By Jesse SaundersPHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
All men are created equal, but sustaining that equality into adulthood is why education is so important. Education is the great equalizer. Each generation surpasses the educational requirements of the generation before. Where an eighth grade education or high school diploma were the brass rings of education for past generations, now a college degree is a prerequisite for success.
The Democratic Party’s interest in education is two-pronged. The standardized testing that alternatively rewards and penalizes the school based on their scoring has turned into a blight on the middle and secondary school system in America.
In the world of standardized testing the right answer is only one-fifth the testing grade. The remaining four-fifths is arriving at the answer in the mandated way. Standardized testing is necessary in ascertaining proper placement of the student in a class but its current incarnation is more a form of strange government performance art with little care for the people who are directly involved.
Arts, music and extracurricular activity are pushed aside for long-form tests. The current state of the school system treats the standardized exam as a god. This system must be radically overhauled so that the children in the public school system are able to move from high school to higher education successfully.
The next step is to make higher education both accessible and affordable. Since the landmark G.I. Bill was enacted in 1944, the Democratic Party continues to strive to make college education an achievable goal.
Understanding that the middle class is bolstered by a strong foundation of continuing education, the Democratic Party has worked to provide assistance in acquiring that education through Pell Grants and Student Loan forgiveness.
With an eye on the future and the United States’ place on the global stage, continuing education is of paramount concern.
According to the Pew Research Center, American students are performing better on national math assessments than they did two decades ago, but they’re still falling behind their international competitors.
In education America is playing a game of catch-up with nations that we view as our equals. President Obama’s call to end standardized tests is the first step we need to take toward creating an education system that will benefit the country as a whole.
Jesse Saunders is the Treasurer of the Democrats of Hofstra University.
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