The way to "a smarter america" is to improve our public education system. Many of the problems with our system as it currently exists have to do with unequal funding. Most school districts are funded primarily through local property taxes. Obviously, this means schools in affluent areas have more money per student, and schools in poor areas have less. Which -- again obviously -- leads to schools in affluent areas having better facilities, more programs, more abundant supplies, newer technology, and the ability to attract better teachers.

Until schools are funded equally, education will not be equal for all students. Unequal education renders standardized testing moot; and in an era when the response of the feds is to simply walk away from the schools that do poorly, those schools face being closed down, further reducing access to a decent education.

Providing an equal -- and high-quality -- education to all our young people means we are training all the bright young minds, not just the wealthy ones. Which means a larger pool of intelligent and educated people poised to become tomorrow's leaders.

I have been a teacher in both public and private schools with various socioeconomic levels and cultural backgrounds. There is such an emphasis on test scores--mandates that test scores be high--yet, with students, especially from lower SES levels, coming in from abusive homes, homes in which education is not a priority, when the poverty level is so low, and the community does not support the school--the students just want to "pass" and take the easiest courses--there is no funding for the arts--no funding for academic field trips to expose the students to an outside world--these students have never been out of the community--have not been exposed to different ideas--to different ways of life--their role models are not those who have achieved academically--they have the dream of being the great football, baseball, or basketball star--in the school in which i teach, there is a lot of emphasis on the techprep track, but not on the college prep students--tech prep students can go on field trips, but taking language arts students or social studies students or science students on field trips--well, there isno funding--i am also the drama and debate sponsor--until i took them to see a play, most of them have never seen a real play--unless these students are exposed to more outside experiences, they're simply going to keep on doing the same thing. There's also not enough knowledge about mental health issues---the teachers, and administrators do not know how children's mental health issues affect their learning--also i'm finding that school administrators are looking for the "magic cure,"--one mode of instruction fits all--and that is not the case--pres. bush mandated the nclb act--but, to be honest, without the funding, there are many children left behind. funding for the arts(chorus, drama, art, as well as band--after all, you have to have a band if you have a football team) , funding for academic field trips, funding for teachers, funding for school psychologists, funding for language labs--funding for counselors(not using guidance counselors as registrars, but as real counselors)--unless that funding is there, schools like the one i work in will continue to struggle

There is so much that needs to be said on this topic that I find it difficult to begin. Funding is not the sole answer but it is a big part of it. Good educational experiences can come in a low cost building or even out of doors. I see a lot of money spent on facilities, after school programs, free lunches and breakfasts in attempts to improve the educational experience. I see a lot of effort placed on metrics that seem to me to be more aimed at justifying continued funding than at finding out what students need to learn and delivering programs that meet those needs.

I see a lack of appreciation for education and educators in even the most affluent areas (places where teachers can't afford to live).

Just look at what we celebrate and compensate in our culture. It isn't education.

I have watched this issue in the media for years. What public vs private education is about is simply that a segment of the population does not feel any responsibility to pay for public education through taxes. If they can get the public to sponser private education with public money or get out of paying taxes for public education altogether they will be perfectly happy. If either happens public education can fail completely for all they care. Their kids will be in private schools at our expense, opportunity for our kids in society will decrease proportionatly.

Thank you,

Dennis Guy

P.S. I have a problem with the indoctrination of any kid with public funds and that is what most private education is all about. Thanks again,

Dennis Guy

Education must be changed from the inside out:

I agree that we must have a "smarter America"--but how?

First, if we see ourselves truly as a melting pot, we need to use the best ideas from around the world that really work.

Second, we must be realistic about the implementation of these ideas as they all cost money.

The basic short term problem of educational inequality must be mitigated at the teacher level--both in their training and in the curricula administered to students.

For example, I am working with a large school district in Ethiopia on teacher training and educational administration solutions. As they are open to new paradigms, this is fertile ground for testing low income/high quality educational models that may be applied to our own low income districts. Here we have an average class size of 50 and student per capita spending is about $20 per year. Yet, they believe, as do I, that they can increase the number of secondary students that are eligible for a university eduaction with the resources that they have. It just means a change in systems to maximize both human and physical resources.

The bottom line is that we all agree that there is a problem. Let's stop commiserating and start making a difference at our own level whether researcher, teacher or just someone who cares about investing in our future.

We've got to make the primary role of public schools become again - education. We must stop burdening our public schools with the role of being the primary delivery point of social services.

Yes, I know that this is the point where our government agencies have the most contact with the most people in need. But, it seems that, as with everything where government funding is involved, all kinds of spurious agendas are attached to the education effort. These things cost us a lot of money and dilute the energies that could be focused on education.

Being a student in the public education system, 11 grade at Strath Haven High School. I have seen the short comings of the education system, I'm experiencing them everyday.

The first and foremost problem that can be corrected almost for free is to stop blaming the teachers for little Timmy being a neglectful idiot. There are parents who can not accept the fact that there precious little child doesn't do homework, doesn't study, and doesn't pay attention in class, thus they fail. They cant accept that so instead of having little Timmy get on the ball, they automatically assume that Timmy failed because of the teacher. This inhibits teachers greatly.If parents would invest time with there kids to make sure that there doing there work instead of slacking off then the education system would improve greatly.

The next thing would be to increase federal funding so that school buildings can get the overhauls that they so desperately need as most of them were built in the 60-70's a lot of them have cancer causing chemicals in them. We also need new text books. My school happens to be a little better off then many other schools as it is in a better financed area than many others. However those recommendations are an all round improvement needed to all schools.

The biggest shortcoming in American education is our perplexing failure to teach Social-Emotional Intelligence.

As a consequence of our failure to teach and learn the fundamental tools of Social-Emotional Intelligence, our culture is riddled with unsolved social-emotional problems, including conflict, violence, bullying, oppression, injustice, corruption, poverty, obliviousness, alienation, suffering, and terrorism.

All of these problems are fundamentally fueled by fear. Our inability to reason coherently about fear-driven behaviors leaves us vulnerable to a plethora of persistent psycho-social problems that we perennially exacerbate because the poorly thought out practices of our culture are ineffective at best and counter-productive at worst.

People don't differentiate between cognitive and emotional intelligence. The first affects ability - the second our paradigms--the lens through which all is understood.

I helped a friend write a book on teaching Affective Education in the inner city. In it, she shows how self respect CAN be taught. The link is: www.wisepractice.net

mmmm...the way to a smarter education in a country deep-seated in hatred, and lies. A good start would be with the truth. I have read some of the submissions and some are true. However i took my child out of public school. Its hard to teach your child about how this country was formed and right within that is a lie. Its hard to explain to your child that they attend a so called-better education program on the white side of town, but often overlooked for leading rolls in school plays. Its hard to explain to them that the school on the black side lacks the tools to teach modern and updated cirriculum. Well...its like my Grandmother says All chickens come home to roost.. If u don't know what that means...America and its public schools are facing crisis for sure and its simply because we live in a lie that has come full circle, and all the while the tools which have always been in our hearts and minds to be a remedy, we have closed our eyes because that would mean change, sharing, and equality and having to deal with the truth and that is obviously not been our priority has it? Fair Exchange Ain't Robbery. I tell anyone feeling the educational crunch, Welcome to the otherside of life, The real side....

Currently, I am conducting research to prove the achievement gap of African American students is not getting closer. Rather the latest research suggests that the achievement gap is widening. I tend to agree with some of the previous panelists mentioned earlier. Institutionalized racism plays a significant role in setting curriculm, student teacher-identification, practicing multiculturalism, and social justice education. I believe the only means to achieve equity in the classroom is by reducing the existing barriers that reflect the hedgemony of American society. Students will be motivated to achieve when the playing field is somewhat leveled, they could identify with the SES of their teachers and school administrators, and tracking systems are eliminated and/or throughly integrated!

In Summary, closing the achievement gap is possible if and only if all communities see the value in reducing it. Teachers and Administrators can always improve the quality in the classroom by incorporating mutliculturalism, social justice education, eliminating the tracking system or integrate it(despite retaliations from the public), and hiring more minority teachers.

A man is not successful by how he advances through life, rather he is successful by the obstacles he has overcome. I beleive students must be given the basic tools to be a positive, and productive to society at large. When they are given a "fix deck" from the beginning how could you accurately measure their success.

Alina Taylor