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Wyoming League for Educational Accountability and Reform Network |
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WyoLEARN |
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“If we could have but one generation of properly born, trained, educated, and healthy children, a thousand other problems of government would vanish. We would assure ourselves of healthier minds in more vigorous bodies, to direct the energies of our nation to yet greater heights of achievement. Moreover, one good community nurse will save a dozen future policemen.”
Herbert Hoover 1930 Address to White House Conference on Children |
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WyoLEARN is an alliance of organizations and individuals from around Wyoming that are focused on one thing—ensuring the best possible education for Wyoming’s children. We believe that all children matter, and that parents need every possible tool and option that we can provide in order to make the best decisions about where and how each individual child is educated. We believe that choice and competition, working hand-in-hand with systemic reform within traditional public schools to ensure rigorous standards, relevant testing, and accountability on all levels—has the best chance of creating an environment where every child thrives.
In 1983, exactly twenty-five years ago, a startling book, “A Nation at Risk,” was published, and first opened our eyes to the problems within the governmental monopoly of public education. At that time, Wyoming school boards were spending less than $5,000 per student. Today, after decades of school finance litigation, and ever-increasing budgets, that amount has increased to nearly $12,000 for every single child enrolled in K-12 today, which ranks us in the top five educational spenders in the Nation.
Yet, when you look at the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores for Wyoming—the revelation can only be described as mediocre, at best. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Thirty-six percent (36%) of Wyoming’s high school graduates who received a Hathaway Scholarship in its first year, lost that scholarship because they could not perform college level work—and required remedial classes to continue. The brutal truth is that far too many of Wyoming’s students are not only failing to learn, but they are dropping out of the system all together. Only 16% of Wyoming’s students ever complete a college education, at all.
The Wyoming Supreme Court has determined that our system of school finance is fair and equitable. Thanks to the incredible mineral-based wealth of the State, we have now clearly determined that money is neither the problem…nor is it the solution, to ensure student achievement and success. We believe that the crisis in educational achievement requires bold action, and multi-faceted approaches to reform.
Wyoming, perhaps more so than the rest of the Nation because of our healthy economy driven by the energy and tourism sectors, is experiencing significant increases in our Latino, Native American, and other “English as a second language” populations. By their own count, Wyoming high schools are losing a third of our students who drop out of the school system all together. Wyoming ranks near the top of the list for teen pregnancy and infant mortality. These statistics underscore the need for diverse and responsive education options.
The potential for new technologies and the educational skills that go along with these technologies will allow Wyoming’s young people to remain in our state and communities, even while pursuing careers outside of agriculture and energy. Who knows what might emerge from Wyoming’s smallest, most remote communities once their citizens’ 21st century creative and entrepreneurial potential are fully unleashed? Jackson Hole second-homers from California should not be the only well-compensated “information workers” connecting from their back decks with a view of Wyoming’s awesome beauty. Students of a “fair and equitable” system of finance based on the wealth of the entire State should be assured of a quality education.
Wyoming’s unique demographics and geography combine to create significant challenges, but we believe by working together, and keeping the light shining brightly on the focal point of our efforts—our children—we can overcome the obstacles of low population, and vast distances by leveraging our wealth, technology, and resources to provide the best possible education for every single child. By doing so, we ensure that the American ideals of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” are within the grasp of every citizen; that our workforce is prepared for the global competition of today, and the realities of tomorrow; and that our future is securely in the hands of a well-educated and prepared populace. |
