Cynthia Tucker: Ferguson Cautionary Tale of State Education Control
During the prime-time debate on Thursday night, Jeb Bush defended his support for Common Core to a conservative audience by emphasizing the importance of state control in education. He stated that he does not believe the federal government should be involved in setting standards, but he supports higher standards as long as they are measured in a fair and honest manner.
This viewpoint is commonly held by conservatives, who argue that local control is more effective and that government that is closer to the people serves them better. Additionally, the federal Department of Education has long been criticized by conservatives.
However, relying solely on state oversight of education can lead to serious failures, as evidenced by the schools in Ferguson, Missouri. State officials simply changed the name of a low-performing school district but made no efforts to actually improve the schools.
Tragically, Michael Brown graduated from Normandy High School just a week before he was shot and killed by a white police officer, which sparked months of violent confrontations. On the anniversary of his death, protests and demonstrations took place in Ferguson, highlighting ongoing issues of inequality.
In 2012, Brown’s school district lost accreditation along with two other districts in Missouri due to poor test scores. While students were allowed to transfer to other districts, parents in wealthier and predominantly white districts voiced complaints. The administrators of these higher-performing schools created barriers to prevent the transfer of students from poorer backgrounds.
One parent, Andrea Stopke, voiced her concerns in a petition advocating for a change in the transfer law. She argued that transferring students to other counties was not a solution and that the Normandy and Riverview Gardens school districts had been let down by their own community. She called for the leadership in these districts to take responsibility for the current state of the schools.
In response, state officials took control of the Normandy School District, changed its name, and waived the accreditation requirement. However, they failed to make any meaningful improvements to the schools, simply pretending to start afresh.
In essence, state officials have completely let down the students in Ferguson schools.
