Public school systems in the U.S. are maligned for the failure of K-12 achievement on the basis of state-to-state and international comparisons. The failures are very familiar to those who observe the plight of some of the country's school systems.

Public education operates under the auspices of the states. The federal government is not charged with running school systems due to the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This Amendment delegates education to the states. Presidential candidates may campaign on the basis of fixing "ailing" schools, but those are essentially campaign speeches with optional add-ons.

What public school systems must do, as is done in many private and independent schools, is to have students more engaged in their learning. What ails public education is not so much insufficient resources or lack of time in the day to teach, they need more focused practices that will provide them with tangible and applauded achievement outcomes.

School districts across the nation demonstrate success with benchmarks and anticipated school outcomes, oftentimes in supposedly underperforming schools. In schools with high percentages of students of color and/or those on free- and reduced-price lunch programs, they must use innovative scripts to engage students. These schools have (1) creativity aplenty, (2) parental involvement, (3) high expectations for teachers and students, and (4) engaged teaching practices.

South Carolina is among the states where policies and practices will certainly reduce the achievement gap over the next decade. Current initiatives underway or about to be by the State Board of Education and the Education Oversight Committee are Montessori schools, virtual learning, single-gender classrooms, a revamped statewide testing program, pre-kindergarten, etc.

Said American author-journalist H.L. Mencken (1880-1956): "The best teacher, until one comes to adult pupils, is not the one who knows most, but the one who is most capable of reducing knowledge to that simple compound of the obvious and the wonderful which slips into the infantile comprehension." An accomplished teacher is fully able to engage his students.

These seven suggestions are to engender K-12 education practices that will have learners more focused and determined to reach or exceed academic and other expectations held for them:

1. National Board Ce.jpgied teachers are to alternate between underperforming schools and schools elsewhere. Each of these teachers receives $10,000 in annual bonus money. Use them.

2. Educational situations are to experience zero tolerance. Remove disruptive and misbehaving students from classrooms. They are to be temporarily educated elsewhere.

3. Brandi Brown, a South Carolina State University teacher education major, proposes that parents and children engage in "collaborative" homework assignments. This works.

4. Assign teachers to schools on the basis of strengths. They are paid additionally.

5. Create leaders among school personnel. The "leaders" might not be administrators.

6. Where school uniforms are the norm, teachers, counselors and administrators are to wear uniforms for school pride, and subliminal school unity messages.

7. Programs are used to empower students for academic success and allied ways.

Fixing "ailing" U.S. public schools will be lengthy and arduous. But getting the attention of students through engaging practices will go a long way toward fixing problem areas.

Reach T&D Columnist Howard D. Hill, PhD., via educationconsultant@sc.rr.com.

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