Iowa education system must yield to changes

Currently our school system in the U.S. is ranked 25th in the world. The standards set by the Federal Government, by which we are determining success, puts us well below the most educated students globally. We are spending more money each year and still getting poor results.

The current system performed well in the past but based on current results and an ever changing world, it is not capable of meeting the new expectations. We need to compare ourselves to the elite educational systems in the world and set our standards accordingly. Once done, we need to design, build, and fund a system that would outperform the world's best. We can either improve our current system or build a completely new system, but in either case, education in Iowa and the U.S. has to change significantly.

Current teachers can and should play a significant role in the change. Competition is a means to drive change. Competition itself will not make the improvements but it will force the current system to think differently to compete. If the current system is not willing to change on its own to meet the new standards, it will be eliminated and a new system will emerge to meet the global expectations. So, let's stop supporting an obsolete system driven by the Federal Government that is unwilling to change and ask a different question, "How can we best educate our children in Iowa?" This question may drive a better answer.

Keith Burgh

Marion