By: Dr. Timothy Matlack, Antietam School District Superintendent
The last 20 years have seen so many changes. Technological advancements continue to push humanity into new and uncharted territory. The field of education in the United States has not been insulated from the progressive drumbeat. It has been marked by a parade of initiatives. No Child Left Behind. Race to the Top. Every Student Succeeds.
Funding has been poured, at differing volumes, into schools, showing a commitment to education. Yet, progress in achievement and actual learning seems more challenging than ever. The problem is not a lack of resources but a misallocation of them. To fully unlock students’ potential, it is essential to optimize how these resources are allocated.
Make no mistake, schools need funding — and in most cases, they need more than they are receiving now. The William Penn School District v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania decision in February 2023 made this abundantly clear. However, it is also accurate to say that simply increasing funding for schools is not likely to be a recipe for success.
School systems that have operated under federal initiatives are now structured to deliver the same outcomes that they have produced over the last 20 years. Driving additional money into the same formula will likely yield more of the same results.
The state and nation must take a hard look at where the substantial investments in education have gone. As the mantra goes, follow the money. Since legislative initiatives have prioritized testing measurements and accountability, this is where schools have placed their focus. It has created the trap that has ensnared our schools, allowing outcomes-driven thinking to outweigh process-driven approaches.
The result is unsurprising; schools have channeled funds into programs and tools promising to increase test scores. Businesses and publishing companies have profited by billions of dollars by offering “a pill for every conceivable ill.”