In Public Schools

STUDENT FIRST- PROS AND CONS -THIS IS A NEW INITIATIVE HEADED BY MICHELLE RHEE

For over 18 years, Michelle Rhee has dedicated her time to compiling the skills that students will need when they enter the work force. She actively instituted many of these when she took her personal time as a third grade teacher to visit the homes of her third grade students for additional instruction after school hours. Besides many of the other innovative ideas Rhee brought to the table, she also started the DC Public School System Youth Cabinet, a concept that brings in the ideas of students for reform of the educational system.

Rhee started a grassroots initiative to improve the schools. Some of her key points are improving the quality of teachers, parental involvement in the schools and putting tax dollars where they’re most useful. StudentsFirst’s basis is that no child should suffer from an inadequate school simply because they live in the wrong area.

The basis for the StudentsFirst program is sound. The teachers in the classroom should be well trained and focus their time on the student. Today, many inadequate teachers remain in the classroom simply because of tenure. While tenure is good in some ways, such as preventing school boards from removing the higher paid teachers to save money, it also has its downside.

Too many teachers presently remain in the classrooms that spend their energies counting off the days to retirement. The lack of enthusiasm and caring can greatly affect the outcome of the educational experience for the student.  Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6% [?]

   HOW DOES THE UNION UNREST AFFECT STUDENTS?

While its difficult to measure the effects of bitter battles on the education of students, you can measure the differences in the educational growth in areas where there are union contract negotiations compared to districts where there are no contract negotiations or union. Logically, unrest and dissention would promote a lack of focus on the true problem, the education of the students. It splits people up into camps and the corporation can’t achieve educational progress because neither camp will give into the other. Often, the student finds himself much like a child in a bitter divorce.

Wisconsin, a state that has active union members up in arms due to the cancellation of collective bargaining rights, has effectively taken the voice away from the union. While some say that the step was necessary, taking a closer look is also mandatory before making a judgment.  A study in 2009 conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) compared scores for students in various states. The study includes only non-chartered schools and examines the scores for math and reading for grades 4 and 8. In states with binding teacher contracts, the math and reading scores were higher for the states that had binding teacher contracts. While they were higher for by only a few points in each area, they were higher in all areas for both grade levels.

 If you simply looked at the state rankings for states that offer no union contract, you’d find that of the ten, only one ranks above the median and seven of the states, Georgia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Arizona, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi are in the bottom 15. Massachusetts, the state that ranked highest, has one of the strongest unions. While the study doesn’t include racial background of the classes, economic levels of the population or any other factors, it does reflect that overall, a school system that allows unions doesn’t affect the performance levels of students.  Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 3% [?]

                                                                                  WHY SHOULD ONE SIZE FIT ALL OR NOT?

 Each child is an individual and learns differently from the next child. Teaching to those individual differences is often easier said than done. However, there should be common goals and requirements for all students. These shouldn’t change because a child is slower, but our system should step up to the plate and change the method of presentation for these pupils. 

We have lost our path in the American school system attempting to justify individuality. In the beginning, adjusting the learning environment so all children could succeed was an excellent idea. However, someplace along the line, we lost our way and suddenly, we found ourselves adjusting the required outcome rather than the teaching technique.

Lowering expectations of students because of ethnicity and background is not only lowering the standards of the schools, its extremely unfair to the children it attempts to help. At one time, the suggestion of teaching Ebonics in the classroom and factoring in ethnicity on achievement tests to make them fair, was a prominently voice concept. Unfortunately, these types of innovative practices only lowered the overall learning results but also left children ill equipped to face the demands of life after school. Employers don’t care about your background or justify your performance at work based on ethnicity. They demand results.

Besides the academic standards changing in attempt to fit each child’s needs, the level of personal responsibility changed too. Johnny comes from a broken home and you should allow him to disrupt the class. After all, it isn’t his fault. Mary’s disrespectful mouth comes from living in an underprivileged neighborhood, so let her slander the class and the teacher. All these types of actions eroded the teacher’s ability to discipline.

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Popularity: 4% [?]

EDUCATION THAT SUCEEDS

Finland scores on international achievement tests were the highest out of the 57 nations tested in the developed world. They scored the highest in reading and science and came in second in mathematics. One would first believe that the children spend 10 hours in school and begin education early in their life with an emphasis on reading at crib side. However, that simply isn’t true. In fact, just the opposite is true.

 The child in Finland doesn’t begin formal reading and writing until the age of seven. The preschool education may be one of the reasons for the higher achievement of the student in Finland. Rather than focusing on the three R’s in preschool and letter identification, in the 1970’s Finland made a dramatic change in their school system. The preschool education focuses of personal responsibility and social behavior rather than attempting to throw the students directly into the fray of subject knowledge.

 The basis for the preschool learning reflects the concept for the first Kindergarten offered by Frederick Froebel. He believed that this time should be a time of play, not just for entertainment, but as an important part of the child’s development. Froebel felt that play opportunities provided the child with learning experiences necessary for the next level of development.

 For two years, the high quality governmentally sponsored early-childhood program spends time on self-reflection and interaction. These components often aren’t part of the litigious nature of Americans, although they were qualities that made our country great. Today, our schools pay little attention to the personal development of the child and focus on the academics. If a child misbehaves in school, it’s simply not their fault but the fault of the teacher or school corporation. There’s none of that in Finland, the child understands his present behavior reflects the outcome of his future.

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Popularity: 5% [?]

  A GPS FOR PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

 Written for parents who are concerned about their children’s journey through today’s public education system, As For Me and My House: A GPS for Parents of School-Age Children is a powerful resource that can change lives.

 Inspired by the Book of Joshua, As For Me and My House asks parents to take charge and become empowered to improve their children’s education. No longer willing to accept second-rate outcomes, today’s parents are learning that by being proactive they can get better results from teachers, administrators, and their own kids.

Parental responsibility is a key issue in the delivery of education. The Biblical verse “As for me and my house we will” frames the need for parents to fulfill their roles as heads of the household. This timeless advice works for parents of any race, creed, or religious belief. A GPS concept is used to direct families into responsible behavior with suggestions of techniques for solution building in relationships with educators and administrators.

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Popularity: 6% [?]

Teacher tenure is one of the most debated issues of schools boards across the nation. While there are good reasons to continue tenure, there are equally good reasons to discontinue it. Unions often go head to head with the school boards because of this issue.

Before delving into the pros and cons of teacher tenure, it is imperative that the definition of tenure be discussed. Tenure varies from state to state and Wisconsin has no tenure for teachers.  Teacher tenure occurs after a number of years of closely examined performance. Attaining tenure simply makes it more difficult, but not impossible for schools to dismiss teachers.  Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 67% [?]

Some believe an effective teacher is born rather than created. It is true that teaching is an art, but one where mastery is possible with appropriate direction. There are specific requirements that each candidate must possess, however, in order for the instruction to be successful.

The teacher must have a love for knowledge and the desire to impart it. They also must have a strong intuitive sense and caring nature. Most of all, teachers must expect that their students will learn and believe in not only the students, but also their own ability. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2% [?]

Classrooms across America reflect the melting pot that is our country. The mandates of Brown versus The Board of Education ruling unfortunately created some of these melting pots artificially. The awareness of segregation in the schools became apparent when Linda Brown’s parents sued the Topeka, Kansas school district. While the action was justified, the effects on school corporations and students that follow the letter of the law, rather than the spirit, create a new problem. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6% [?]

The new challenge from the Obama administration is to keep students in school.  The incentive to make this happen is an investment of $3.5 billion dollars with an additional $900 million for turnaround grants in 2011. The grants are geared to identify and help turnaround schools with a lower than 60 percent graduation rate.  Identification, however, can only be the first step. The schools need to find why their students leave before they make any plan of action to encourage graduating from high school. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 13% [?]

TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS -COMPARED TO WHAT?

Debates abound in different countries as to what extent the government should involve itself in the affairs of public schools. While some feel that the government should be deeply involved, others feel that the government should limit itself to formulating policies, guidelines and developing curriculum and leave the management and running of public schools to the local community through their local elected school board committees. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 7% [?]

Schools across the nation find their tax dollars in shorter supply than they were a decade ago. While there are fewer students in many districts, the escalation of costs for the corporation continues. Every day you find school boards across the country making announcements of teacher layoffs, school program cuts and cutbacks of school services. However, many school corporations fail to identify the money pits of waste in their budgets. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2% [?]

Without discipline, there can be no learning. While this statement might sound out of date, it is still true. The ability to maintain classroom discipline is one of the most important assets a teacher can have. Classroom discipline allows every student to learn and excel. It goes beyond the maintenance of an orderly classroom and teaches internal discipline as well. The student with internal discipline will succeed at almost all endeavors. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 6% [?]

The recession hits not only the working force but also their children. Even if a person has a secure and well paying position, it doesn’t mean that their child is not affected by the lower economic productivity of society.

Most school corporations raise their funds from taxing property owners in their district. State income tax also provides additional funds to operate the school corporations. At times of economic downturn, these sources of revenue slowly decline and dry up to the point that school corporations have to make dramatic cuts in their staffing and programs. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 19% [?]

ARE STUDENTS PREPARED

The schools face a financial crisis and part of the problem in the preparation of students for work comes from that shortage. Many schools that once offered curriculum that included vocational arts, computer science and other specialties, including college preparation now face cutbacks and a watered down curriculum. Those that still offer true vocational arts programs, however, deal with issues of helping the student make their skills marketable by increasing the communication ability of the students. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2% [?]