"This is not a skill problem, this is a will problem. Does America have the will to make education a priority? We know the things that work. Why don't we scale up those things that do work"
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The line draws a sharp distinction between technical know-how and collective resolve. America does not lack research on how to improve schools; it lacks the sustained commitment to put proven ideas into place at scale, especially where need is greatest. Tavis Smiley, long focused on the intersection of poverty, race, and public policy, presses a moral point: the barriers are political and cultural, not simply pedagogical.
The evidence is not mysterious. High-quality early childhood education boosts later achievement. Well-prepared, well-supported teachers raise learning more than any gadget or mandate. High-dosage tutoring can close gaps quickly. Principals who are instructional leaders lift entire campuses. Smaller classes in early grades matter, as do rigorous, coherent curricula and culturally responsive teaching. Community schools that integrate health, mental health, and family supports help children who carry the weight of instability into classrooms. None of this is speculative.
So why the gap between knowledge and reality? Fragmented governance and property-tax-based funding produce deep inequities that are politically hard to unwind. Short election cycles reward quick wins and flashy pilots, not decade-long capacity building. Polarized culture wars drain energy from bread-and-butter improvements. Districts cycle through initiatives without the training and time required for fidelity. Grant-dependent programs vanish when the grant does. Scaling requires unglamorous infrastructure: teacher pipelines, mentoring, data systems, stable leadership, and trust with communities. It also requires redistribution toward schools serving the poorest students, which confronts entrenched interests and historical racism.
To say this is a will problem is to demand choices that reflect stated values. Will looks like committing to equitable funding formulas and sticking with them through recessions. It looks like prioritizing tutoring, early learning, and teacher development over fads, and protecting schools from ideological whiplash. It means measuring what matters beyond test scores, acknowledging that results take time, and holding leaders accountable for coherence and scale. The path is known. The question is whether there is the courage to walk it steadily, everywhere, not just in a few pilots that make good headlines.
The evidence is not mysterious. High-quality early childhood education boosts later achievement. Well-prepared, well-supported teachers raise learning more than any gadget or mandate. High-dosage tutoring can close gaps quickly. Principals who are instructional leaders lift entire campuses. Smaller classes in early grades matter, as do rigorous, coherent curricula and culturally responsive teaching. Community schools that integrate health, mental health, and family supports help children who carry the weight of instability into classrooms. None of this is speculative.
So why the gap between knowledge and reality? Fragmented governance and property-tax-based funding produce deep inequities that are politically hard to unwind. Short election cycles reward quick wins and flashy pilots, not decade-long capacity building. Polarized culture wars drain energy from bread-and-butter improvements. Districts cycle through initiatives without the training and time required for fidelity. Grant-dependent programs vanish when the grant does. Scaling requires unglamorous infrastructure: teacher pipelines, mentoring, data systems, stable leadership, and trust with communities. It also requires redistribution toward schools serving the poorest students, which confronts entrenched interests and historical racism.
To say this is a will problem is to demand choices that reflect stated values. Will looks like committing to equitable funding formulas and sticking with them through recessions. It looks like prioritizing tutoring, early learning, and teacher development over fads, and protecting schools from ideological whiplash. It means measuring what matters beyond test scores, acknowledging that results take time, and holding leaders accountable for coherence and scale. The path is known. The question is whether there is the courage to walk it steadily, everywhere, not just in a few pilots that make good headlines.
Quote Details
| Topic | Teaching |
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