It is really important to identify the education “issues” because this is the first step in the process of solving them. Like in Mathematics, the very first step in solving a problem is to identify the unknown.

I like how the Public School Forum of North Carolina listed these issues:

• develop highly paid opportunities for teachers to advance in their careers without leaving the classroom
• consider revising school performance scores to include indicators of college and workforce readiness and schools’ effectiveness closing achievement gaps
• support rigorous professional development for classroom teachers to implement new standards
• emphasize quality and equity in school choice
• ensure all children and youth have access to a variety of quality Expanded Learning Opportunities
• increase innovation in competitive grants for afterschool programs
• change the conversation toward valuing teachers as professionals
• continue to strategically increase per-pupil spending
• emphasize preparation of teachers to integrate new technologies into the classroom
• promote a balanced assessment system that includes formative and summative assessments