The goal of education reform is to change the content or educational methods in order to improve student performance. The most common motivation is the desire to address societal problems, with many people arguing that a higher level of education results in greater social returns in terms of citizen health and wealth.
The first reform movement pushed students through academically challenging curriculums, promoted high-tech schools and required states to set standards for teacher quality and per-pupil spending. It was driven by a top-down approach that leveraged federal funding and threatened to withhold federal funds if states did not implement new policies.
A second reform movement has emerged, led by AFT locals and centered on the need to make public education more responsive to the needs of children. This bottom-up approach focuses on developing teacher expertise, supports the autonomy of teachers to use their professional judgment and trusts the wisdom of school staff. It also recognizes the importance of leveraging state and local resources, ensuring that schools receive adequate per-pupil allocations and support ancillary services.
Successful education systems focus their attention on recruiting and supporting strong teachers and empowering them to be successful in the classroom. These systems invest in a deep bench of civil servants to outlast the political leaders in their ranks and build institutions beyond the ministry (particularly at the n-2 level, where individuals sit two levels below the minister) insulating education from politics and creating a broader ecosystem that is more likely to remain intact through political changes. They also cultivate leadership that is rooted in practical training resources grounded in serious research and proven theory.
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