As noted by the graph our standings in education is below average, especially with African Americans and Hispanic children compared to other states. If this is the outcome in elementary school what should we expect by grade 8. With all of the various reforms enacted throughout the 30 years the curriculum in public schools did not improve nor did our standing compared to the rest of the world. Even though in each presidency monitoring tool was developed to ascertain the level of learning based on the test. In states where students passing their test equated to more funding of the school as well as the school remains open, jobs for the educators. So oppose to teaching students the information needed educators taught to the test. This is due to politicians not addressing the core issues that prevent children in low social economic status of of color due to cultural biases. Then there is the political climate of education including ignorance towards the benefit of vocational schools and real world learning.
In addition the changes in policies to address the substandard public school educational system did not resolve the issue was because before a program can get started another president was coming into office and the staff was replaced. With educational policies made by the federal government it left the state and local government unsure and in a state of flux. In essence there was no consistency in the implementation of programs to improve the educational outcomes of children in disadvantaged communities. Because of the inadequacies of the public school system and the inability to address the class sizes, the decaying school buildings, and children flunking out of school, charter schools and voucher programs were established to a...
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... has not commissioned anyone to make it part of the curriculum for middle schools. By not providing this as part of the curriculum children of color do not know their heritage or learn that people of color made significant contributions to society through inventions.
Causes
The cycle of low scholastic achievement is so prevalent in poverty stricken communities is the benefit the political system. The politicians continue to keep their jobs and political power and education is power. This is accomplished because illiteracy inhibits the knowledge required to vote for a qualified candidate for office. “Economies with low or high levels of education can escape the poverty trap, and inequality plays a key role in determining whether this occurs through a change in institutions or an expansion of education”Eicher.Garcia-Penalosa and Tanguy van Ypersele,p207.
Many individuals have been affected negatively by trouble makers in school. Troublemakers have either disrupted classes or bullied other students. Yes, trouble makers may harm one’s learning environment, but should they be kicked out of school? Though many individuals argue that troublemakers will not change and hold the class down, they should not be kicked out because they need help. Most of these kids that are disobedient do not know the distinction between right and wrong. We should not withdraw trouble makers from school, rather, we should help these troublemakers and teach them right from wrong. In the article “Let’s Really Reform Our Schools” by Anita Garland, she states that American high schools are disasters because there are troublemakers (694). She asserts that the withdrawal of troublemakers in schools would make the learning environment peaceful for students who want to learn
The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
Prior to education reform taking place, Bush had to address a major tragedy that devastated the country. In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security was implemented to prevent future terrorist situations. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 united 22 other federal organizations to aid in the damage caused by such attacks, as well as making the country stronger to minimize significant damage in the future. Within the department, the duties of agents were divided into four different divisions comprising of border security, emergency preparation, procedures to handle any form of terrorism, and improved knowledge clearinghouse. This reinstated the security for the American people as they
The American Education System has been a core component to the development of generations since it became a public system in the 1870s. Since then more rules, higher expectations for some, and even lower expectations for others have been added to the original structure. In recent years, many debates have surfaced over whether the American education system is failing. Too few they believe the American Education System is on the right track. Most researchers however have shown statistics that it is in fact slowly declining as new acts and regimens are added. It has been on a downward spiral for years and citizens have been watching it happen, the lack of government funding, acts like the No Child Left behind Act, focus in the wrong places, and the curriculum set up is acting as a deterrent for success.
The education reform movement is made up of voices that disproportionately are not of comprised of the very races, ethnicities, and cultures it attempts to serve. Recently, I read an article directly addressing this issue and acknowledging the calls to diversify by African American education leaders including Kaya Henderson, chancellor of the DC public schools and Howard Fuller, Marquette professor. Fuller stated, “The people who are being liberated must be a critical part of their own liberation.” This statement made me reflect on my own experiences as a researcher and advocate within education reform.
In these changing times one of the biggest aspects of society that should be updated on a regular basis is education. Changes in curriculum as well as methods of teaching need to be revised each and every year. With this idea came the idea of the Common Core State Standard which is currently being adopted by forty-four out of fifty states in the United States. This new rework is designed to help better prepare students for college, universities, and the work place. However, not everyone believes this is the right move education should be taking at this moment. Those in support state this is the best decision possible to teach the children of the 21st century. Others say the cause for the decline in the quality of education in the United States stems from other sociological factors not from how the system is currently being worked. Even more are concerned if schools will be ready for this new wave of change. Will Common Core be effective in helping prepare high school graduates for the future? Only time will tell if the Common Core Standards proves effective in further helping students be prepared for the future.
There is much debate today on what would be the best way to reform education. Credible and scholarly writers such as Alfie Kohn, Joel Westheimer, and Andrea Schlesinger have vast ideas on different approaches that can be taken to improve America’s education system. Although there are many opportunities when attending an American school many citizens, including students, question the education system of today; here are four steps that qualified educators believe to be able to improve the American education programs.
In, “Problems of School Reform,” Nel Noddings discusses the complexity that exists in schools in the areas of equality, accountability, standards, and testing. I decided to direct my response towards accountability because I feel that this has become a prevalent dilemma in education during the past two decades. Speaking about this, Noddings shares that accountability in education was the result of the business community. Today, policymakers view accountability in the form of focusing on teachers and students outcomes on standardized testing. As result of the pressures of accountability many teachers rely on teaching to the test—like Paulo Freire’s “banking model”—limiting students exposure to creative forms of teacher pedagogy. Therefore,
Education reform could be considered as one of the most highly debated issues of today. People of many different backgrounds from many different locations have many different opinions on how children in this country should be taught. In this incredibly broad debate, one of the most highly discussed issues is that of a multicultural education. The problem with this topic is that the many different people who have an opinion on the issue have many different definitions of what a multicultural education should be. Perhaps if the ideas behind a multicultural education were defined more clearly, the issue would be easier to talk about and the seemingly circular argument that is education reform could move towards a definite goal. Some of the ideas that have been discussed within the parameters of a multicultural education include afrocentrism, tolerance, and morality, among many others. While these and other issues do have certain merit, they alone can not serve as the basis for a strong education. The aim of a multicultural education should be to integrate a child's acquisition of basic skills with a general knowledge of the people he or she lives with in the United States. One of, if not the main factor in education reform is the teachers. They are the foundation for a child's development, and the are the filter through which the child must learn. A single teacher should not be allowed the right to single handedly hinder a young person's education, as the material taught and the lessons learned should transcend the people teaching these lessons. The seemingly obvious way to eliminate differences between teachers would be homogenous teacher training. However, the fact must be understood that while most teachers wil...
As society progresses and new generations surpass previous ones, change is inevitable in each aspect of the world. This change is essential for ideas and systems to prosper and enhance their practicality in an individual’s daily life; however, the education system has lacked this essential reform for hundreds of years. This belief is evident in several reports by official organizations pertaining to education, as indicated by the Center on Policy and Budget priorities, the usage of funds for education has “declined dramatically,” with “little improvement,” in the reform system (Kadamus). This is a major concern for Americans, as in order to foster great leaders and thinkers, the education system must be refined to handle this demand with proper
There are many forces and factors that impact school reform. Forces include all stakeholders such as students, staff members, parents, and community members. Factors refer to internal and external aspects of planning and implementation. Combined, forces and factors can positively affect school change when done with transparency, inclusion, and analysis. Forces within a school comprise students, teachers, administrators, non certified personnel, parents, district leaders, and community members. Student involvement in school improvement is critical to the process of change. Students will feel more a part of the school and will develop more ownership in improvement. Similarly, staff members who are informed of the rationale for change and given an opportunity to examine school data are better able to assist with effective decision-making during the goal setting process. Leadership that is effective in guiding an inclusive process of conducting a needs assessment, communicating issues and facilitating development of a strategic plan for reform is necessary for success. Perspectives from all stakeholders are considered and involvement of district personnel is sought for support.
Inequality in educational opportunities deprives many children and society of power, participation, and development in a world where education is especially expected for all types of positions. It results in an unfair system where all children do not have the chance to compete in society and reach types of independence including intellectual and financial. This imbalance increases the gaps between the educated and uneducated, often intensifying the gaps between the associated poor and affluent people. Communities with low education...
James C. Wetherbe from Harvard Business Review argues that the place to start the radical change in the education system is to start by abolishing tenure. He stated that while teacher tenure was once necessary, however the passage of civil service laws to protect against patronage hiring, civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination based on race and sex, and labor laws to protect union organizing, adequately address the abuses against which tenure was meant to shield teachers (Wetherbe, ). (-- removed HTML --) however tenure laws strengthens these civil service, civil rights, and labor laws in two important respects. Most Americans think this type of discrimination is already illegal. However, Pauline Kim, from Washington University School
Education needs to be revolutionized. It is embarrassing that a superpower such as America does not consider education its first priority. The original purpose of public school was to create knowledgable citizens. If we begin training students for the frightening “real world” which they will one day face, they will be better adapted to learn tasks they will utilize every day. Not everybody needs Calculus or Literary Analysis every day once they leave school. Our school system will form all kinds of people - from McDonald’s workers to Presidents - but they will all reach their full potential through our schools, and they will be ready for whatever awaits them.
Education reform means to make education better by removing faults and defects. True educators are always thinking of more effective ways to enhance and democratize the way children learn. With the continuous change of growing population, economics, culture, family, and global communication, there has to be continuous educational reforms to keep the society abreast with these changes. One of education’s early reformers is John Dewey. Dewey operated and experimental school where he wanted “to discover in administration, selection of subject matter, methods of learning teaching, and discipline, how a school could become a cooperative community while developing in individuals their own capacities and identifying their own needs.” (Dewey’s Laboratory School page XII) another education, Harold Howe II in his book “Thinking about Our Kids,” reiterates that families and communities are as important as schools in the education of our children. He also talks about the need for new approaches to financing schools, more attention to changing classroom routine in particular, and for better understanding of, and respect for the many races and cultures that make up our society. Regardless of the era in which education reform is thought of, the number one priority is the children.