In order to create a policy, we must know the questions surrounding policy. This week Jacqueline Edmondson, associate vice president and associate dean for undergraduate education, outlined the questions we should be asking when she spoke to our class about her experiences creating and critically analyzing policy. These questions included:
- Where did this policy originate?
- Who does this policy serve?
- Who is this policy empowering?
- Who does this policy leave out?
- Why is it here?
- What are intended and unintended consequences?
Edmondson used three policy case studies from three different countries to present these questions. The first was “No Child Left Behind” from the United States. The second was an education policy from Sweden which started with the line, “Democracy forms the basis of the national school system.” The final example was a program in Kenya called Bridge headquarters. Each approached education and education reform from a different perspective.
What intrigued me the most with me was the contrast between the United States and Swedish models of schooling. In my last post I was struggling with how improbable it would be for the United States to federally allocate money to impoverished schools given the currrent national properations and attitudes. It could not wrap my head around overturning a system that has seemed to always exist. However I am now realizing the potential for incredible change within the United States even if it is not on the immediate federal level. Edmonsen’s cross-cultural comparison provided me with a solid example a relatively equally resources schools systems and it gave me hope that we could create something like that here in the United States. The Swedish educational system is regulated by the Government of Sweden, while the American education is run from a state level; However, I do not think this should inhibit the United State’s ability to provide a quality education for each of their students. It comes down to an equal distribution of educational resources over a large area. If the United States is not ready to cover the entire country, we should at least be able to create something from a State level.
Because of the manner in which finances are distributed in Sweden, all swedish students are able to have relatively equal resources, including free lunches at school. A free lunch at school can make a powerful impact on a student’s ability to learn. The brain needs a routine supply of glucose in order to fully functions. Neurons are unable to store glucose unlike other cells of the body. Therefore, when a student misses a meal or two, their brain experiences an energy crisis, causing them to feel weak, spaced out, confused and/or nervous, and it overall hinders their ability to focus and think. Since 1973, Sweden has been offering their students free school lunches, looking something like this:
Why in the land of opportunity can we not provide the same resource? All students in the United States deserve an equal opportunity to learn. If their lack of learning comes from a lack of food, can’t we find a way to fix that?
In doing some research I did uncover some intiatives such as the National School Lunch Program but I need to take the time to dissect the various excel spreadsheets and understand how many people are actually being provided with resources. (http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/national_school_lunch/7487) On the site it explains,
“Children from families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty level, and children in families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and children in families receiving food stamp benefits are eligible for free lunches. Children in families whose income is between 130% and 185% of the poverty level are eligible for reduced price lunches.”
Where exactly is the poverty level in the United States? Who decides this? Do all families in need know about this policy? How can we enhance this to ensure students are able to focus on their assignments and not their grumbling stomachs?
Everything seems to come down to money. It is going to require a lot of time and effort to learn how to follow this money and how it is being spent. I want to know where exactly the money is coming from, who is spending the money, who get to decide how to spend the money, and where it is distributed. Who benefits from this distribution and who is left out?
If the United States is going to remain a state run education system, how can we create a more equal distribution of resources? This was a question that Edmonson briefly addressed in her presentation. She provided us with the contrast between the manner in which Minnesota’s and Pennsylvania’s education is funded for and the manner in which money is distributed for public schools. Edmonson explained that Minnesota’s distributes their money using a formula and allocates money that corresponds to the number of students in each school. In contrast, Pennsylvania districts rely primarily on local resources and local taxes to fund public schools. I did some research and found out that those that follow this same Minnesota model are considered to be “equalized funding states”. Among these states is Arizona where in recent legislature, they described the policies of equalized funding state saying they should
“enact such laws as shall provide for the establishment and maintenance of a general and uniform public school system”.
In the next week or two, I want to look at the potential for enacting equalization laws within Pennsylvania. I want to compare which states are equalizing “better” than others. I also want to take the policies that I am reading and ask all of the questions that Edmondson provided. Within the equalization policies, who is left out? who is empowered? In order to move forward, I need to take the time to dissect these policies and understand what works and how it could apply to Pennsylvania. I think comparing school systems among states, as well as internationally will continue to be a powerful tool when writing our policy paper. It will be able to provide us with examples and opportunities for improvement.
Overall I want to remind myself of Edmondson’s comment of policy that, “Nothing is perfect”. I need to recognize this and view it as an opportunity rather than a frustration. Much of what we talk about in class does not have an easy answer and many solutions do not fix the problem for everyone. It is difficult and it is grey. But, of course, this is the PLA, and “it is in the gray area that the greatest challenges reside”.
