Franklin Roosevelt Closed The Banks For Safety - Time To Do Same With Public Schools?

Franklin Roosevelt closed the banks because Americans had no confidence in their safety. It is time to do the same with our public schools.

When a nation loses confidence in the banking system, a run on the bank happens. People run to the bank to get their money out of it before their friends or neighbors get it. Once they got their money, burying it in a coffee can in the backyard or under a mattress was better to keep it safe. People were more concerned about the return of their money than the return on it.

A similar issue to the banks in America is on many people's minds today. The public school system is broken and corrupt. Parents no longer have confidence in America's public school system as a place to send their children. Parents are very concerned about the return on their investment in their children’s education. The reality today is that parents have moved millions of children out of the public school system and are continuing to take their children to alternative education. 

There is a run on the schools by parents taking their children out of the schools, no longer hoping they will reform themselves. Here are some examples: 1,400 school districts K-12 in California have lost 20% or more of their students. The total student population in the California school system has declined by 15% this school year. The student population in American public schools for the 2023-2024 school year has seen a 5% decline. The 5% decline is misleading as the number of illegals is replacing the millions that are going to alternative education. At the end of 2023, children from illegal families account for 23% of the children in public schools in America. 

The nation's student enrollment in public schools is expected to decline into at least 2031. Ed Source reports that the State forecasts 11.4% fewer students by 2031, causing LA and the Bay Area to be hit hardest. As the student population declines, school funding will continue to decline until 2031. We will see an accelerating number of teachers retiring or being laid off. Before the COVID pandemic, we had over 4 million K through 12 teachers. At the beginning of the school year 2023, the number of teachers declined to 3.5 million, with over 163,000 teachers in the classroom without a teaching certificate.

Here is one example of how a student decline affected the school district's budget. On Feb 15, 2023, the Christian Science Monitor ran a story about declines in school funding. Even slight deviations in the student population can cause financial problems. Case in point: The Washoe County School District (Nevada) budgeted for 61,923 students this academic year, but 1,145 students didn’t show up. The decline created a revenue shortfall of almost $8.4 million. The district’s situation isn’t unique. Nationwide, U.S. school districts, large and small, are grappling with slumping enrollments that are putting a dent in budgets and, in some cases, forcing painful decisions about school closures. The lack of funding is expected to continue to decline, and it will continue to cause parents concerns about the quality of their children’s education.

This revolt is just beginning, but it is gaining more momentum as more and more parents have reached the breaking point and have lost confidence in the public school system across America. We are quickly approaching the point where we must close schools and start over. We must look at the curriculum and adjust it back to a basic level so our children can come out of the public school system equipped with the skills to become productive members of American society. 

Understanding where the parents are sending their children to alternatives will begin to help us know what we must change. Some children leave the state with their parents as they move away from their current state. There are many reasons people are moving and rejecting many of the blue states, including but not limited to taxes, inflation, the cost of living, or quality of education, to name a few. As the school population declines, the city and state payments for education will decrease.

Based on the current level of funding and assuming no increases in funding, the average cost will be $200,000 per student over the K to 12 grades. This amount does not account for increases in salary and benefits to teachers and employees. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 2019, America spent $15,500 per elementary school student compared to the rest of the world's $11,300. I must point out that the Federal Government gave a grant to each school for each child in the public schools in America, a grant of $2,400 each.

Two educational alternatives have seen significant growth: Charter Schools and Homeschooling. At the beginning of the 2023 school year, both alternatives had about 3.7 million students each. Each is larger than religious schools, like the Catholics, which have approximately 1.7 million students. If I take the five largest public school districts in the country, New York City, LA city schools, Chicago city schools, Miami-Dade schools, and Broward County (north Miami, FL), they have around 2.7 million students. This is 1 million less than either Charter schools or homeschooling. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, in June of 2023, approximately 23% of the 45 million students in the American public school population are from illegal families. The number of students is misleading because of the influx of illegals coming into the school system and replacing those who have left.

How do we rescue our schools? We must start with a full review of what is being taught in the schools. We must establish a review committee in each district of parents, teachers, business people, homeschoolers, and charter school educators who will start and go through each grade K to 12 curriculum and textbook. This committee will decide what stays and what is dropped based on a majority vote. Lesson plans will be reviewed to make sure they reflect the new curriculum. Those teachers who do not adhere to the lesson plan will be warned to comply. If, after the warning, the teacher doesn’t comply, they will be dismissed. A subcommittee will be established to review and approve extracurricular activities. 

We must hold the teachers and the administration of the schools accountable for the results. Children at all grade levels will be tested on the skill level for grade level. The committee will set up graduation requirements and competency exams for graduation from the 12 grades. The curriculum must include vocational education across as many trades as possible. 

We as a country must deal with these ideas in rebuilding our public education system. I hope parents will again believe the public school system delivers a quality fundamental education to our children.