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'WE'RE NO. 49!'
Arizona Republic
January 14, 2007
Author: Jon Talton, The Arizona Republic Estimated printed pages: 3
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WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE OVER STATE'S EDUCATIONAL APATHY?
If the media made as much hoopla of the crisis in Arizona education as they do
of football bowl games, maybe more people would finally pay attention. Or maybe
not.
Brief notice went to Education Week's annual ranking of state educational
attainment. Arizona came in 49th. Local officials rushed to explain it all away
and denounce yet another study that was apparently done only to make Arizona
feel bad.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said the study tracked many
things outside Arizona's control. OK -- but why did nearly every other state,
also caught in destiny's slipstream, do better? Why does Arizona always come in
around 49? What about aiming for 45?
I continue to be baffled why Horne, an intelligent and well-meaning man, plays
defense with these rankings rather than using them as a cudgel to make the
Legislature get serious about school funding.
Every serious Arizonan should read the Education Week Quality Counts report.
It's at www.edweek.org. Supported by the Pew Center for the States, which is now
led by former Arizonan Mary Jo Waits, Quality Counts is one of the gold
standards of education measurement.
While Arizona officials want to wish it away, and the local crackpot "think
tank" may claim its numbers don't matter, many do pay attention. Among them are
talented people who won't move to a state with Arizona's consistently poor
performance, and companies that are looking to locate high-quality operations.
This year's report tries to look deeper into the connection between stages of
education and what this says about a student's chances of succeeding in the
global economy.
It says, "Smart states, like smart companies, try to make the most of their
investments by ensuring that young people's education is connected from one
stage to the next -- reducing the chances that students will be lost along the
way ..."
The conclusions are sobering. In nearly all developed countries, younger
generations are attaining higher education levels. In the United States, the
younger generations have failed to surpass the previous generation. In addition,
an ominous gap of educational attainment (like income) is opening in American
society.
One value of the report is that it looks beyond such factors as funding and
class size (where Arizona always comes out badly). Research suggests a child's
success is also related to family income, education level of parents and
linguistic integration, as well as strictly school-related measures.
Arizona is below the national average, sometimes drastically so, in most of the
socioeconomic and education measures tracked. The state was average in
employment, kindergarten participation and high school graduation. Like most
states, Arizona did better in high test scores per 100 students in the 11th and
12th grade. By contrast, students in Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota, New
Jersey, and Maryland are best prepared for success. Many other states are doing
well.
The divide is stark. A map of likely success shows a lazy "U" running from
Nevada through Arizona and New Mexico, then into the South. Will these lowest
achievers become, to use a Waits' phrase, "the Appalachia of the 21st century"
or something even worse?
Yes, illegal immigration is part of Arizona's problem. But so are decades of "on
the cheap" policies and inadequate funding. So is pushing for charter schools --
undeniably a good business deal for some -- without a sustained drive to pay for
excellence in all Arizona public schools. So, too, is a failure to seriously
implement strategies to create a high-wage economy.
Yet, where's the outrage?
People are coming. The weather is warm (getting warmer). Sure, there's
increasing congestion, crime, smog, environmental damage, dehumanizing sprawl
and that latest report on poor education. But, as I am constantly told, "at
least we don't have to shovel it here."
Those with concerns are told to shut up and be happy. We're told not to be "so
negative."
We're living in different realities. To me, the optimists are the ones who
accept Arizona's challenges honestly, then work for real reform. They know that
none of the excuses give Arizona a pass. I would put the governor and a few
other leaders in this category. But they face such a headwind of opposition,
progress may come too slowly.
The real pessimists are the ones who live in denial or cynicism about a grim
future speeding our way -- one we could avoid -- while only wanting to make the
next real estate deal. And yes, a low-wage economy can be profitable for some,
in the short term, at least.
We hear a lot about property here. But too few people really want to own
Arizona. It's not really "home." It's a resort, where people merely check in and
check out. It's a spectacular theme park -- and how many visitors worry about a
theme park? It's a consumer product, disposable.
Where's the outrage?
Reach Talton at jon.talton@arizonarepublic.com.
CAPTION: Tom Horne
Edition: Final Chaser
Section: Opinions
Page: V5
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