Eight big ideas to make schools better. For everyone.

In the eyes of the public, patterns of low test scores indicate failing schools. That's wrong.

To be clear, test scores matter, but the real culprit may not be schools. Schools with a pattern of low test scores nearly always have a lot of families living in poverty. Poverty has a profound influence on how well students are prepared for school. To do well, students need basic economic and social support, and so do families and schools.

Poverty hurts kids, and the most direct ways to interrupt poverty's effects is to provide things that cost money. Supports that can make a difference in the lives of children and the success of schools include prenatal care, mother and child nutrition, health care, high quality child care, and quality preschools. Tax credits can help, too — they give families with young children the opportunity to find their own ways to avoid the corrosive effects of hunger and housing insecurity.

It will take more than tinkering at the local school level to make America's education systems great. Tax and social policies must change. Here are eight recommendations.

1 Everyone should chip in more economic effort to fund education

Public education is an ongoing, pay-it-forward investment in the future of our society. Unfortunately, over time we have been paying forward at a shrinking level.

To understand what’s going on, it helps to compare our investment in education (young people) with our investment in health care (mostly older people). Over the long run, the costs of providing K-12 education and health care have both risen faster than inflation. As a percentage of the economy, however, public health care spending has grown significantly faster. Spending on public K-12 education as a percentage of the economy has actually decreased.

The ratio of the amount spent on a priority compared to the overall economy is known as economic effort. As we have pointed out in past posts, California is a chronically low-effort state when it comes to funding public education.

We all have a shared interest in the future of our society. Everyone ought to have skin in the game, but that’s not really happening. At the same time schools struggle to make ends meet and millions live paycheck to paycheck, top federal income tax rates have dropped from 70 per cent in the 1970s to about 37 percent today. Corporation tax and capital gains tax have also dropped, reducing funds for public services including education.

Since the 1980s, economic gains have concentrated in the "top 1%" of households. The share of the "bottom 50%" has steadily eroded.

Tax cuts for the rich and super rich have driven massive inequality. The rich have gotten richer and the rest have fallen way behind.

Investments in children and families can mitigate inequality, but the investments have not kept up with their needs: education, housing, health care, child care, and a living wage. How did America create this inequality? Take a look at this short video.

2 The federal government should keep its promises to low income students

Historically, the federal government’s role in public education has been tied to support for the poor. Funding for Title I of the nation's basic education law (ESEA) is the nation’s most basic investment in giving all kids a decent education.

Even as the federal government serves this essential role, it falls short. According to the National Education Association, “If Title I were fully funded, every high-poverty school in America could provide physical and mental health services for every student, including dental and vision care."

As a candidate for re-election in 2024, Donald Trump signaled his intent to cut federal funding for public education. It will be up to Congress to consider this proposal as it develops the federal budget.

Rather than cut support for young children and families, Congress needs to keep its historic promise by increasing funding for Title I. It should also fulfill its commitment to provide funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), which helps pay for special education.

There is a precedent to do more for America’s children. The federal Child Tax Credit could be expanded to the level of the American Rescue Plan rates of 2021, or more. This program cut child poverty in America by 30 per cent. Renewing this 2021 credit could keep about 3 million children above the poverty line. It’s a choice.

3 Public education must include early education

The research is clear that early education, including pre-school, helps children succeed. That’s why giving low-income families the same early education opportunities as more affluent families is essential.

In 2024, California protected funding for early learning and care from budget cuts. President Trump has a history of proposing funding cuts for early education. It’s a choice.

4 Workin' 9 to 5: Schools, too

The traditional school day does not work for most families. As more and more families require two earners to keep food on the table, the meaning of school days has expanded — especially in families that can afford it. Education should include high quality before and after school learning, summer programs and child care. President Trump has a record of cutting support for extended learning programs. It’s a choice.

5 Computers are the new textbooks. Every student needs them.

We've known for a long time that every student needs access to basic tools for learning and creating. COVID-19 taught us that video-grade internet access and computing devices at home are basic requirements for learning. Each student needs these things, period. Yes, they cost money. It’s a choice.

6 Create community schools

Schools can provide more than just academic services, and some do. Community schools serve as a local center for services to students and their families. They are an important strategy to support students, especially in high poverty areas. They can support health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement. The video below explains how they work.

7 Treat teachers as our most important national investment.

In the world's most successful education systems, teaching is a prestigious occupation. America is not among them. To address equity and chronic teacher shortages, especially in schools with low income and many students of color, teachers need to be paid, educated and treated like valued professionals. Too many educators struggle to find affordable housing. Too many early education teachers earn poverty level wages.

Some of the signals that make teachers feel respected are within the control of school communities. Is your district treating its teachers right? It's a choice.

8 Increase investments in public education for all

Moving from a system with serious gaps to a system that can effectively serve the needs of each student is not easy. It’s human work — each day, one person at a time. There’s no magic.

We need a culture of strong public schools for each student

We must ensure that students feel supported and valued, and that they get the education they need, whether privileged or poor. That they experience the joy of the arts, the exuberance of athletics, the rewards of civic learning, and the value of their cultures. They must graduate knowing that all children are worth investing in and that it is their responsibility to pay it forward.

In the first Trump administration, some states discarded the American tradition of separation of church and state in education, allowing private religious schools to be funded with public funds. California has been one of the many states to resist this practice.

Warren Buffet’s thought experiment

Billionaire financial expert Warren Buffet famously underscored the importance of making quality public education truly universal in a conversation with Michelle Rhee, the former chancellor of Washington D.C. schools. According to Rhee, Buffett quipped, "It would be easy to solve today’s problems in urban education. Make private schools illegal, and assign every child to a public school by random lottery."

To be clear: a ban on private schools won't happen. But it's a valuable thought experiment. We should be willing to invest more economic effort to fund all of our schools at a level that makes them all great.

This post was updated in November, 2024.