To the Editor:
It was refreshing to read “The End of Education Reform,” not only because many architects of failed reform efforts seem not to have done the post-mortem that Van Schoales clearly has (May 1, 2019). This is not to criticize “reformers” unnecessarily, but to remind ourselves that the responsibility for what ails the current public education system cannot be simply laid at the feet of teachers.
Public policy set by amateurs, national leadership set by unqualified folks, and a lack of real financial commitments by successive governments have all contributed to creating a system that is now being further harmed by undereducated political appointees. Real reform awaits, but it requires both an infusion of national cash and the support of national, state, and local experts.
Not sure where to find the expertise? Look inside the classrooms where experts teach!
Jon McGill
Baltimore, Md.
