The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion K-14 education would be the smart move

May 3, 2021 at 4:37 p.m. EDT
First lady Jill Biden arrives for a visit to Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Ill., on April 19.
First lady Jill Biden arrives for a visit to Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, Ill., on April 19. (Pool/Reuters)

Regarding the April 30 news article “Biden’s plans for free school are the norm in other nations”:

President Biden’s call for free community college requires an answer to a much larger question: Can the current public education model established in the late 18th century satisfy the time requirements needed to educate our population more than 200 years later?

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Presidents from Ronald Reagan (“A Nation at Risk” report) to George W. Bush (No Child Left Behind Act) to Barack Obama (Every Student Succeeds Act) have taken their turn at calling for reform in K-12 education. While admirable and necessary, these initiatives do not address the time it takes to transmit the body of knowledge and skill-set acquisition requirements needed to live in the world today. Free community college is a step in the right direction. Mandatory K-14 elementary, secondary and postsecondary education would be even better.

Frank Burtnett, Springfield

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