Just and Holy Principles

Ever heard of the acronyms NDEA, ESEA, EAHCA, IASA, IDEA, or NCLB? All these represent former or current federal laws that did or do regulate public education in the states. What kind of impact have these laws had on state governments, schools, and students? Has that impact been positive or negative?

You can find answers to these questions in a publication I recently wrote called “Federal Intervention in Public Education: Is It Good for Utah?” Just click on the links that follow:

–Executive summary
–Full report
–Press release

What do you think?

*Photo credit: Raul654

This morning, I took my first trip to a private school. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. My impression of private schools has always been what I’ve seen on TV, so pretty much like the wealthy, uniform-sporting kids on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air who are either spoiled brats or nerdy book worms. Well, the students at Carden Memorial School in Salt Lake City were wearing uniforms, and perhaps some of their parents are wealthy, but they all seemed very “normal” and were very well-behaved — even reverent.

I entered the old brick building following an elderly man in a suit. I figured that continuing to follow him through the school might lead me to the auditorium where the weekly devotional was to be held.

Along the way, he paused to greet each student that he passed individually. “Good morning,” he said. “Good morning, Mr. Jeffs,” each student pleasantly and sincerely replied with a smile.

When we arrived at the auditorium it was empty, except for about twelve adults seated in the back. I soon discovered that they were parents who had come to watch their children participate in the devotional. After a minute or two, dozens of students from about ages 8-14 quietly followed their teachers in a single-file line to their seats where they stood waiting for their other classmates to file in. The boys were dressed in navy blue pants and jackets; the girls wore plaid skirts and navy jackets and most had their hair curled or tied up with a ribbon.

They remained standing as Mrs. Horne, the assistant schoolmaster, welcomed them: “Good morning, students.” In unison they replied, “Good morning, Mrs. Horne.” After singing a hymn-like song, five or so students from Miss Brown’s fifth grade class went to the front of the auditorium to lead the devotional. The first student offered a simple prayer. The second asked the guests to stand and led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance — first in English then in French.

The next student led the other students in reciting “Meditation #9″ about how anger can destroy a person’s soul, remove their inner peace, and master them, so please “O God take away our anger.” The next student shared a verse from Isaiah and the last one recited a poem about what it means to be an American.

Next, Miss Brown led about 25 students to the stage where they recited an inspiring poem called “Myself” by Edgar Albert Guest. As they said the poem, it was as if I could see the students gaining confidence and self-respect by the minute. Then, one of the older girls went to the piano to play a solo. I expected a nice rendition of “Hot Cross Buns” but was surprised when she played the third movement of some difficult piano concerto. Her precision and musical expression amazed me.

Finally, Mr. Jeffs gave a brief account of the E Form (8th Grade) students’ 10-day American History Tour to the Washington, D.C. area. I found myself wishing that I had been able to tag along.

The students then reverently filed out to their classrooms. Just a few minutes later, more students who were much younger and smaller, came in just as quietly, held a similar devotional, and returned to class. I was left to ponder the scene I just had witnessed. I marveled how these young people were not only well-behaved, but they were also happy. They seemed to be overcoming the childishness of youth while still living and loving their childhood.

I wished that I had been able to attend a school like that. My years in the public schools I attended were wonderful and usually productive, especially elementary school, but I wonder if I could have learned so much more — not only about the three R’s and history, music, and art, but also about discipline, love, and respect.

When I left the school, it seemed as if I had stepped out of a dream. I hadn’t imagined that schools like this one really existed, especially in Utah. My account may sound like hyperbole, but my experience this morning truly was unique to me; it transformed my view of how daily life at school can shape a child’s life for good.

Granted, today was just one brief experience at one private school, and a school like this might not be best for every child, but I do hope that my children will have the opportunity to attend a school like Carden Memorial.

What do you think?

A responsible U.S. citizen knows the basics about U.S. government, history, and current events. Are you a responsible citizen? The Intercollegiate Studies Institute recently released a report card on America’s civic literacy. It administered a 33 question quiz about “America’s founding principles and texts, core history, and enduring institutions.” The average grade was an “F” (49%). Here are some of the major findings from the study:

Of the 2,508 respondents to the survey:

People from age 45 to 64 had the highest average score (52%)
People from age 25 to 34 and 65+ scored the lowest (46%)
Males scored 52% and females 45%
Liberals scored 49%, conservatives 48%.
Democrats scored 45%, Republicans 52%, Independents 52%, Other 46%

The average score by highest academic degree attained was:

Doctorate 72%
Master’s 64%
Undergraduate 57%
High School 44%
No High School 35%

Think you can do better than average? Take the quiz here and then enter your score in the poll below.





We can probably all increase our civics knowledge. One good way is to read more about history, government, and current events in books, magazines, newspapers, and online: another is to have more discussions about these topics with family and friends. We have a civic responsibility to do so.

What do you think?

I just finished writing a policy report that addresses the conflict between Utah’s laws regarding enrollment in public high schools and rules that govern the transfers and eligibility of student-athletes. You can click on the link below to read it:

Policies in Conflict: Open Enrollment and Student Athletes

Here’s the situation: Utah’s open enrollment law allows parents to transfer their children to any high school that isn’t full. The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA), a private organization that governs high school sports, has a transfer rule that removes a student’s eligibility to participate in athletics when the student transfers for “athletic motives.” To determine the motives behind a transfer, the UHSAA questions parents, coaches, and school administrators, and holds a hearing to determine the student’s eligibility.

Here’s the question: Should high school students who transfer from one high school to another have to sit out a year before playing sports at their new school?

What if they transfer for academic reasons? What if they transfer for athletic reasons? What if they transfer for a combination of academic and athletic reasons?

Should a private organization like the UHSAA have the authority to decide whether or not students can participate in athletics in public high schools? Are high school extra-curricular activities an integral part of the overall high school experience or just an option to pursue if time and means permit?

You can read my answers (and Sutherland’s) to these questions in the report. We recommend that every student be able to transfer during the summer to any high school they can get into without losing athletic eligibility. Student-athletes who transfer during the school year could participate only in sub-varsity athletics for one year. Students who have to transfer during the school year because of “exigent circumstances” can obtain an exception to the rule and maintain eligibility.

What do you think?

My guess is that most Utahns probably couldn’t tell you how much the state spends on each child’s education or what the average Utah teacher’s salary is. Watch this video from www.utaheducationfacts.com to see how some people responded to questions about education in Utah:

The wide range of responses is surprising. Actually, I take that back. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness about government issues displayed in the clip is common throughout Utah and the U.S. People don’t seem to know many of the facts about education or anything else regarding government, except for things like the amount of their tax refund, the green fee at their local public golf course, or the cost of Sarah Palin’s wardrobe.

As U.S. citizens, we have a civic responsibility to learn all the facts we can, to study, ponder, and discuss ideas, and to make our voices heard to our elected officials. Representative government cannot succeed unless people do these things.

I’ll list just a few facts about education in Utah, and you can find more here. You can find facts about other states here.

Utah Education Facts

1. Average public school class size: 22.2 (national rank #51)
2. Amount spent on public school student per year: $7,700 ($4.3 billion total) (national rank #51)
3. Percent of state budget spent on K-12 public education: 48%
4. Average public teach compensation: $41,086 (salary only); $60,474 (with benefits) (you can see the salary of any employee of the State of Utah here)
5. High school graduation rate: 78.6% (national rank #8)
6. Average ACT score: 21.8 (national rank #23; U.S. average-21.1)
7. Percent of Utahns with a bachelor’s degree or higher: 28.7% (U.S. average-27.5%)

Utah’s public education system faces unique challenges. Utah’s population has a higher percent of children than any other state, which means that even though Utah spends a larger percent of its budget on education than most states, it’s spending per child is the lowest. And, of course, during this recession, funds for education will probably only remain level or decrease. I think Utah’s public education system does a pretty good job with the funding it has, but it still needs a lot of help. I also think that helping people become more aware of the facts will lead to actual solutions to improve education and all aspects of government.

What do you think?

On November 6, 2007, Utahns rejected an education voucher program with a 62 percent majority vote. The program would have given parents from $500 to $3000 per child, depending on their income, to help cover tuition at a private school.

Voucher advocates say that this program could help improve public schools by creating more competition between public and private schools. They also say that parents who choose private education for their children are paying for education twice–once through taxes to fund public schools that they don’t use, and twice for private school tuition that they pay on their own.

In their view, these parents deserve vouchers so they are taxed only once and can afford private education. In my opinion, vouchers would create competition to help improve the quality of education, but I don’t think that parents who choose private education are taxed twice or have a right to receive vouchers.

Education vouchers have potential benefits and negative effects
Since few voucher programs have been implemented, it is hard to know if they work. Here are some of the possible benefits of using vouchers:

1. Greater competition. Public schools might fear losing students and funding to private schools. This competition might encourage them to improve their quality of education to attract and keep the best students, much like the competition between private and public universities today.

Also, private schools can pay teachers based on their performance whereas most public schools have rigid pay schedules. If more money goes to private schools, then they might be more able to attract the best teachers. This would force public schools to find ways to attract and keep good teachers. This competition for good teachers would encourage all teachers to improve their performance in order to get the highest paying jobs.

2. Greater accountability. Today, parents usually send their children to whatever public school the government assigns them. With vouchers, parents could shop around among private and public schools to see which one best fits their preferences. This opportunity to choose might make parents more interested in their children’s education. They would communicate more with schools to make sure their expectations are being met. Schools would try to improve their education quality knowing that parents could send their children and money to another school.

Here are some possible negative effects of vouchers:

1. Greater segregation. Some people argue that vouchers will cause more segregation among religious and ethnic groups and between the wealthy and poor. Voucher users might go to private schools that often have a religious or ethnic focus and separate them from people with other backgrounds. Also, if voucher amounts are too low to help the poor attend private schools, then they will remain in public schools while the well-to-do go to private schools.

2. Less accountability. Many argue that we should not increase funding to private schools since they have little accountability to government. Private schools might provide low quality education or teach children distasteful things. For example, a private school could train children to become white supremacists, terrorists, or thieves.

If the benefits of education vouchers outweigh their negative effects, then states might want to issue them on those grounds alone. But voucher advocates should stop arguing that parents have a right to vouchers because they are being taxed twice.

Government provides lots of services without private subsidies
Public education is like any public service that the government provides, such as parks, garbage collection, or golf courses. You can pay your local government a fee to pick up your garbage, or you can hire a private company to do it instead. You can golf at a public golf course for, say, $12 or go to a country club for $40. You might pay a higher fee for better service, but it’s your choice. We don’t expect the government to pay the higher fees one might choose, or even part of them, for better garbage collection or putting greens, so why do we expect it to pay for private education?

We decide through the political process which public services the government should provide using our tax money. We have decided to provide public education. Parents can choose to use public education or pay the price necessary for private education. Those who choose to purchase private education are paying for both the private service they use and the public service they do not use, but they are not forced to buy the private service–it’s their choice. Citizens who are unsatisfied with any public service can try to improve it through the political process.

Public education can definitely be improved. Voucher advocates are trying to improve it by using vouchers to increase competition. More competition would likely improve many schools in the long-run, but I think we should find ways to improve schools without using tax money to subsidize private education. Any ideas?

Below is the link to an op-ed that I wrote for Pepperdine’s student newspaper the Graphic. Here’s the first paragraph:

Americans must learn to cherish the Constitution
Matthew Piccolo

Many Americans celebrated Constitution Day by attending festive parades, holding scholarly conferences and teaching school lessons on the Constitution. This celebration is fitting given the document’s unique role as a standard of liberty worldwide. Still, many Americans take the Constitution for granted or are ignorant of its principles when, instead, they should appreciate it.

Continue reading…

In 1784, President George Washington said that “the best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail.”

Educated Americans can better care for their health, actively contribute to the livelihood of their communities, and secure higher paying, long-term employment. For instance, on average, high school graduates in the U.S. earn only $25,829 compared to $43,954 for those with a bachelor’s degree, a 39% increase. With a master’s degree, earnings increase 31% more to $57,585 (read more). Educated Americans also benefit the nation as a whole by contributing to GDP, innovating new technology, easing the government’s burden to provide social services, and contributing to deliberation and debate in the public square.

We can educate more Americans
Interestingly, only 27.2% of all Americans have post-secondary degrees. Also, only 6.8% of the twenty nine million Americans living below the poverty line have a bachelor’s or advanced degree. Given the opportunity, a college education would likely help many poor people rise above poverty.

Many Americans elect not to pursue higher education because they lack the desire to pursue it or, to be frank, the work ethic or intelligence to succed in college. But vast numbers of Americans are mentally, physically, and emotionally capable of attending college but cannot even though the number of U.S. degree-granting institutions has increased 128% since 1950, whereas the U.S. population has increased only 87% during the same period. However college tuition seems to constantly rise. For instance, since 1964, in-state tuition for 4 year public universities has increased 217% more than inflation. The average amount of debt at graduation for all students is currently $27,600.

Causes and remedies
Politicians, education policy experts, and college administrators blame rising tuition costs on a lack of funding to public institutions in state and federal budgets, whereas others attribute the increases to amplified pressure on universities to advance in national rankings.

The common response to aiding students with rising tuition costs has been to offer government grants, low-interest loans, and tax incentives. In 2003-04, the government issued grants and/or loans to 63% of all undergraduates. On average, students received $4,000 in grants and borrowed $5,800 (see data). Total government expenditures on education assistance in 2005-06 were $134.8 billion, $12.7 billion of which was for Pell Grants that don’t require repayment and $36.5 billion for Stafford Loans (read more). Also, the House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would halve undergraduate loan rates from 6.8% to 3.4% in the next 5 years (read article).

Hidden Irony
Some analysts believe that federal aid actually increases tuition costs because giving billions of dollars to students allows colleges and universities to raise tuition knowing that students have more funds available than they would otherwise. Furthermore, they argue that much assistance goes to students who have ample money to pay for school (read more).

Education benefits anyone who receives it. But the government should reduce its financial aid to students. Its honest attempts to aid them may put upward pressure on tuition prices. And besides, thousands of private scholarships and low interest loan programs exist to assist needy students. One example is the Perpetual Education Fund (PEF) through which the Church gives low-interest loans to students with the expectation that they reimburse the Church shortly after graduation. This program provides needy members an opportunity to educate themselves but also encourages personal responsibility on the student’s part.

The federal government should allow and encourage private financial institutions and charities to play the primary role in assisting students with financial aid. In this way, students will learn to exercise personal responsibility and the truly needy will receive the help they need to rise above poverty.

What do you think?