A Tale of Two Schools & the Growth of Classical Education

Tragedy and triumph are terms that fairly describe the stark contrast between two public schools: one an inner-city school in Chicago and the other a public charter school in Lewisville, Texas. While these are just two examples among the nearly 96,000 public schools in the U.S., they represent both the worst of education in the bluest cities and the best in the diverse world of charter schools.

Chicago’s Frederick Douglass Academy could be a poster child for the most dysfunctional public schools in the country. A Fox News op-ed by Heritage Foundation research fellow and Americans for Fair Treatment senior fellow, Corey DeAngelis, called the Frederick Douglass Academy High School a “ghost school” among many similar schools in the city. He writes: “Built to accommodate 1,008 students, the school now enrolls just 27, yet it remains open with 28 full-time employees — more staff than children.”

Technology Falling Out of Favor in Schools

Parents, pundits, politicians, researchers, and educators have for years debated the role of technology in the classroom. While the trend took off in the early 2010s, it became nearly universal during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were closed and children were forced to sit in front of computer screens all day at home, often without parental supervision.

In the years since, cell phones, laptops, and other electronic equipment have dominated the public schools in particular, with minimal academic progress to show for it and test scores that have continued to slide. The real winners are the tech manufacturers, including laptop makers such as Lenovo and Dell. And according to an April 10 Fortune article, Google has benefitted from sales of its Chromebook laptops to schools, ringing up $14 billion in global sales and capturing 60% of the education market share worldwide.

Then and Now: Lost Courses, Lost Traditions, Lost Childhood

In the not-too-distant past, schools were less focused on political activism, gender ideology, and test scores, and as a result, there was time for classes like shop, vo-tech, home economics, typing, and the arts. Students spent their high school years taking for granted such things as driver’s ed, basic computer skills training, and senior class rings.

Of course, the majority of students today have been using computers since they were toddlers, but for those who haven’t, a course in basic skills could still be helpful. And driver’s education in the junior and senior years of high school taught students more than just how to safely operate a motor vehicle, it also familiarized them with traffic signage and laws and instilled a sense of responsibility.

College Degrees Losing Favor in U.S.

In a recent Issues & Insights I&I/TIPP poll, 59% of American adults said they no longer believe a college education is worth the cost to students and their families. Just 24% of survey respondents said higher education “is worth the cost,” and 16% “weren’t sure.” By comparison, in 2013, 70% of U.S. adults considered college worth the cost.

I&I/TIPP’s results further showed that the major racial groupings all agree “a college education doesn’t give enough value to make it worthwhile.” Among whites, 61% said a degree is not worthwhile, with 22% disagreeing. Among blacks and Hispanics, 55% said a 4-year degree does not provide enough value, while 30% said it does.