Public education in Mississippi, in the United States, is a dead horse many politicians and a large faction of the public refuse to stop beating. By underfunding public schools, shifting support to charter and private schools, and openly bashing teachers for everything from poor test scores to the spiritual collapse of the nation, public school haters have effectively beaten public education and its supporters into submission, yet, they refuse to unsaddle the dead horse and move on. There are others they could pick on, such as themselves for their role in the current deplorable conditions faced by so many underfunded, underappreciated, and undervalued public schools, but villainizing public education is far easier than sharing responsibility. …show more content…
They must have the thick hide of a rhinoceros to withstand twisted evidence they are the problem rather than the solution; they must hold their tongue when factors beyond their control such as poverty, inadequate funding, and apathy in the home toward education are left out of the student failure equation; and they must cower before an accountability system that has become more about judging and dismissing teachers than assessing the strengths and weaknesses of student knowledge. The result is public school educators feel so negatively stigmatized and traumatized they are fleeing the teaching ranks in droves. Forget about recruiting new blood! Why would a bright, energetic, young person with compassion for children want to be a part of a profession in which teachers are expected to be mechanical in their approach to learning, unquestioning before the data gods, submissive to political whims, and tied to research that often is only given the green light if it is convenient and relevant to the ideology of the status quo. In an era, where selective evidence is used to undermine teacher quality, turn teachers into scapegoats, prescribe quick fixes, and look at school reform as a process rather than a cultural …show more content…
The challenges will not dwindle and go away; if anything, they will continue to grow, but the overall quality and resiliency of today’s teachers give hope the challenges will be met, addressed, and eventually rectified. When it comes to quality teaching for all children, forty years ago was not the “good ole days” as so many seem to believe. We are living the good days; thanks to better prepared, knowledgeable, caring teachers. There are more challenges to educating children than ever before, but the number of teachers with the knowledge and skills to address those challenges are as great, probably greater, than any time in our history. Therefore, my advice to everyone – teachers, parents, administrators, politicians, and the public – is don’t look back; keep your eyes on the future. Overall, we have good teachers in the driver’s seat, and if we hold on to them, support them, and don’t rock the boat every time there’s an uncomfortable swell, they will get our children and grandchildren safely to their tomorrow. However, we must be willing to give them that chance, and not desert them to wolves with agendas other than doing what is right for children. Remember, you can’t beat a good horse to death, and expect to ride it to victory in the
From school buildings to supplies and teacher license requirements, life is very different for students and teachers today compared to two centuries ago. Today’s teachers receive higher education to learn the profession, and students learn new subjects such as foreign language, art, health, and science. After a long day of learning, most take the school bus home and continue their studies further. One thing that is similar between education in the 1800s and education now, however, is that children grow up to become well-educated, well-rounded individuals who are knowledgeable about themselves and the world around
In his piece titled Idiot Nation, Michael Moore depicts many faults of the American education system. One quote that caught my attention was “teachers are politician’s favorite punching bags” (pg. 160). Teachers in the public school system are grouped together as the number one predicament when it comes to America’s lack of worldly knowledge. He goes on to discuss the much more egregious and omnipresent issues. I enjoyed Moore’s counter arguments, because I have always disagreed with this myth without knowing the actual problems in our schools.
The issue of whether charter or public schools are more beneficial for students has been an ongoing debate. The question that arise is which type provides a better education. Having gone to a charter high school myself, I got to see and experience first-hand the benefits of going to a charter school as well as realizing the issues charter schools face here in Oklahoma. These problems need to address in order to guarantee that students are getting the best education that they can get. We are facing an epidemic today with our education system and charter schools could be the solution. There may be opponents to the idea of having charter schools, but they have been wildly successful lately and are quickly expanded throughout the states. This is due to the fact that charter schools can benefit people economically, educationally, and as well as socially.
The education system has been changing in recent years and the same problems that existed continue to get worse as years pass. Problems that were seen as minor at first have now grown. How to change the public higher education system has been a major topic of discussion but there has still been no major action taken. We struggle to figure out how much funding is needed for higher education and where it should come from. Our people continue to suffer from an underfunded high cost system. The wealthy minority of people continue to be the only ones accounted for and it is time to change this. We need to adapt to the changes and the costs that continue to rise. It is time to help the struggling middle and lower classes. I believe that the best
This article then talks about how America bashes educators for many different things like “social and political failings of our nation” or “child harming”. Then saying that educators are putting our nation’s safety at risk. They blame teachers for so many different things but can’t blame teachers on our school funding gaps, or the nation’s 25% child poverty rate “the highest in the developed world. These problems persist in America, not only corroding the education children are getting but also their well-being, health and hope.
I chose this topic because education is all around me. I am literally surrounded by illiteracy. From the moment I leave my door, to the moment I return, I am able to witness illiteracy in my society. Therefore, I could connect well to this particular topic in detail. So many children younger than me, of my age and also people elder to me do not have access to education. Even though 86.1% of the world is illiterate (CIA World Factbook), the other 14.9% have absolutely no access to education!
“ Charter schools are held ideologically as a vehicle for resurrecting, at once, public education and the economic dominance of American business” ( Fabricant and Fine, 12). Charter schools were and are placed as innovative institutions responding to the apparent failing traditional school system. The charter school I observed did not seem to be practicing innovative ways of instruction, nor did it seem to be academically different than a public traditional school in Chicago. Although, researching their website, the partnerships this charter school system has are propelling and financially rewarding American businesses. It also provides the “image” of giving parents an additional “different” choice, specific to serving the Latino community.
Public School Systems are cheating American kids out of an education. A high school diploma indicates what students learn in achieving it, but in reality students have been learning and earning greatly less as the years have gone by. As a former public school student myself, I know we are not given the same opportunities are students in private schools. Public school students have been told that the reason our education is limited is because of funding but in the video it states that public school spend more money than private schools and still not have a better outcome. More money hasn’t improved schools. So, what’s the real problem?
Education is meant to be the key to a successful life. It is supposed to inspire great ideas, and prepare each and every generation for their future. However, school for today 's generation fails to meet those requirements. Every student knows education is important, but when school is not engaging or in some cases, even relevant, it makes learning difficult. Improving the school system is something educators attempt to accomplish every year. Despite their best efforts, there are numerous flaws students see, but adults overlook. There is a lack of diversity for students to learn, an overabundance of testing, and students’ voices are being ignored on how to create a more productive learning experience.
Imagine a family, a family that has it all. Good neighborhood, schooling, and robust health. Everything seems to be going right for this family, then all of a sudden one event changes the course of their future forever. The father makes a poor business investment which causes the family to loose their savings. Now that all of the savings are gone and they are living off check to check, they need to cut back on wasteful spending. The kids may need to attend a lower public school than the normal private school they once attended, thus causing them not to learn or advance at a level that they once could. Within the span of what could be not more than a year or two, this family has went from having a stable life to a family that is on the verge
“A high-quality public education can build much-needed skills and knowledge. It can help children reach their God-given potential” (Weingarten). The need for public education is so important. Public education is the leading source of education for students in America. 91 percent of Americans attending public school in 2009 (Jennings).
Before, the education system used to have the best interest of children but instead it seems as if the professionals who work for the system cares more about the job qualifications than the true value of education and how well the people are attaining it. Public education uses to led the road to success, but after going through thirteen years of it and seeing what the public education system is all about, people have come to realize that it only affect others later on in life negatively.
Education is a very powerful key to success in modern day American society. More often than not, a person will not be able to find a decent job unless they have graduated from a reputable college with a degree. Because of this change in society, it has brought a lot of pressure by parents for their child to graduate and get a degree. A lot of those who graduate with a degree are not always the best candidate for the job, and even with the degree, they are not even always guaranteed a job. But personally, getting an education shouldn’t be as big of a deal, as it is now. Back in the day, most people did not go to college, none the less graduated from high school; yet they still made it through and learned lots of things from their jobs that they acquired.
Education is one of the greatest determinants. Relatively simply, the more schooling people have the better their health is likely to be. Though closely linked to income and occupation, the evidence indicates education exerts the strongest influence on health. This has been demonstrated in multiple facets over the past forty years. For instance, further formal education displays a frequent correlation with lower death rates; less education the opposite. In addition, studies show higher levels of risky health behaviors such as smoking and obesity, to be associated with less schooling (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007). As such, finishing secondary school has become a useful measure of educational attainment due to its influence on health.
Those who look to the profession as a career would need to nourish these perceptions in order to prevail over the negative aspects that surround the profession. The process of teaching goes far beyond the presentation of facts, it includes the dedication of both heart and time. While compensation and working conditions are the main downfalls in teaching, there are many other situations that cause individuals to turn away from the profession. Teaching is obviously a hard complex job and the individuals who answer the call, encounter many frustrations. They are required to first develop goals for classroom instruction and with these goals develop lesson plans, while implementing effective classroom management (appropriate discipline). They must also monitor and nourish the special needs of every child, and stay current on educational advancements and topic knowledge. Imagine trying to su...