Three Keys To Improving Education

Few policy discussions are more important—and contentious— than the issue of education. In this ongoing debate, whether the topic is traditional public schools, public charter schools or universal prekindergarten, we must remember that we are ultimately talking about children, especially children in neighborhoods that feel the full impact of poverty. Too often our politics get bogged down by sideshows or by cheap political points at the expense of progress and concrete transformative initiatives. But in this historic moment, we cannot allow politics to get in the way of our children’s education—in essence, our nation’s future. Now is the time to implement effective state policy to improve our education system and really open possibilities for minority students. Implementing universal prekindergarten, increasing education spending and supporting charter schools need not be competing ideas. They can all contribute in strengthening and supporting a more comprehensive education system. 

Creating access to high quality education and giving every child the opportunity to succeed academically and socially should be our principal goal. We can make great strides in this process with three fundamental commitments: 

(1) We must make a long-term commitment to universal prekindergarten. The existing data is clear: It convincingly shows the positive impact that quality early childhood education can have on a child’s academic development and success. For our society to address and close the persistent achievement gap in the performance of students in lower- income neighborhoods, we must give every 4-year-old child in New York the opportunity to enter school ready to learn. A child from Crown Heights in Brooklyn or Mott Haven in the Bronx or Black Rock in Buffalo deserves to have access to the same educational resources and opportunities as any other child from the wealthiest parts of our state. 

(2) We must ensure equity in education. At the core of our educational crisis lies the issue of inequity. We can ensure equity by demanding fair allocations of resources to all our schools. Clearly, the ways resources are divided has contributed to “leaving behind” children who live and attend schools in lower-income communities. Schools in poor communities often have fewer computers, meager libraries and outdated textbooks, among other issues. We must fund all our schools equitably in order to equip every child with the knowledge and skills that will help them to succeed in the new world market economy. 

(3) We must acknowledge that charter schools do have a place and a role in a comprehensive education system. The overwhelming majority of our students will attend traditional public schools, and public schools will remain the primary vehicle for educating our citizenry. Charter schools are not a magical panacea to fix all that’s wrong with education. Yet they have proven to be successful in educating children who often would be trapped in a school that is failing or in decline. When parents are deciding where to send their children to school, they simply want to find the very best option for their child and their family, whether it is a traditional public school or a public charter school. 

The educational challenges we face are not new. It has been three decades since the National Commission on Excellence in Education published the report A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. Since then there has been a dizzying array of national reforms to fix America’s education crisis overall. We have transitioned from No Child Left Behind to Race to the Top, yet the educational crisis for our neediest students has not been resolved. 

Our children’s future, which means our city and state’s future, is at risk. All stakeholders must work diligently to help create a comprehensive educational system where every child receives a high quality education regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status.

Assemblyman Karim Camara, who represents parts of Crown Heights, Lefferts Gardens and East Flatbush in Brooklyn, is chair of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.