I've Been Accused of being Liberal. Okay I'm laying my cards on the table
Education - Extend the school year. We are behind in terms of education in this country and it is due in large part to the ridiculously short school year and the very low expectations we put on students. We need standards, period, and we need to look at more charter schools and competitive enrollment.
We are behind in education. But to say that it is due "in large part" to the "ridiculously short school year" is an oversimplification of the way educational time is structured.
The school
year isn't nearly the issue that the school
day is. The school day is in more dire need of fixing than the year is.
American school students, comparatively, spend as much or more time in school as most other first world nations. We are short about 2 weeks from the average of other industrialized, western nations. But the school day is longer - so add up the hours and it's negligible.
The school day needs to be shorter in most districts/states. 7:20 am to 2:35 pm is entirely too long - which is what it was when I was teaching in Texas. High schools here, for example, go from 8:45 until 2:45.
195 days vs. 180 days
195 days x 6 hours = 1170 hours
180 days x 7.25 = 1305 hours
So when you want to compare total seat time, U.S. students are in school a fair amount overall.
There are significant impediments, however, to shortening the day and extending the year. Which is what I think should happen. Though, there are issues with operating costs, for example, for everything from busing to cafeteria services to electricity usage. It adds considerable expense to the taxpayers, particularly in the South where summer operating costs are considerably higher. Parents are also - generally speaking - very resistant to any sort of change to the school year or day. It conflicts with arranged vacations, daycare costs, etc... Anytime there is talk about restructuring the school year or day that I've seen personally, the most vocal objections come from parents.
It's not just about a longer year.
As for standards, I am not going to disagree.
But most politicians and legislators understand "standards" in only one sense: measurable, qualitative, narrow analysis. That usually translates to more standardized testing which, more often than not, leads to a
worse enacted curriculum.
If that's the case, I'll pass.
We need real standards increased and enforced. Not some standardized tests where only test publication companies (who make a TON of cash) and typically rich, high-performing schools benefit.
Disagree on the charter schools. At least in its current form. Charter schools are not the panacea that they are touted to be on Republicrat speech circuits. Many charter schools don't have a curriculum that is strong enough or robust enough or well-rounded enough to compare favorably to a strong public or private school.
I'll have to leave it at that.
I've got a meeting to get to in about 5 minutes.
I'll get to my own thoughts on the list later today when I get the chance.
Oh, and not sure what you meant by instituting "more competitive enrollment" either.