Six Ways to Save American Education from the Next Recession

Six Ways to Save American Education

from the Next Recession

By

Ken Goldberg

Copyright © 2024 by Ken Goldberg

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Problem I

Problem II

Problem III

Problem IV

Problem V

Reflection

Essential Proactive Measure I: Stop Wasting Money

Essential Proactive Measure II: Close the U.S. Department of Education

Essential Proactive Measure III: Close All 50 State Departments of Education

Essential Proactive Measure IV:Get Rid of Local School Boards

Essential Proactive Measure V:Get Rid of Local School Districts and School Superintendents

Essential Proactive Measure VI: The D Phenomenon

Conclusion

Charts

References

The performance of a nation correlates to the efficacy of its education system.

Introduction

We must start to change the conversation.

Great nations and empires have always had an education system that was representative of their strengths. Every country that ruled the world at any given time had the best military, currency system or trading methods, education, and more technologically advanced people. Having an outstanding learning system is achievable over time through hard work, committed effort, and long-term strategic national interest. Many can say that at one point, the United States had all the above. That was true until this recent generation. While our military is still one of the best and the most expensive in the world, there are many questions about our government’s ability to lead the world in the next century.

The future of our currency does not look bright. China is already moving toward a cashless society. For more than a decade, Visa has been offering companies deals to go cashless. The collapse of the U.S. Dollaris essential for a cashless world. China and Russia have already started to set the stage for the Chinese yuan (currency) to replace the U.S. dollar and become the world’s reserve currency. The European Union (EU) has been slowly moving away from the United States and toward China. For almost a decade, a number of nations entered a nearly one-trillion-dollar agreement with China to create what is called the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. When China fully implements this unique and unprecedented initiative, the Chinese economy will be on steroids. China will be the center of commerce for Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. This eastern alliance with China, Russia, and the rest of the BRICS countries will change the world for centuries.

There are many who believe our problem as a nation begins with our education crisis. Some seem to think that the solution to our education problem is getting rid of the United States Department of Education. However, most of those who want to get rid of the Department of Education want to do so because having the Department of Education does not match their political ideology as it relates to smaller government. If a larger government and a strong central education system were the best solutions for educating children in the United States, political ideology would have to take the back seat. However, anecdotal data found that a more localized control yields better results.

International Rankings:

•       In recent years, the United States has not performed as strongly as some other nations in international education assessments. Reports such as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) have shown American students ranking below the average in mathematics and just around the average in science and reading when compared to their global counterparts.

2. STEM Education:

•       While the United States has a strong tradition in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, there is a growing concern about a decline in interest and proficiency in these areas. Some critics argue that the U.S. is not producing enough skilled workers in these critical fields to maintain its technological edge.

3. Education Inequality:

•       Disparities in education quality and resources between different regions and socioeconomic groups within the United States have been a persistent issue. Critics argue that the education system needs to address these disparities to ensure equal opportunities for all students.

4. Standardized Testing and Curriculum:

•       The emphasis on standardized testing in the U.S. education system has been a point of contention. Critics argue that it narrows the curriculum and places too much focus on test preparation, potentially stifling creativity and critical thinking.

5. College Affordability and Accessibility:

•       The rising cost of higher education and concerns about student loan debt have led to questions about the accessibility of quality education. Some argue that this situation could limit opportunities for many students, particularly those from lower-income families, as compared to Belgium where a student can get a college degree at top colleges for under $1,000 per year.

6. Skills Gap:

•       There is a perceived gap between the skills students acquire in the education system and the skills demanded by the job market. The evolving nature of the economy, with an increasing emphasis on technology and innovation, has led to calls for education reforms to better align with the needs of the workforce.

7. Globalization and Cultural Competency:

•       In an increasingly interconnected world, there are concerns that the U.S. education system may not be adequately preparing students for global citizenship. Some call for a greater emphasis on cultural competency, foreign language education, and a broader understanding of international issues.

This book provides bold recommendations on how to bring our education system to ultimate local control, which will bring more accountability and better student outcomes while saving over 423 billion dollars per year. If any company were in a position to save over two trillion dollars in 5 years and simultaneously obtain better results, and its CEO were to refuse to make it happen, the board of directors would be up in arms and that CEO would get fired before sunset. Except, in this case, the board of directors is the American people, and the CEO is the president and Congress. The United States ranks toward the middle to bottom of the Western world according to the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Test, which is given to the Western nations plus a few other nations. Without a good education, countries cannot survive. At any point in history, the country with the best education system always had the best innovations, which resulted in their being placed at the pinnacle of world affairs.

If we were to have the courage to tell the truth, we would have to admit that America has a habit of letting every decision come down to either right or left, Republican or Democrat. However, should decisions about the future of our children come down to political philosophy? At the beginning of the research for this book, the focus was on recommending a strong centralized education system: a system with a strong central government in control of everything that takes place in every classroom, like in France. While France has a decent school system, it is certainly not the best in the world. Everyone knows that France has been facing major economic and political turmoil for many years. When looking into what countries with the best education systems were doing, the results were surprising. Top education-performing countries like South Korea have started to move toward decentralizing their school systems.

If one of the top-performing countries in the world in Literacy and Math for more than a decade is moving toward decentralizing its education system, why would we want to keep on doing the opposite? We ought to follow and even try to exceed the best, not the other way around.

When reading this book, we recommend focusing on what is best for children instead of adults. Do we have a duty and obligation to ensure that we preserve the United States by giving the next generation the best education by setting aside political beliefs? We hope this book will be the catalyst that will change the conversation concerning education reform in the United States. The possibility of rescuing the United States may have become very slim. This nation knew for over 5 decades that we needed to do something fundamentally different with our education system in order to save our nation. We failed! As a result, many players in the international theater feel that by the year 2050, if the world keeps on moving along this trajectory, the United States will bring down the Western world. Nevertheless, to enhance our prospects of future competitiveness, it is imperative that we undertake a comprehensive overhaul of our education system. Additionally, to ensure our readiness for the next recession, we must be prepared to implement these changes within a more constrained financial framework. Failure to do so will expedite the downfall of the United States and the Western world.

A Perfect Storm Is Brewing

A multitude of prominent experts have been sounding the alarm over the impending economic disaster, which many anticipate will have dire consequences for our nation. The United States has had economic downturns in the 1990s, 2001, and 2007, with the most recent one occurring in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although it is evident that the U.S. has had economic downturns at least once per decade, several economists hold the belief that the next crisis will result in irreversible harm to the country. The damage will be so severe states will be forced to reduce their education budgets by nearly 50% during the upcoming recession. What would be our action if the federal government is unable to sustain its ability to print money at its discretion?

A significant proportion of the elderly population in our country relies on a fixed income. Each year, they see increased property taxes due to the rising costs connected with a failing educational system. The implementation of a budgetary decrease of 423 billion dollars in the field of education would have a significant influence on the United States, affecting not only those with modest financial means but also the middle class as a whole. By 2030, the U.S. will have 74 million people who will be at retirement age. Cutting the education budget by 423 billion per year would greatly help a large number of retirees.

The key question under consideration is the extent to which our nation has the necessary courage and perseverance to implement substantial reforms in