February 2015

Since the Great Recession, economic development has dominated statewide priorities. Now, it is education’s turn. What a great opportunity. Yet, while improving education seems like something everyone can get behind, the issue is as divisive as ever.

No matter how the statistics are framed, there are those who want more to challenge the numbers than to engage in an honest discussion about making things better. New York state remains the most costly state as measured by per pupil spending, yet it ranks around 32nd out of 50 in nationwide math and reading results. The return on investment alone is one which should get everyone to simply ask: Are we doing the best we can? Instead, in some quarters, the reaction to the governor’s State of the State address last month and his call for just that – doing better – has been less than welcoming. There are headlines about “battle lines” and angst about “agendas.” As characterized in a recent ad campaign: It’s a war. Luckily, there are many who do welcome an open dialogue on helping the ones who should matter most – the students.

Among the issues we think need to be discussed are these:

  • Are we preparing students to the best of our ability to live and work in the 21st century?
  • Is the money – now at $60 billion annually – distributed fairly?
  • Is the property tax the smartest way to fund schools?

The list goes on – and it touches on everything from relevant job skills to the chasm between a high school diploma to the troubling remediation rate that community colleges report with some 50 percent of incoming students lacking basic skills. There is not a person in the Hudson Valley who shouldn’t want to be involved in this discussion. Every individual or business has a stake in both the input and the outcome of this discussion. Here in the Hudson Valley, schools demand the largest single source of taxation; that alone needs abundant attention. Yet we remain astonished by how little people feel connected to public education. It is as if schools are on another planet unless of course you have a child who attends one or you are employed by one.

This conversation is all-inclusive, or should be. When the governor pointed out the incredibly low percentage of students in grades 3-8 that are proficient in math and English and then tied it to the incredibly high number of teachers that are rated effective, he clearly struck a nerve. The discussion should be: How do all of us help to create a better outcome? Do teachers have the tools they need to succeed? How about we find and test new models for equitable, effective funding and for higher levels of student achievement?

These issues describe why Pattern announced last year that it would prioritize its resources to more fully join this discussion with the hope of advancing it. As always, we welcome all help and suggestions. We want New York State to be known as having the best schools. This is part of the equation as to why people might once again choose New York state as the place to work and raise their families. That is an equation that has been at the heart of Pattern’s work in the Hudson Valley for 50 years now.

This is not a time to declare war but a time to seek a peaceful, thoughtful dialogue on how we educate our children. The door of opportunity has opened on this discussion, let’s all walk through it together.

Jonathan Drapkin is the president and CEO of Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress, a nonprofit research, policy and planning group that seeks regional solutions to increase the vitality of the region. He can be reached at .