This is one of the best discussions of the impact of declining enrollment on schools I've seen lately, and it does a good job of balancing the pros for student experience when schools are smaller with the fiscal realities of an enrollment-based funding system. But one factor often goes ignored in these discussions: as enrollment declines, we have more English learners and students with disabilities. Weighted student formulas should offset this, but does the math really math when you need a certain number of set positions to have a functioning school? Particularly when you need social workers, hard-to-staff teachers, and occupational therapists?
New story with Sara Randazzo: Many American school systems are struggling with the exact same problem: too many schools and not enough students. But closing schools is educationally and politically fraught. https://lnkd.in/exGeyFPt
Does what happens inside the buildings have anything to do with this?
Maureen Kelleher .. students need school, but not the school being given them...
The students are moving to rural America. We are exploding with new move-ins.
Maybe America has too many of the "wrong" types of schools. Instead of indoctrinating students, maybe more schools should go back to focusing on delivering tangible vocational skills that can lead to a certificate in a trade and immediately gain employment afterwards. The shift from vocational education to a college based one was short-sighted and a huge mistake. Yes, manufacturing went overseas in the 80s; however, there was still a need for many vocations. Instead, the shift to promoting a 4 year degree for everyone resulted in administrative bloat at colleges. Administrator employment greatly outpaced faculty growth and student enrollment. As always, it was all about the money. The good news is that more young people are seeing through the charade and are choosing to save money and learn a trade. This new shift should have a ripple effect and bring back the vocational education platform that is sorely needed. This, in turn, will help urban youth gain skills, meaningful employment, and solid compensation.
A lot of parents are opting to home-school and others aren't having children at all. I don't blame them. Parents are having to beg for fair education for their students and Congress keeps allowing book bans like lack of education has ever helped anyone. I'm interested in seeing how dystopian it gets. If prices keep going up and younger generations can't afford to live, even with degrees and tons of skills, then what is going to encourage them to care?
Individuals do not have any social obligation to have children. Having kids is a highly personal decision and can not driven by any type of collective needs. I would say we are witnessing a generational awakening of people who could have children and choose not to. They can see as clearly as daylight that the government is highly ineffective (healthcare, education, and childcare) and flaky (national debt and taxation). As such, they behave fully rationally and the 'few-children-state' is here to stay. Let's prepare and adapat to that. There are many positive elements to cherish for the health of planet and for the quality of the next generation. I toast to that.
There’s various contributing factors I think. People can’t afford to have children, but I don’t think that’s lowering enrollment right now. I’m blaming vouchers. Trying to redirect funding to private, usually religious schools. I’d put money on the game plan is: force public school closings, then start raising prices on private schools & create a new opportunity for student debt at an earlier age. Again, just a theory but it feels like that’s what’s happening.
"AMERICA HAS TOO MANY SCHOOLS" was the Wall Street Journal Headline. While the quality of education in urban schools has declined significantly, despite graduating most students, parents, when possible, have opted for the positive outcomes of homeschooling; & private schools to a much lesser extent. Latest U.S. Data: (1) There are 3.7 million homeschool students in the U.S.; (2) Homeschool students outperform institutional school students academically. (3) The average cost of homeschooling is $700-$1,800 per student annually; e.g. unlike the $29-$30,000 per student at Chicago Public Schools; & (4) The top reason for homeschooling is a concern about school environment. All parents (urban, suburban & rural) are intelligent in knowing something is very wrong when their kids graduate high school but are functionally illiterate. Where parents fail, given ability to elect school boards, they seem to vote the same people to office not holding them accountable. There very well may be too many schools. But; when possible, parents are making wise choices that benefit their children, culture, & civilization. Parents know best; not politicians or elitists.
This isn't a new problem. Urban schools have been struggling for years, and it's not just because of a little pandemic or declining fertility rates. Maybe if these schools actually provided a quality education and weren't located in crime-ridden, poverty-stricken areas, people wouldn't be so quick to bail on them. But no, let's just blame it on external factors and act like there's nothing that can be done to fix the situation. And what's this about schools being at the heart of communities? Most of these schools are nothing more than glorified babysitting services, churning out uneducated, unmotivated kids who are destined to end up in jail or on welfare. But sure, let's pretend like closing them down is some great tragedy. 😂🤣🤣🤣