Finn: Apollo Moon Landing Marked A ‘Giant Leap’ For Mankind — And Education. Moonshot For Kids Could Launch The Next Leap Forward

Finn: Apollo Moon Landing Marked a ‘Giant Leap’ for Mankind — and Education. Moonshot for Kids Could Launch the Next Leap Forward

The successful landing of astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969 holds a special place in the memories of older Americans. It has become a national symbol of accomplishment for younger generations who were not alive to witness it. The excitement surrounding the 50th anniversary of this event is both fitting and awe-inspiring.

This historic occasion brings to mind key figures such as John F. Kennedy, who set the goal of a moon landing within the decade in 1961. It also reminds us of Lyndon B. Johnson, who played a significant role in the aerospace activities of Congress and supported NASA’s Project Apollo as President. Richard Nixon, just months into his first term, had the honor of making the famous phone call to congratulate Armstrong and Aldrin from the White House, considering it the most historic call ever made from that location.

The moon landing also brings to mind the tragic loss of brave astronauts in the 1967 explosion at Cape Canaveral, formerly known as Cape Kennedy, as well as others who sacrificed their lives for America’s ambitious space program. Additionally, it forces us to acknowledge the controversial figure of Wernher Von Braun, a former Nazi war criminal who escaped prosecution and became a prominent aerospace engineer in the United States during the 1950s and ’60s.

For educators and advocates of educational reform, the successful moon landing holds even deeper significance. It was part of an ambitious space program driven, in part, by Cold War anxieties about the Soviet Union surpassing the US in terms of weapon capabilities and dominance in outer space. The prestige and propaganda benefits of achieving remarkable feats first added to the urgency.

Although Cold War tensions had been building for a decade prior, the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union in October 1957 ignited a sense of competition within US leaders and citizens alike. Senators Johnson and Kennedy, along with others, accused the Eisenhower administration of neglecting America’s technological prowess, not adequately investing in science, technology, and research, and failing to address the urgency of the situation.

This fear sparked a joint effort by President Dwight Eisenhower and congressional leaders to pass the National Defense Education Act, which marked the beginning of significant federal support for education, especially at the K-12 level beyond vocational education. The act was driven by the need for more mathematicians, increased emphasis on high school education, and the importance of foreign language learning. It not only propelled STEM education but also provided a substantial boost to research and development across various sectors, including education.

Moreover, the Sputnik experience, combined with the space race and the National Defense Education Act, normalized the idea of a more active federal role in science, education, and technology. It also gave President Kennedy and President Johnson firsthand experience and passionate involvement in these matters, leading to significant initiatives in education and poverty alleviation in Washington.

Kennedy’s presidential campaign in 1960 prioritized rebuilding American science and education, and his subsequent proposals, achieved with some modifications by Johnson, aimed to increase federal aid to K-12 education and invest more in teacher preparation, among other objectives. There was a clear connection between science and education in Kennedy’s vision. The same decade that witnessed the successful moon landing also saw the implementation of important education acts, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Act.

In summary, the remarkable achievement of the moon landing, which we now celebrate its 50th anniversary, can be seen as a companion to a significant advancement in education. Just like space exploration, it has brought numerous accomplishments and collateral benefits, as well as setbacks and disappointments. It has also allowed us to use the term "moonshot" to describe other ambitious and potentially transformative endeavors in various fields, including education, such as the Moonshot for Kids competition in which organizations like the Fordham Institute and the Center for American Progress are currently engaged.

We have given them the task of imagining a venture with a budget of one billion dollars. Although this is significantly less than the amount spent on the Apollo project, it is much more than the small amount of funding that is usually allocated to education research and development. We are well aware that this field has not seen great results in the past, both in the hands of the federal government and in the Washington-driven semi-private sector. However, we also recognize the significant advancements that have been made in many fields when a clear goal is set and the necessary research and development is undertaken. The original moon landing is perhaps the most notable example, but there are many others.

Just as this country was motivated to do even better when faced with Soviet successes in space 60 years ago, we must not be discouraged by low assessment scores or achievement gaps today. We need the same determination in the field of education that propelled us to the moon and has since taken American spacecraft even farther.

Chester E. Finn Jr. holds the distinguished position of senior fellow and president emeritus at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, as well as being a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution.