FIXING FAILING U.S. SCHOOLS In addition to failing to address the teacher-union issue, The New York Times panel also neglected the state of the nation’s schools of education, which renowned economics professor Walter Williams called “the academic slums of most any college.” A paper in the journal Education Policy Analysis Archives supports Williams’ assertion, finding that education majors face considerably lower grading standards than other college students.
Some leading education authorities overlook key points for improving America’s failing schools.
On Sept. 28, The New York Times published a story titled 30 Ideas for Fixing U.S. Schools, Ranked by Experts. The subhead read, “Math and reading scores are in a decade-long slump. We asked three dozen experts: What could turn things around?”