Vincent F. Cotter, Ed.D.

In 1970, Apollo 13 radioed to mission control the following message:

“Houston, we have a problem!

With lives hanging in the balance, Gene Kranz, NASA Flight Director, rallied his team to solve the problem. Clearly, “Failure was not an option.”2

Almost fifty-five years later, major cities such as Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, the District of Columbia, and New York struggle annually to reach NAEP proficiency levels.3 Years of data document underperformance in the same schools amounting to thousands graduating in the 30th percentile.4

While lives are not immediately in jeopardy, the long-term negative impact of a poor education is well-known. Unemployment,5 incarceration,6 and other issues which are directly correlated to a poor education have plagued communities for years. Despite this crisis, the annual response from Washington is always a nuanced message that with more funding the variables such as poverty and its spinoffs that contribute to poor achievement might be mitigated in time. Underlying the response is a subliminal message that “Failure is Acceptable.”

Accepting failure in education seems outrageous because it erodes the foundation of our democracy. When placed in the context of the current presidential election there is no other way to interpret it. The economy and immigration have dominated the headlines. Even though education plays a key role in each of these issues, it has been ignored. Despite its importance, neither candidate has made it a focal point. If discussed at all, the solutions are narrowed to eliminating the Department of Education or adopting school choice policies. Both ideas jettison systemic solutions which focus on maximizing the potential of ALL children.

How we educate our children that are currently in our schools and those that have arrived “on our doorsteps” will chart our future. Creating opportunities through a rigorous curriculum that places a priority on performance will only solidify our global position in a world that values knowledge, expertise, technology, and creativity. Understanding our philosophical differences through consensus decision-making that does not require approval of an entire plan by the “majority” but rather an agreement on its key elements.

So, let the call go out once again: “Washington, We Have a Problem!” Be bold!

Know that the success of our country depends on an educated and tolerant populace. We need to create a K-12 strategic plan that focuses on skill development. We need an education curriculum that stimulates a renewal of patriotism and a faith that our institutions will provide them with an “equal playing field” based on skill and knowledge. Failure to do so will result in our incremental self-destruction as a country and a people.

                                                            References

1. Uri, John, “Houston, We’ve Had a Problem,” NASA, April 13, 2020, http://www.nasa.gov>history.
2. Gene Kranz, Failure is Not an Option, New York City: Berkley Publishing, 2020.
   National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), 2022 Reading Trial Urban District Snapshot,” 2022, https://nces,ed.gov/nationsreportcard/subject.
   Ibid.
3. Yifi Qin, “The Relationship between Educational Attainment, Unemployment Rate, and Income Disparity in the United States,” Research Gate, August 17, 2023 (Journal of Education Humanities and Social Science 19:60-64, https//researchgate.net>publication.
4. Gitnux Report 2024, “Education and Incarceration Statistics: Impact on Prison Reform, July 17, 2024, http://www.gitnux.org
   
   Author
   
   Dr. Vincent F. Cotter, Ed.D. is a former Superintendent of Schools, professor, consultant, an American Society for Quality’s Juran Medal recipient for sustained improvement in student achievement, Co-founder of the Exemplary Schools Organization, and author of three Rowman and Littlefield books on school leadership: Performance is Key; Igniting School Performance and Leaning into the Future—Building Beyond the Post-COVID 19 New Normal.