Statement of AFT President Edward J. McElroy on Comments about American Education System by Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan

Former Chairman Greenspan today delivered remarks critical of the American education system. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — If anyone should know about the importance of targeted investment in systems, Mr. Greenspan should. Many American public schools are the envy of the world – places where students reach high levels of achievement with the help of adequate resources and excellent teachers. Unfortunately, these schools also are the envy of too many communities located right here in the United States that have very different environments for learning. 

More often than not, you reap what you sow. Too many students and teachers struggle mightily to overcome shameful obstacles to learning. Unwieldy class size, inadequate resources and facilities, and off-base education “reforms” all hamper educational returns. Conditions for learning should match our rightfully high expectations for our schools. 

Public schools are central to the economic and social well-being of our country. They should not be an afterthought, laboratories for the latest educational fad or funded on the cheap. What we do today for children attending America’s public schools will pay countless dividends for generations to come in productivity and personal gain.

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