(This is one of a weekly series of posts entitled “A Centrist’s Platform”. The complete collection of Centrist’s Platform posts is available on a single page, or via a special RSS feed.)
Like last week’s post, this week’s topic is another on my list which I should have probably made a few notes on. Like crime last week, there are many potential education sub-topics I could write about….and I will once again resort to a bullet list. 
- One of the more recent annoyances I’ve witnessed (admittedly from the outside, since I don’t have kids) in the past several years is a seeming over-reliance on standardized testing to measure kids’ educational progress.
I do actually agree with the principle that if money is being spent on school programs, some proof should be required that the investment is worthwhile; but in the time that school systems have gone too gung-ho with testing, folks seem to have forgotten that the only thing standardized tests measure is the ability to take standardized tests.
- I do have to give President Bush some credit for seeking to prevent learning-disabled children from being left behind in the push to improve school systems. However, from what I’ve seen and heard here in Connecticut, school systems being obliged to add support for disabled students have had to withdraw support for programs for gifted students. This potential drag on the best and brightest of the upcoming generation seems rather counterintuitive to me.
- I have seemingly conflicting concerns on the subject of teacher pay. On the one hand, the pittance we pay teachers in this country is appalling. Personally, I’d love to be a teacher, but I’m not sure that I’d be comfortable trying to provide for my family on a teacher’s salary; thus, I became an actuary instead. I’m sure that there are many other professionals who have similar thoughts.
On the other hand, one of my recurring gripes with my local school system is the contractually-obliged annual raises that are granted with seemingly little improvement. What is it that teachers unions have against pay-for-performance?
- Looking on to college — is it my imagination, or has college become ridiculously expensive in the past couple of decades. I was lucky enough to eke out of school without debt by scholarships, odd jobs, and finishing my degree in 3 years; however, it seems like recent graduates are coming out of university up to their eyeballs in debt. Perhaps some thought should be given to alternative funding schemes…or perhaps American society needs to start asking if a 4-year university education really necessary for most jobs?