Finn, Chester E., Jr. (1944–)

Throughout the late 20th century and especially with the emergence of the No Child Left Behind legislation in the early 21st century, a variety of neoconservative voices began to exercise considerable influence on public policy in American education. Few, if any, of those voices were more powerful than that of Chester (Checker) E. Finn, Jr. Finn and others challenged states and schools to develop more rigorous academic standards, to encourage and permit more educational choice (particularly for students in high-poverty schools), and to mitigate the power of educational monopolies (such as colleges and schools of education) that have the responsibility for the preparation of teachers. Finn asserted that the inability of the free market to operate impacted negatively the capacity of communities to create schools that could truly meet the needs of students and the competitive demands associated with a global economy.

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Finn received his formal education at Harvard University, including an Ed.D. in education policy and administration. Following graduation, his involvements included both academic and public policy appointments.

Throughout his distinguished career he has served in positions that have shaped public policy, most notably as assistant secretary for research and improvement at the U.S. Department of Education in the Reagan administration (where he served under Secretary William Bennett). Other distinguished appointments have included staff assistant to the president of the United States, special assistant to the governor of Massachusetts, and counsel to the American ambassador to India.

Finn's writings are prodigious, influential, and often controversial. One of his earliest books (written with Diane Ravitch) was What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know? It focused on the knowledge base of American high school students as it relates to history and literature. In this national assessment, Ravitch and Finn identified the basic and essential knowledge that all high school students should possess and that teachers should be responsible for teaching (e.g., What was the purpose of the Federalist Papers, and who wrote The Return of the Native?). Based on their analysis, Finn and Ravitch argued, among a variety of recommendations, for teaching a solid core of disciplinary content at every grade level, enhancing the qualifications of those teachers who have responsibility for classroom instruction in history or English, and dramatically improving the way prospective teachers are taught, [Page 380]with particular attention to connecting education school faculty with those who have formal disciplinary preparation in history and literature.

Other books by Finn, such as Charter Schools in Action: Renewing Public Education (coauthored with Bruno Manno and Greg Vanourek), also focus on the need for reform, especially structural changes that allow more innovation in terms of the opportunities provided to high-poverty and high-needs children. Enhanced academic standards and the creation of educational choice for students in general and for high-poverty students in particular are consistent themes in Finn's publications.

Finn's ideas have impacted and shaped public education in the United States. He has directly influenced the expansion of charter schools by arguing for more program options that foster both instructional innovation and educational choices for children coming from high-risk and high-poverty environments.

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