The Value of Education

Educational decisions are often dictated with the cost or bottom line. But let's ask ourselves, "How much are our children worth?". One decision that should never be determined by cost are the tools in which we are putting in the hands of our teachers to ensure student success.

As a reviewer and Klawe Fellow with Ed Reports, I have been able to spend hours reviewing materials and determining what is and is not High-Quality. EdReports.org uses educators as a resource for rigorous, independent, and public reviews of instructional materials. EdReports has evaluated more than 100 curricular programs and gained a national reputation as a trusted source regarding the quality of K-12 instructional materials. Information empowers educators and districts to seek, identify and demand high-quality materials so that students at all levels in every district and state are prepared for the future. High-quality materials don’t necessarily cost districts or states more but often have bigger pay-offs. (Poliko and Koedel, 2017) Another report finds that High Quality materials are 40 times for cost effective than lower class sizes.

Furthermore, when districts don’t provide High-quality materials, teachers often hunt for them on-line, leading to inconsistent quality that impacts low income students the most. Additionally, research suggests that the average student spends 581 hours of 720 available hours on assignments that are not high-quality and rigorous.

My children and students deserve our very best. They are the ones who will shape our state and nation in the coming years. I can think of no better investment, then in our children and our future. Ensuring teachers are supported and provided with High-quality materials are the keys to creating a nation of readers and future educators.