TO WHAT END EDUCATION REFORM?

I second Ezra's recommendation of Lawrence Mishel and Richard Rothstein's article today advising caution in evaluating claims that education reform can solve systemic economic problems. But I want to add a caveat. When I tell people I often write about education, they sometimes inform me that while they wish American schools were better, there's little justification for focusing on education reform at a time when all our progressive political energy should be aimed squarely at economic inequality. Poverty is certainly the root cause of many troubles within schools, but this line of reasoning rubs me wrong. The reason to improve schools now -- while we're awaiting the Second Coming -- is because incremental changes affect real children's lives. Just this week I met with eight public high school students in New York who told me that a mentoring program targeting at-risk students in their district changed their lives, encouraging them to enroll in college-level courses and plan their futures. Education is so exciting because it's a field where you can observe how your work -- or the policy you advocate -- lifts individuals up. That's not to say we should ignore systemic fixes. But we shouldn't overlook education's unique ability to make a difference. --Dana Goldstein