Looking Back on 45 Years of Education History (repost)

In November, I gave a presentation at the Project’s annual board of directors meeting, attended by some of the most distinguished political and educational leaders in our state. It helped me reflect on my nearly 45 years as an advocate for Kansas education, beginning as a student leader in college, followed by a stint with the Kansas Independent College Association and continuing with my work at KASB since 1990.

It was truly an honor to participate in the Oral History Project, as many of those who asked me to help or sat for a conversation had been more than mentors to me  they are my role models or even my heroes. Listening to the interviews, it’s easy to see why.

I have loved history for as long as I can remember and came to value education and public service as a personal vocation. When I had the chance to move from my hometown of Hays, Kansas, in 1982 to Topeka to lobby for university students, and eventually serve on a school board and work for KASB, it seemed like a dream come true: a chance to witness history in the making, and perhaps even help shape it.

To me, history always seemed to be “before my time.” When I started my career, events like school desegregation, the passage of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Kansas school district consolidation, the creation of special education, etc. seemed like they beloged to a long-ago past. However, I realized that I have now been working in educational policy longer than the period between Brown v. Board of Education and the beginning of my career. The past 35-40 years do not feel like history because I lived through them, focusing on the day-to-day and year-to-year, not the long sweep of change.

The leaders who shaped the last four decades of Kansas education history were invariably modest in interviews, always downplaying their own role and crediting others. That’s a trait I have also seen in the many school board leaders I have worked with. What also united them was a shared desire to improve education in Kansas at every level — to open access, serve more people, increase relevance and improve lives.

How did they do? How do we grade their work? I looked at some long-term trends, both nationally and in Kansas, to see how educational results have changed. Here are a few examples.

In 1940, when my parents were children, only about a quarter of U.S. and Kansas adults had graduated from twelve years of school, and only about five percent had a four-year college degree. By 1970, when I was in school, those rates had more than doubled, to 55% and 11%. By 2023, high school completion had topped 90%, and four-year college completion was over 35%, with over 60%having “any” college completion, such as technical certificates or associate degrees.

In 1980, Black and Hispanic students and women were significantly underrepresented and underserved compared with white students and men. Some gaps remain, but in each case the differences have narrowed. Women now graduate from high school and earn college degrees at a higher rate than men.

In 1980, shortly after I graduated from high school, only about 70% of students graduated in four years. After dropping slightly lower in the 1980s and 1990s, nearly 90% of students graduate in four years today.

As more students graduate high school, more have gone on to complete postsecondary programs of study. At virtually every level of higher learning – technical certificates, two-year and four-year degrees, master’s and doctoral degrees – the number of credentials earned has doubled since the 1970s. In 2000, about three million credentials were awarded nationally; in 2022, it was over five million. Last year, Kansas colleges awarded the most credentials in available history.

These increases have occurred even though the number of students in both the traditional school-age and college-age populations has barely changed, despite the total U.S. population increasing from about 200 million in 1970 to 330 million in 2022. Over that period, public schools have consistently enrolled about 90% of the high school-aged population.

We hear concerns about grade inflation and questions about the worth of a college degree. But overall, every single step of completed education results in higher average earnings and lower poverty rates. The biggest gains in earnings have occurred among those with the highest levels of education. Clearly, employers care very much about continued learning.

Higher educational attainment has had a clear impact on people’s lives. As more Americans and Kansans have earned higher educational credentials, personal and family income levels have increased significantly. Even after adjusting for inflation, the median family income rose 50% since 1970, and per capita disposable income has doubled. While children in families with less educational attainment are much more likely to be in poverty, poverty rates have fallen at almost every level.

To me, this shows that the Kansas education leaders I interviewed have been largely successful. As they would be the first to acknowledge, this success has been made possible by teachers, instructors and other staff; by administrative leadership; by state and local boards; by governors, legislators and other officials; by the taxpayers funding the system; and of course by the parents and students who have chosen to take advantage of the opportunities presented.

This doesn’t mean the work is done. The needs of Kansas students have changed dramatically over these same decades. Incomes for persons and families without postsecondary education have been stagnant or fallen behind inflation. Students from low-income families tend to fall behind their higher-income peers in academic success. The percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, have limited English proficiency or have identified disabilities that impact learning has risen significantly. Those who need education the most for economic and social advancement have the greatest challenges.

Family structure has changed as well. In 1970, a little over 40% of families had no children under 18. Today, that number is 60%. The percentage of families consisting of married couples with children decreased from 50% to less than 30%, and single-parent households doubled to nearly 15%. That means far fewer adults have direct contact with the school system, and the needs of families with children are very different.

It also helps explain why, despite long-term improvement in education, there remain flashing warning lights — declining test scores in recent years, (especially after COVID restrictions); rising social, emotional and behavior challenges among younger children; and persistent differences in achievement among different student groups.

I’ve had the honor of working with too many outstanding educational and political leaders to begin to name. I’ve watched them confront changing social needs by embracing new ideas, finding compromises and building broad public support. Although we live in a very different political climate, I believe those same qualities will be required to meet today’s challenges.

I cannot express strongly enough my gratitude to those who have supported me in the most fulfilling career I could have imagined. Whether at KASB, across Kansas education, in the media or among elected leaders and staff, I have been blessed with friends who made every accomplishment possible and offered guidance through every setback. As I prepare to watch a new generation of leaders take up the cause, I wish them every success. Based on the past, I am confident that even better days are coming.