As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s clear we continue to have no public school plan to provide our children with an education which prepares them to fulfill their dreams and our hopes for a better tomorrow. The pandemic has simply highlighted the generational mediocrity of our K-12 publicly supplied indoctrination program. The pandemic has pulled back the veil and exposed bureaucratic string-pulling. For the first time in generations, parents were forced to stay home with their children and witness firsthand the race to the middle being pushed by our state education officials. Understandably, they weren’t happy. They want the best for their children, and so do I! Sadly, over the years there have been a select few parents or groups who have sounded the whistle, but either nothing was done, or Band-Aids were offered to protect the institution. For generations, inner cities have cried for something better — something to break the cycle of failure within their schools. In this letter, I offer solutions which are designed to lift the dreams and opportunities of every young person, thus lifting the hopes of their families and eventually our state, regardless of background, race or learning interest.
One of my best friends, Dr. John Graham, president of the State University of New York at Potsdam and a graduate of life studies from the streets of Harlem, New York, as a child, understood the circle of failure all too well. John would always say, “If you want to go far in life, you MUST physically go far.” To be successful, he believed one needs to get out of the negativity and breathe in the fresh air of positivity. John understood that opportunity seems unreachable for so many young people trapped in this vicious cycle, forced to attend poor-performing schools. Simply put, this is wrong and unacceptable.
You may ask yourself: How do the inner-city education failures equate to Delaware’s schools? Both are failing. One is boiling faster than the other, but nonetheless, both continue to boil. Parents throughout the state are forced/trapped in failing systems with little voice or choice. These past pandemic educational years have shown a unity of two very different worlds with one common concern. We all care deeply for our children’s future, and we must identify the need for an education overhaul. One that removes the power from the current education bureaucracy and gives it to parents, families and their communities.
Educational freedom is needed. What is educational freedom? Educational freedom allows a parent/family the freedom to enroll their student in the school of their choice. Public, private, home school, vocational school, localized magnet school and tutoring should all be included. Educational freedom utilizes all the new technologies to ensure our students never lose valuable learning time to a pandemic or challenging event ever again. For those who thrive in virtual learning, they can have that avenue. But for those who struggle in a remote-learning environment, perhaps smaller, more localized schools are the answer.
It’s not just about different buildings and places, but teachers must be allowed to focus on the foundational segments of a high academic standard: reading, writing, arithmetic and civics. Standards must be challenging and worthy of a young child’s dreams. No child ever thinks, “When I grow up, I want to make minimum wage!” To that point, our societal passing grade should be creating the opportunity for obtaining young-minded dreams, and failing is the continuation of the minimum wage. When our government votes to increase the minimum wage, they have admitted that our education system can do no better. It’s the easy answer for them. It’s the reluctance to repair a broken, low-performing system. It is my dream that the minimum wage is a thing of the past because we have performed our duty and provided a dream-worthy education for our future.
Learning never stops in our lives, but taking lessons from the past to ensure the academic day goes to plan is crucial. We called it home-training when I was young. This was delivered primarily by our parents. Being a young person brought up in a single-parent home, I understand the support that’s needed to bring up quality young people. In the event a family is in need, our churches, Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCAs, YWCAs, Cyber Street and so many amazing after-school learning centers should be the place where such programs are available. Once again, YOU have the freedom of choice for where your student is enrolled.
How do we pay for educational freedom? Here’s the great part: We already are. As taxpayers, we currently spend over $15,000 per student. This ranks close to the top 10 states in per-student spending in the country. Delaware currently ranks No. 24 in the U.S. in terms of educating our students. This is the definition of mediocrity, and it’s insanity. I believe that whether you’re failing a little or failing a lot, you’re still failing. I’m running for senator in the 14th District to ensure we have a future, and in my book, our future starts with a great education and trusting YOU!
Mark R. Pugh
Candidate for 14th State Senatorial District
