I just read yet another article about how state mandated education goals cause problems. In this case it’s a requirement that eighth grade students take a mandatory algebra class in Minnesota. A lot of these good intentions started way back in 2002 when President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act.

I was against that law and I’m against most of the state mandated education reforms going on across the country, usually promoted as some sort of parental rights legislation. Why am I against them? Is it because I hate Republicans, I hate Democrats? Nope.

To Algebra or Not to Algebra

In this case the mandate is forcing kids who are completely unready for algebra classes to take them. They can’t do them. It’s just an enormous waste of time for many students and school districts.

Local Education is Local

The problem is not democrats, it’s not republicans, it’s the state telling local schools what they must do. I’ve written about this before when it comes to the school year and my general argument stands. There is no possible way for the state to make a single curriculum that serves the various communities across that state.

We have urban schools, rural schools, schools in wealthy communities, schools in poverty-stricken communities, schools with the best and highest paid teachers, schools with whatever teacher they can get to show up that day, big schools with thousands of students, small schools with dozens. The idea that a single, state mandated education curriculum can work for all of them is beyond stupidity, it crosses over into insanity.

I’m sure the politicians promoting these various schemes, on both sides of the political divide, have the best intentions. Well, frankly, I’m not even sure about that but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. It cannot work in all situations.

That’s why state mandated education goals, and federal for that matter, are always a bad idea, even if they are a good idea in some school districts.

Local School Boards should decide curriculum

The local school board is closest to the situation and they should make the decisions. The state shouldn’t be telling rural districts they must be teach black history anymore than they should be telling urban districts they can’t teach it. It’s the same state overreach, republican and democrat.

Yes, there will be local school boards who decide on a curriculum that offends some people. In religious communities there will be religious orientated lessons taught by religious teachers. Tough. Likewise, in some areas religion will be completely excluded from the education process. Don’t like it, that I understand, but trying to force what you want on others is wrong.

Conclusion

The challenges that face local school districts are significant. The people trying to solve them sometimes fail, sometimes they are corrupt, but when the state and federal government come in with mandates it doesn’t help the situation, it makes it worse.

Tom Liberman