According to the Learning First Alliance website, “The Learning First Alliance is a partnership of 18 national education associations dedicated to improving student learning in America?s public schools.”
On Monday, the Alliance released “Transforming the Federal Role in America?s Public Schools,” a short statement of six principles for increasing federal involvement in public schools.
The statement begins,
Our nation?s founders understood that a well-educated citizenry is essential to the success of our democracy. This holds especially true today.
Our nation’s founders also understood that it was generally a bad idea to get the federal government involved in public education. That is why the United States Constitution doesn’t establish federal oversight of public schools.
Strangely, the Alliance complains that we now have “top-down micromanagement of our public schools.” None of the Alliance’s six recommendation would change that. Indeed, one of their recommendations calls for “health services and programs to encourage parents? involvement in their children?s education, as well as early childhood, preschool, after-school and summer programs that offer enrichment opportunities and reinforce learning in school.” Of course, the federal government would no longer just micromanage public schools, they would micromanage lives, as well.
