Inside Scoop
Taking Risks

Educators have more than pulled their weight in the 20 years since A Nation at Risk was first published.

A Nation at Risk, a report commissioned by the Department of Education under Ronald Reagan in 1983, claimed that America's public schools were drowning in a "rising tide of mediocrity." The claim was untrue--the proof was right in the report--but it stuck like muck and tarnished the public's perception of public education.

In the 20 years since, educators have continued to raise the standards for quality education. What threatens education today is the mediocre level of support for their efforts.

What did A Nation at Risk really say?
Although the "rising tide" line in the first paragraph became famous, the body of the report didn't back it up. On the contrary, the report said Americans were better educated than ever.

"It is important, of course, to recognize that the average citizen today is better educated and more knowledgeable than the average citizen of a generation ago--more literate, and exposed to more mathematics, literature, and science," said the report.

In other words, American high schools were doing something never before accomplished: educating the majority of young people, not just children of the elite.

The authors did state that students had to learn more if America was to maintain its global leadership in an era of technology. But the American students they were so worried about went on to lead the world computer revolution. They were not so poorly prepared after all.

Despite the fact that the situation wasn't as bleak as the report laid out, educators continued to raise the bar for student achievement--and their own professional development.

How has the scene changed for students?
Educators are challenging high school students with much tougher courses. The percentage of students who completed a core academic curriculum of four years of English and three each of mathematics, science, and social studies has quadrupled since 1980.

The number of Advanced Placement tests taken has surged 324 percent, from 50 tests for every 1,000 high school juniors and seniors in 1984, up to 212 tests per 1,000 students in 2002. AP's junior cousin, the International Baccalaureate program, is growing even faster.

What's been done on the professional development front?
Millions of new teachers and support professionals have entered the nation's public schools. Thirty percent left within five years. Surveys show the number one reason teachers leave is lack of support.

NEA has taken the lead in pushing to provide that support and improve professional skills for educators at every point in their careers.

To better prepare student teachers, NEA helped to found and continues to support the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), which holds teacher education programs to high standards. NCATE's influence has grown until now, two-thirds of all graduates of teacher preparation programs come from NCATE-accredited schools.

For beginning teachers, NEA locals push their school boards to establish--and fund--quality mentoring programs.

For more experienced teachers, NEA and its affiliates work for relevant, effective professional development. And NEA is a strong supporter of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, whose certification program helps master teachers hone and extend their skills.

What role has the government played in improving public education?
Year after year, political leaders proclaim their commitment to education, and some have genuinely fought to strengthen public schools. But governments have failed to make education a top priority.

Long-term experiments have proved smaller classes significantly improve student achievement, but many elected leaders shy away from reducing class size claiming it's too taxing on budgets.

On both the state and federal level, governments have failed to help children come to school ready to learn. The Census Bureau reports that as of 2001, 12 percent of children lacked health insurance--and health problems are a barrier to educating students. One-fifth of American children live in poverty, while effective anti-poverty programs have been curtailed or abandoned.

Teachers' salaries have not kept pace with the growing prosperity of the nation. After adjusting for inflation, they've gone up only 17 percent since 1983, even though the average teacher today is better educated and has more years of experience than 20 years ago. Not a strong sign that the nation's leaders support quality education.

So what's the key to improving schools in the next 20 years?
Educators will keep trying. But we can't do it alone. We need support from our communities and governments. And it's government's failure to respond that puts our schools and our nation at risk.

--Alain Jehlen

For more: Visit www.nea.org/goodnews for statistics about education, both national and state by state. Go to www.aecf.org/kidscount, the Kids Count site of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, for information on child poverty.