Choice and Accountability or Equity and Shared Responsibility for American Schools?

According to Michael Fullan, countries struggling to move ahead in education use the wrong propellers or drivers. He says instead of professionalism they use accountability; instead of collegiality they use “individual teacher quality”; instead of pedagogy, they use technology; instead of systems thinking, they use fragmented strategies. The model of Finland clearly proves that educational success for children must focus on shared responsibility and equity and not choice and accountability (Sahlberg, 2012). Interestingly, America has emphasized accountability, assessments, and choice as the vehicles through which to achieve student proficiency. The problem is that accountability, assessments, and choice are not the answers. Equity, social justice and shared responsibility as the Finland schools embrace, connote responsibility from humanity that requires moral goodness. Choice and accountability are indicative of the American “have it your way” lifestyle which are cloaked in selfishness, and liability. This eliminates the moral responsibility for equal education for all Americans.

The article "A Model Lesson" by Pasi Sahlberg addresses Finland schools as schools where lessons can be learned. She emphasizes that choice and competition do not lead to educational success but rather education must be viewed as a shared responsibility and with equity for all children. Finland is said to have the most educated citizens in the world as their egalitarian approach to educating their citizens has proven exemplary as educational opportunities are not based on societal status. They serve as a model for the United States and others for showing that equal education is possible. Over the past thirty years Finland has gone from mediocrity to being a strong model for the world to see. They are an equitable system showing little to no variation in student performance. This is achieved by using a reasonable resources with an emphasis on social justice while providing early interventions with those needing additional attention while exchanging between social and health sectors as Finland is a democratic welfare state (Darling-Hammond, 2010). Free lunches, social welfare services, and support for special need students is not new to the United States; however, holistic approaches with the incorrect strategies is; and will not produce success. As Finland takes great pride in their public education, the United States is in the process of seeking to end public education while privatization is being thrust upon school age children.

In 1972, a new “peruskoulu” of Finland was implemented focusing on social justice and equality where a merger of all civic schools, grammar schools, and primary schools occurred to become municipal schools. The previous placement of students ended and the placement of students regardless of social-economic status, domicile, or interest enrolled in the same schools run by the government authorities. The old structure focused on everyone cannot learn and that talents were not equally distributed within society as the new structure is diametrically opposed to the old. Critics said the plan was not possible with so many backgrounds into one place; however, the plan prevailed and the National Curriculum for the Comprehensive School” was what led the content, pace and the organization through Finland. Special education needs were identified and treated early on (Sahlberg, 2012).

Differentiated tools were provided for students of different abilities and personalities for the first several years of the program as options were provided in math for ability levels but then by 1985, all ability groups were abolished for all subject matters and since then, students have the same syllabi and curriculum. As education became compulsory, so became career counseling to provide systematic counseling on career options after school. The new comprehensive schooling belief was that all students can learn if provided the opportunity and support while acknowledging that learning through the diversity of humans is a goal as schools function through small democracy cells. This is borrowing off of the belief of John Dewey. Teachers were encouraged to perceive teaching as a high profession as they differentiate learning for students through well designed environments. This led to increased teacher reform for high-quality instruction and professional development for teachers (Sahlberg, 2012).

Standardized testing is not the focus for instruction but rather instruction is viewed as the key element for student success. Teachers are encouraged to individualize their teaching approaches for achieving student success. Finland, Japan, Canada, and Korea are known to produce consistent student results regardless of socioeconomic status. In the 1980’s, learning expectation became equal for all students resulting in a decrease in gaps between high and low achievers. The consistent focus on shared responsibility and equity instead of choice and competition created a climate for all children learning better. The special education process does not carry a stigma as approximately one third of students were in alternative programs as 23 percent of their students were enrolled in part time special education during the years 2009-2010 as they focused on curing dysfunctions and the remaining 8.5 percent were in permanent special education schools or groups, or classes. Over the past ten years, that number has doubled and half of the students who complete compulsory education by sixteen years of age have had special education at some point (Sahlberg, 2012).

Contributing to the success of Finland’s schools are the facts that child poverty is less than four percent of the population as compared to the United States where the levels are 20 percent. The welfare state pays a big role in providing equitable conditions for families and children. Repeating grades is viewed as demoralizing and not efficient for fixing social or learning deficiencies and does not allow one to focus on areas needing help. Retention cast a negative shadow on the individual even into adulthood. Grade repetition leads mostly to social inequalities rather than allowing students to overcome learning problems. The principal that all students can achieve the common educational goals if organized individualized learning and instruction takes place is foundational which means that ability grouping and retention are viewed as negative approaches for fixing problems. Finland’s minimizing the grade retention is due to the special education emphasis which is integral to all Finland schools (Sahlberg, 2012).

The problem is that although the United States intended the basis of NCLB to be for providing equitable opportunities for all students regardless of socioeconomic status, NCLB has failed the American students. Americans know that Race to the top with emphasis on competition as in a race, and NCLB’s emphasis on accountability and assessments are not what are needed for producing a successful educational system. The idea of shared responsibility and equality in education connote social justice and requiring human goodness. Unfortunately, America enjoys the idea that various socioeconomic levels exist, including extremes, from the elite to those who live in extreme poverty. To develop a system requiring moral goodness would contradict what American society has represented. Having a more compassionate society where everyone takes on a responsible role as to be his brother’s keeper to ensure social justice is not an integral part of American society as social justice has been and is far reaching. America keeps trying to fix an educational system that is broken and corrupt, to make something good. Good cannot occur when the very foundation is corrupt. Since the foundation has been inequality and racism, affecting all decisions, how can American schools ever become model schools? The motives must first be pure without perpetuating any race or ethnicity. Replacing what has deteriorated with substitutes (charter schools) will not fix the problem. American policy makers must realize that we are falling far behind other nations who have adapted social justice as their agenda and not competition or accountability. I believe that success will be the byproduct of goodness as we genuinely seek to do what is right for all American children.