Over the past decade, anyone familiar with my story knows how much Korea has influenced my philosophy on education in Harlem.
However, recently I’ve been asked more often about what I believe the Korean system can learn from the success of Democracy Prep Public Schools.
My introduction to the Korean education system occurred completely by chance; it was a happy accident. In 2001, I was visiting my future wife, who was on a Fulbright Scholarship, teaching and researching in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. I had planned to visit for just two weeks but ended up teaching English at Dong Seung Middle School, and staying for one of the most transformative years of my life.
I taught mostly low-income students in class sizes of 40-45, and yet the teaching and learning I saw was more engaged, passionate and rigorous than I’d ever seen in the U.S. Three things resonated with me about Korean scholars: they respected their teachers above all, they believed that hard work equals success, and they understood they could accomplish anything through the power of education.
I started to believe that what American schools needed was a high dose of the best parts of the Korean system to help wake up the nation for reform.
In Harlem and in similar communities across the U.S., our public schools weren’t displaying these values, nor were they effectively serving low-income students. While studying school leadership at Harvard I did more research into the “Miracle on the Han River.” In 2005, when I was ready to start my own public charter schools, I adopted the best of the Korean system and merged it with the best parts of the American system to create Democracy Prep.
Our 2,000 scholars across seven schools in grades K-12 have all heard me explain that Korea has one of the best public education systems in the world and it is now a leader in technology and democracy, and one of the strongest economies in the world.
However, I must remind them, it wasn’t always that way. I teach them that after the Korean War the country was devastated economically. The per capita income was similar to that in the poorest parts of Africa. Inflation skyrocketed. Manufacturing was destroyed. Raw materials were scarce. The literacy rate was less than 30 percent. Millions of Koreans faced hunger and famine.
Despite these hardships, the government initiated a plan that began with an enormous investment in public education and the power of human capital. In just 60 years Korea went from poverty to prosperity, and public education was at the core. I believe that the root of Korea’s success lies in its remarkable history, culture and, most of all, its respect for both teachers and education.
Unfortunately, today there is serious cause for concern in the Korean education system, and I believe the nation must take action now, or it risks losing the advantages that have vaulted the Korean education system to the top.
On my recent visits to Korea, unlike those just 13 years ago, many Koreans have told me they believe that the economic and social mobility that made Korea great has stagnated. I’ve frequently heard that Koreans now believe the only way out of poverty today is private tutors and private schools. The poor can’t afford the best of these programs, so they’re stuck. While teaching is still one of the most respected professions in the country, private school tutors now garner greater respect, pay and authority than their public school counterparts. Respect for public schools and public school teaching is faltering.
I’ve heard too often of students seeking all of their learning outside of the traditional classroom, sleeping in school to save energy and focus for hagwon. This is an extremely dangerous trend and risks further exacerbating the divide between rich and poor. When only wealthy families can buy a quality education, social mobility declines and hope fades. Public education, once the strongest pathway to the American dream, has all but ceased to be an engine of upward mobility for poor people in the United States. This danger is very real today in Korea as well, and it will take immediate action to turn the trend around.
Just as Korea taught me crucial lessons 13 years ago, Democracy Prep has lessons to share with Korea today. The distinct elements of our curriculum focus on creativity, curiosity, diversity and adventure. Our public schools are specifically focused on helping low-income scholars receive the best-quality education with world-class teachers that are just as good as the most selective private schools.
Democracy Prep hires just the top 1 percent of teaching applicants, we pay them well, and we give them all of the tools they need to serve our scholars, including technology and quality professional development. Our school day and year are much longer than most American schools, our culture is joyous but disciplined, our academics provide rigorous college-prep material for all, and we use data in thoughtful and creative ways. Our DREAM Values of Discipline, Respect, Enthusiasm, Accountability and Maturity help our scholars with both intrinsic and extrinsic discipline as well as respect for their teachers, for their fellow scholars, and for themselves. In short, we’ve brought the best parts of a hagwon experience into the public system while also infusing the joyous elements of art, athletics, civics, Korean culture and more.
Schools for low-income schools in America are broken, and Democracy Prep is working hard to fix them. My hope is that the lessons we learn will help Korea to avoid the mistakes of America’s past. Our low-income Democracy Prep scholars in Harlem are like dragons rising from poverty, fueled by lessons from their Korean cousins halfway around the world. As we continue to look to Korea as a strong example of what is possible in education, it is crucial that Korea ensure every student, especially those who start off in poverty, can continue to work hard, go to college, and change the world.
Seth Andrew
By Seth Andrew
The writer is the founder and superintendent of Democracy Prep Public Schools in Harlem, New York. His schools require no test for admission but routinely outperform even the wealthiest schools in New York. ― Ed.