Cheating Our Kids Exposes the Real Problems in America's Public Schools

Joe Williams' book Cheating Our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education (Palgrave Macmillan, October 2005) is a well-researched, powerful, and compelling book that every parent should read. Moreover, teachers, administrators, and other public school district employees should read this book to better understand the complex relationships within the system of government controlled public schools. Williams primary assertion is that parents and children must be treated more like valued customers in this system. America's education troubles are where they are today because of the status quo that has consistently put children last-when they should be the ultimate focus. He cites numerous examples of verified waste and overspending by different departments and interests within notable school districts. Williams focuses mainly on the state of urban education in America's major cities, with his research mainly on Milwaukee, New York City, and San Diego, with additional examples from Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Washington D.C. Examples from suburban and rural districts are also included, but very few, since Williams main intent is to expose the long-term corruption that has occurred in the largest and oldest school districts in the country. However, many of the same issues and concerns can just as easily be found in suburban districts, just not always to the same extreme. In 12 chapters, he dissects the issues and provides strong supportive evidence for each major point, not afraid of emphasizing his editorial ideas, especially with chapters entitled "The Public Education Cartel", "No Vendor Left Behind", "Democrats & Republicans (But Mostly Democrats)", and "Friends with Deep Pockets".

Williams dissects each facet of the system-including School Boards, administrators, and teachers unions-to show how they do not always work in the best interests of the students. For example, in the chapter "Plight of the Teachers", Williams writes, "Rather than promoting the idea of risk-taking and the otherwise unconventional, the bureaucratic mindset has everyone moving at the same pace, complying with the same regulations, and getting the same less-than-stellar results. I haven't met anyone who hates the school bureaucracy more than the teachers who have to work alongside it everyday. Unlike teachers union, whose interests rest primarily with protecting jobs and benefits for their members, it is individual classroom teachers who have the best chance of putting the needs of students at the top of their agenda." Williams recognizes the limited power teachers hold-outside of their individual classrooms-to impact the educational system. And even some of the power within the classroom is limited, such as the case when textbooks are simply not available or the school building is in disrepair. As Williams states, "When the bureaucracy does little more than to create constant roadblocks for teachers, it ultimately impacts their ability to do their best teaching."

Another interesting argument is how money is spent through vendors of the school system. For example, Williams cites how the New York City school system spent over $10,000 every month for sidewalk scaffolding around the school buildings that were most in need of repairs. Rather than investing that money in renovation budgets, an extraordinary amount was spent to protect pedestrians month after month with no repair work occurring. Finally, it was exposed that the original leasing fee with the scaffold supply vendor was not even fair market value. Eventually, a new fee was negotiated-for $3,000 a month-however, some repairs on schools were still not completed. Other examples include technology, computer, and food service vendors who finesse deals with districts, overcharge for services, and under deliver the goods-or simply provide poor quality service from the beginning. The enormous amount of federal, state, and local money which funds public schools is carefully analyzed by Williams in terms of how that money actually works to directly serve students. Using numerous examples, Williams shows how commonly that money is used to serve the adults controlling the system, who ultimately benefit financially and through increased clout and status power.

Williams is especially adept at exposing the political maneuverings of the teacher unions. His cited examples from notable cases in Milwaukee, New York, San Diego, and in other urban school districts, convincingly show that the unions do not advocate for the student's needs. Since unions exist to protect jobs and the workers' rights, the needs of dues-paying adults are first and foremost. However, the union message is sometimes crafted to project a child-centered approach. For example, the debate over publicly funded charter schools and vouchers. Unions protest these initiatives on the grounds that it will take money from students in the public schools. Meanwhile, the fact that charter schools provide a greater number of options (and often improved ones) for students and parents is ignored. The underlying motive of the unions protest is that money diverted away from the traditional system. William states, "Charter schools offer a strong opportunity to expand public school options, but they are under attack from teachers union in many areas because they often require teachers to work without a bulky labor contract." It seems fear of loss of power, the unknown, and fear of change is what fundamentally motivates protest from the unions. Rather than advocate for more creative options for public school systems and ways to best teach students and meet their educational needs, the unions exist solely to protect the interests of the adult teachers in the system. Each full-time teacher contributes hundreds of dollars each year in union dues-a requirement in most cases. Multiply that by the thousands of members in a city union, and that is major revenue. No wonder the National Education Association has the budget funds to support various political campaigns throughout the nation. Although Williams appears sympathetic to teachers, he does not shy away from blatantly exposing the union's role in keeping members in job positions no matter what-even if that means poor-performing teachers remain in positions year after year.

The greatest strength of Williams's book is his message to parents and the empowerment it brings. As cliché as the saying is, knowledge really is power for parents-especially in districts at-risk for losing control of tax-payer dollars. William deconstructs the system for parents, destroying the mysterious bureaucratic processes that an outsider would otherwise never learn. He offers encouragement and concrete advice for parents who want to have a voice and make difference. For example, Williams states, "Refuse to support any politician who sides with the big people over the little people within the school system." This advice comes in the final chapter, entitled "Parent Power", and is devoted to summarizing the book's major arguments and providing ideas and resources to help parents become an effective advocate for their children's education. Williams entire focus and purpose is an effort to advocate for parents' right to choose the best school and education experience for their children. However, when the current available system isn't working for urban parents, the solution is either escaping a poor system by paying for a private school education or affording relocation to the suburbs and the better system there.

In an effort to advocate for all families, no matter what the income, Williams provides twelve rules for parents who want to make a difference and have more control over the quality of public education their child receives. For instance, rule #2 is: "If you don't blow the whistle on school problems, no one will." Williams shares a story of a parent who wouldn't let up on exposing the fact that her child's school in NY did not have working, usable bathrooms. "The culture of most public schools doesn't allow for risk taking on the part of employees. Teachers and administration aren't usually lining up to put their jobs on the line by calling attention to failure," Williams states. For each rule, Williams provides specific ideas and case examples. Rule 11 states, "If you tried steps 1 through 10, and your kids still aren't a priority, it's time to demand your tax money back . . . Offering real parental choice-whether in the form of interdistrict public school choice, charter schools, or private school vouchers-is the only way to allow those who don't have power in the traditional sense to control their child's destiny."

Overall, Cheating Our Kids is a valuable resource for parents-the main target audience-but also for business leaders and anyone interested in being involved in public education reform. Through revealing anecdotes, statistics, and stories that shed light on the real people involved in the struggle, Williams provides a meticulous portrait of the major players in America's education "crisis". Williams goes beyond the original news story; he seeks out the sources and reveals the before and after effects. After 239 pages of riveting analysis and case examples, 17 pages of notes are included with primary source details. Any parent, whether living in the suburbs or in an urban setting, should read this book. Even if that parent is employed by the school district, this book challenges readers to question the bureaucratic system, issues of equity, and whether or not children truly come first in the complex and costly system of public education.

* * *
Chapter titles from Cheating Our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education:
1. Children Last
2. Public Education, American Style
3. The Public Education Cartel
4. The Plight of Teachers
5. No Vendor Left Behind
6. The Elephant in the Room
7. Democrats & Republicans (But Mostly Democrats)
8. Friends with Deep Pockets
9. The Corporate Role in Reform
10. Leadership and Voters
11. Kids Can Come First
12. Parent Power