David Cohen introduces an interesting story in the article “A Revolution in One Classroom: The case of Mrs. Oublier”. Mrs. Oublier is a school teacher who believes that she has gone through a revolution in her teaching. The last couple of years she has taught the “Traditional” way of teaching, which is straight from the text. Then, California wanted the way math was taught to be changed. Mrs. Oublier did exactly that. She began to focus on concrete materials and physical activities so that experiments are greater use than textbooks. (Cohen317). While being observed many odd things were seen. There were discussions in the class but they were done in small groups. Along with the discussions, these small groups were also used to help …show more content…
If there is going to be a change made in school officials must first get teachers input, then give it time and provide resources to teachers. If officials want to make a change in the education system they must first talk to education members. Members need to be teachers, administrators and possibly even some students. As Cohen talked about the teachers being the ones who are going to be implementing the changes, we must listen to how they feel about the change. Usually, the officials who want to make changes do not even know how a school functions in the first place. This would be like teachers going to an airport and telling a pilot how he should land a plane, it just shouldn’t happen. If we ever want to see good changed made in education then it needs to be with the help of those who have been active in education matters. Also if there is a want for a change in the system it must be given time. School systems cannot and will not ever change overnight. Teachers have to cover a lot of material over one school year. If there is a change, it needs to be notified the summer before and at least give teachers a whole school year to start the transition. Even then the next school year may be a struggle, which has to be acceptable. We have to allow teachers to be comfortable where they are so they can perform at the best of their ability. Breathing down
There are many problems in the American public education system today. Some of those include the quality of teachers, who have no real passion for the job, and are only allowed to remain in the position because of tenure privileges. Another issue is the state budgets that are allowed for public schools, with some states investing billions of dollars, and others prioritizing it lower on the list. In hot debate today is standardized testing, and the negative effect that it has on high school education, with the limits it places on teachers and what they have time to teach in the classrooms.
The text states that it is essential that superintendents and school board members communicate effectively to find the best solutions to problems. Effective communication requiring everyone to be heard in an honest and forthright exchange of viewpoints has proven to be best for children. Therefore report on Curriculum by Dr. Byron Haynes and reports on start of the year were given by Principal J. Griffin, Principal B. Cleark and Principal M.
Finally and foremost, school districts need to get rid of tenure. It is absolutely insane to allow a teacher to have absolute job security no matter how badly they perform. If a teacher can teach they will always have a job. Tenure does not protect high performing teachers as it was intended to do instead it protects low performing teachers. This is vital in getting rid of horrible teachers like Mrs. Eicher who is immune to job loss as a result of how long they have worked at the school.
If the problem is with teachers that do not value or wish the best for the students before them, then we need to stop that. If the problem is inequitable funding within and between school districts we need to correct that. If the problem is in the homes and hearts of the students themselves then we need to address that. Whatever it is, we cannot do nothing and scratch on heads as the current statistics continue to rise.
In “Project Classroom Makeover” by Cathy Davidson, has many great ideas and facts about why should the school system should change. Although i may agree in some points as like the school system is working as a factory. I believe that changing some aspects like the way we learn things can and may keep the kids coming to school. For example, in my classes some of my classmates struggle the way the teacher teaches us so when they ask for my help i have tried different methods and it works. They start to understand instead of struggling but that’s because i didn’t choose to teach it the same way as the teacher. And with this experience i noticed that teaching the same way all the time won’t work students will be struggling because they learn in
Even after all of this mistreatments, we have explained how we felt towards our school policies and education. However, our grievances have been ignored. We have been open enough to follow school rules but these have to change. We can't keep on moving forward with ridiculous policies that should have a second choice or opinion. We are announcing that we will improve our schools with these new Grievances and make it work.
While each of these six reasons were valid in the 1900’s, they no longer holds the sway that they once did. While reason one was to standardize the schools, this is still a very valid reason a standardize school schedule should be maintained and adjusted to a year around school. Looking back at the second and fifth reasons we transitioned, teachers are now required to attend college, which limits the need for additional educational needs that the old schoolmasters once needed. This also means that teenage girls no longer teach the summer classes, eliminating the academically weaker summer classes that they presented. The third reason, was basically based on privilege of the wealthy, and we should not placate to one class of people, it should be fair across all classes of people. Reason four was very valid until the introduction of Heating Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC). We
In this day and age, there should be no reason as to why all children do not and can not receive the same education, along with the same opportunities and resources as other schools. There are tons of school throughout the country that are lacking the bare necessities to operate a successful school, such as: up to date books, enough desks for all students, lack of before and after school programs, supplies including but not limited to chalk, calculators and paper.
In spite of her intermittent run-ins with higher-ups, Iserbyt did manage to promote and advance in her career as an educator. It was here where her belief that a conspiracy was afoot and, in her mind, confirmed her understanding of the true agenda in American education. Iserbyt says that she observed many disturbing trends in her tenure as a school board administrator, certainly not the least of which was the continual and gradual reduction in the instruction of basic skills. Especially in the area of mathematics and reading, Iserbyt states
Every school district has board meetings throughout the school year. Unfortunately, many parents, community members, & school personnel do not attend such important meetings because they don’t realize or understand the importance of such board meetings or how informative they can be. According to Kankakee School District (2017), the Kankakee School District Board of Education is composed of seven elected members, who were elected by the citizens of Kankakee to serve a four-year term that do not receive no salary for they services, are committed to ensuring a quality of educational excellence that will enhance the opportunities and challenges facing today’s student and additional responsibilities that board members include are selection of the District superintendent, developing general polices according to wishes of the community and requirements of law, hiring school personnel based upon recommendation of the Superintendent and the Assistant Superintendent of Personnel, adopts salary schedules, approves funds to finance school operations, must adopt and review the annual operating budget for the District, and setting the property tax levy to produce adequate funds to meet the District’s financial needs ranks among the responsibilities of the Board of Education (Retrieved from https://www.ksd111.org/domain/68). For this paper, the Kankakee School District board meeting will be used, information learned from board meeting, use of
A group of parents, and some teachers, have made a proposal to the school board. They would
Diane Ravitch is a highly educated author and a graduate of Wellesley College and received her Ph.D in history from Columbia University. After receiving her various degrees she became the assistant secretary of education and counselor of education from 1991 to 1993. (CITE) She now resides as a research professor of education at New York University. She has also written several books about school reform, national standards, adolescent education, controversial topics of school reform, and student rights. Overall, Diane Ravitch does a remarkable job stating the obvious issues that led to this modern day fiasco in education. I support and agree with Diane Ravitch. She strongly believes that education should not be rushed and mass-produced. In the book she states five major points about education: 1) Standardized Testing 2) No Child Left Behind and other education reforms 3) Business Model Approach 4) Privatization of schools 5) Accountability and change. In Diane Ravitch’s book about The Death and Life of the Great American School System shows the history and approach to school reform.
Who should be in control of ours school? Unions? School boards? The government? Everybody want access to our schools and make the changes that they think is better. Better for who? Students, teacher, or themselves? Is it a real compromise from the state and federal government of having control of our schools? Having local control is working best for our students? Are the people in these positions working for the best of our country or there are a conflict of interest? According to Bergmann (2010), “preparing our students to compete in a global economy, bridging the achievement gap, bringing classrooms into 21st Century Learning, and keeping quality teachers in the classroom are complex issues with no easy solutions.” It 's hard to prepare our schools for the new comings, but we need to put our best effort to have the best education of the world. Student achievement has stagnated or declined since 1970, and the cost of sending a child to the K-12 systems has tripled, even with the adjusted inflation (Coulson, 2010). Who must be in control?
Upon receipt of an email from Ruth Ann Ponten, a 7th grade math teacher, Maya Thomas, the district staff development and instructional consultant, immediately took action to help support the struggling teacher. Ruth Ann was located at a school within a rural community that was undergoing a major transition. The community of farm workers and working class families was transitioning to a community of educated professionals that were being attracted to the community’s strong, tight-knit feel and impeccable older homes. With the change of families, new expectations regarding education started to emerge as well.
Education reform is a topic that every student, parent and teacher should be interested in because it effects everyone in the community. Many different approaches to education reform have been tried, and even though they seem to work for the time being, there are always more improvements that need to be made. One of the best ideas that has been discussed in the most recent years is getting the parents and students more involved in the actual reform process. Many school administrators see a problem with involving students, even though they are the ones most affected by the changes within schools. Student’s opinions should be taken into consideration because they are the ones who see what happens inside the school and within the classroom, and are the most affected by it. Involving parents and students in the reform of their schools will improve the quality of education, improve parent and teacher relationships and reduce parent and student complaints.