Public Education: Good Trouble Needed in Leadership

Looking For Good Trouble: Public Education Leadership In The United States

Considering Congressman John Lewis’s tweet from June 2018, “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble,” and the recent anniversary of and the recent anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) outlawing segregated education, I have been reflecting on the current state of public education in the United States and what it would take for our schools to achieve their potential as great equalizers for all students (Pijanowski, 2007). More than 60 years after Brown, our country has not achieved its fundamental goal of creating a public education system free from racial discrimination and providing equal educational opportunities for all students, regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

One of the most commonly held beliefs among mainstream American politicians, community members, educators and policymakers from various ideological backgrounds is that education can uplift disadvantaged groups, alleviating them from poverty and hunger while addressing racial inequality. Undoubtedly, the widely espoused conviction that education of superior quality can pave the way to economic prosperity, which is equally attainable by all Americans, plays a crucial role in legitimizing the hierarchical structure of American society. This belief underpins a meritocratic ideology that explains severe inequality in the United States as the fundamental result of individual differences in ability and effort. Furthermore, this belief is often combined with a linear theory of history, which assumes that society will inevitably become more equitable with each passing generation and considers racism and discrimination against Americans of color to be a historical vestige of a displaced era that will inevitably dissipate over time. Yet, racial disparities in most educational outcomes have remained essentially unchanged (Merolla & Jackson, 2019) and continue to be one of the most important social problems facing the United States. Educational disparities not only hinder progress toward a more equal society but also threaten economic and scientific progress, a sizable portion of Americans are unable to maximize their talents through high-quality education. Despite years of attention to these issues, clear disparities persist in educational attainment (e.g., the highest degree earned) and achievement (e.g., achievement test scores). Worryingly, current data do not indicate a general trend toward greater racial equality in educational attainment or achievement (Merolla & Jackson, 2019).

The achievement gap has been a national concern since the Coleman Report of 1966. The Equality of Educational Opportunity study by James Coleman et al., commonly referred to as the “Coleman Report,” was initiated by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1966 to evaluate the extent to which children from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and national backgrounds had access to equal educational opportunities. The report marked a significant milestone, providing initial empirical evidence regarding disparities in academic performance between African American and Caucasian students on a comprehensive level. Consequently, we possess detailed knowledge regarding the substantial achievement gaps in 1965, prompting us to inquire about the extent of progress made in addressing these disparities in the present day.

The achievement gap is the most serious expression of a lack of equality in our schools, according to the majority of teachers.

Hutchings and Reed (2022) argue: