It is well known that among families applying for U.S. EB5 investment immigration, 80% do so for their children's education. Therefore, today we will discuss education in the United States.
The principles emphasized by the education and learning methods in the United States are: freedom, independence, self-directed learning, emphasis on understanding, and practicality. However, American education is not perfect; it is one of the best forms of education in the human experience. The number of Nobel Prize winners and the amount of billion-dollar innovations that come from the United States demonstrate that it is worth learning from.
(1) Unique American Education System: Federal Education Administration + State Education Administration + Local Education Administration
The American education system operates through a combination of federal, state, and local education administrations, primarily managing and supporting education through congressional advocacy, Supreme Court rulings, funding grants, and regional resource development.
There is no unified education code in the United States; each state government enacts its own educational regulations as stipulated by the Constitution. The state education administration system includes the state board of education and the department of education, where the state board is responsible for decision-making, and the department of education is responsible for implementation.
Local education administrative agencies in the United States have significant autonomy, consisting of local school boards, local education departments, and local school districts. In contrast, education in China is overseen by the Ministry of Education, which has provincial and municipal education bureaus under it. The main relevant educational laws are uniformly formulated by the Ministry of Education, while provincial and municipal education departments are responsible for execution. Local education bureaus can also formulate some localized policies based on their circumstances, but their autonomy is not as extensive as that of local education administrative agencies in the United States.
In the United States, states are equivalent to provinces in China, with counties (equivalent to prefecture-level cities in China) as subordinate administrative units. Below counties are cities or towns, where schools are located. Residents' living areas are based on communities. Schools are governed by school districts, which are under the jurisdiction of county education departments, but the education department does not interfere with school administration, and schools are not governed by city or town governments.
(2) Influence of School Boards, Parent Associations, and Teacher Unions on School Administration
In the United States, in addition to the department of education, education bureaus, and school districts, school boards, parent associations, and teacher unions also have an influence on school administration.
School boards consist of 12 members, including 6 parent representatives, 2 teacher representatives, 2 community representatives, 1 student representative, and 1 principal. School boards typically meet once a month to discuss school affairs, including selecting principals, educational plans, funding, campus construction, and school development; parent associations regularly discuss issues related to school administration, teaching, and training; teacher unions negotiate contracts with school districts through collective bargaining, covering teacher salaries, benefits, working conditions, etc. In Chinese schools, there are no school boards or parent associations, and the influence of unions on school administration is also very limited.
(3) Highlights of the American Education System: Community
Community is an important component of education in the United States. Residents' living areas are organized by community. Principals are responsible for managing relationships between schools, communities, and parents. For schools to develop, they must integrate into the community and become a center of attention and support for residents. Therefore, American schools often seek ways to attract community members, student parents, and even their relatives and friends to visit the school, promoting interaction between schools and residents. Some community colleges even establish long-term mutually beneficial cooperative relationships with community businesses and relevant organizations, allowing businesses to fund schools and provide job opportunities, which also brings significant benefits to the businesses themselves (the United States stipulates that any business that partners with a school can receive tax reductions).
