Heather Nees wasn't trying to start a spat — or make a point about education — when she made a remark at a recent hearing over school boundaries in Chesterfield. But she inadvertently did both when she said the possibility that her two children might attend different high schools — Cosby and Manchester — left her wondering, "How do I tell one child she's worthy of a [quality] education and the other, not so much?"
The Manchester community, not surprisingly, was miffed. A number of parents said they were offended. One of them, Bettina Roda, said Nees' comments "imply that the teachers at Manchester are not as good as those at Cosby. And how does she know what the quality of education is like at Manchester when she does not have a child who attends the school?"
Indeed. How, for that matter, does any parent know?
Therein lies one argument for the Standards of Learning. Passing percentages give the public at least a vague idea as to whether a school is meeting certain minimal standards. Of course, two schools that vary considerably still can post similar passing rates, especially if one spends all year teaching to the test, just as a sixth-grader and a postdoctoral candidate in advanced mathematics can each score high on basic arithmetic, even though their knowledge of calculus differs greatly.
Virginia's Department of Education also offers school report cards that provide information on teacher certification, rates of violence, and the like — although again, reporting criteria can vary. A school in which every minor incident gets written up can appear more violent on paper than one in which anything less than a stabbing gets ignored.
One of the principal reforms being undertaken in health care these days is comparative effectiveness research, which seeks to find the most cost-efficient ways to treat patients. It has come about thanks to the realization that spending more on health care does not necessarily produce better outcomes. Indeed, one review found that the amount of money spent in a given state correlated inversely with quality: Those with the highest expenditures offered the worst care.
Every patient is different, just as every pupil is different. Even so, ensuring that the maximum benefit is squeezed out of every dollar spent on health care simply makes sense. The same goes for education.
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