Basic Values in Education Policy

1. Basic Values in Education Policy Mr. Cleon M. McLean Department of English Ontario High School

2. Conflict of values • The nexus of the problems in American education is genesis in the conflict of values. • Two questions which underpin this conflict of values: • 1. What should be taught? Who should teach it? • Schools allocate… • resources—revenues, programs, professions • values—e.g., teaching Americanism • Thus, school systems must act politically, because they must choose which demands to favor and which to reject

3. four pillars of education policy 1. Quality—this value is instrumental, a means to another value goal, namely, the fulfillment of diverse human purpose that make life worth living and individuals worthwhile (Kirst & Wirt, 2009, p. 69). 2. Efficiency—this value takes two forms: economic (e.g., pupil-teacher ratio) and accountability (e.g., the budgetary process). It serves the goal of responsibility for the exercise of public authority (p. 70). This value reinforces all others, except choice. It is designed to realize quality and equity goals (p. 71).

4. four pillars of education policy 3. Equity—this value is underlain by another and more basic value—fairness in the receipt of benefits needed for a better life (p. 70). 4. Choice—this value can inherently oppose all values, because nothing in the other values compels one to select them (p. 70). The exercise of choice can—and has—rejected quality programs and equity programs in education (p. 71).

5. Reference Kirst, M. W., & Wirt, F. M. (2009). The Political Dynamics of American Education. Ed. 4th.. Richmond, CA: McCutchan Publishing Corporation.