nothing to attend. Books are also free. If parents prefer and can meet some basic requirements, they can educate their child at home. This is referred to as "home schooling." Most students aim to receive their high school diploma (graduating from high school, or finishing 12th grade). After school, students can choose to enter the work force, or pursue further education such as college or vocational courses. Colleges are either private or state funded. Only a few are federally funded and the most well known of these are the service academies, which educate officers for the branches of the military. Community colleges are local education systems which provide a college degree at a much lower cost than other schools and often have flexible classes which allow students to attend at night-a key element for those who wish to work a full-time job or raise a family. Each state has a public university system, which is always nonprofit. College education in the United States is expensive-a typical year's tuition at a public university costs up to $13,000. Attending a private university or one outside the student's home state can cost double or triple that amount, and graduate education is usually even more expensive. Many schools offer financial aid or scholarships to attract students to their campuses, and many students work part-time to help with college costs. Demian Smith, former special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in New Delhi, is a political officer at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Serbia.
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