Improving The American School System

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.

There was a time when America’s education system was top-notch according to the culture and society. With time, a myriad of things has changed, but unfortunately what has not evolved is the American education system. The country is still following a system which was not designed for the current global economic climate. Equality, as positive as it sounds is not as sufficient when it comes to education. The system treats students equally yet expect a similar culmination and outcome. Every child has his individuality and distinct abilities; one cannot judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Conversely, a few of the prominent reasons why the education system is failing are overcrowded schools, the rise of technology, and following the same old school hours.

The American Education System is not meeting the needs of current students. If anything, the system is not building a sturdy foundation for the future working class. Schools have existed for many years and every period they have worked differently. However, every school’s main purpose was to educate students to be efficacious later in life. Modern day schools are corrupting students with added pressure, standardized tests, making less accommodations for special education students, not following laws, and take away individualism from the students’. The students of modern times are the people of our future and the future does not look too bright with the current American Education System.

In chapter 5, Reforming America’s Schools, I learned many things that affect me as an educator. An important fact that interests me was that there are four goals that schools should follow. The first one is academic, including a broad array of knowledge and intellectual skills. The second one is vocational, aimed at readiness for the world of work and economic responsibilities. The third one is social and civic, including skills and behavior for participating in a complex democratic society. The fourth one is personal, including the development of individual talent and self-expression. This will affect me as an educator so that I can follow and do my best to complete these goals. Now I am aware of what should be done in a classroom.

The United States used to be ranked higher amongst other countries when came to education. People came from all over the world to study here. Unfortunately, for the past years it have been ranked in the twenties amongst other countries based on standardized testing. Now its time to revamp our education system, but the question is where we should we look. Based on student performance, the only countries that have proven that most components of their system works is Finland and Korea; Finland being ranked one and Korea ranked two. In order for the U.S. education system to move in a positive direction we must make significant changes in the structure of our system. First we need to raise the qualifications for becoming a teacher because in some states you don’t even have to attend and educational school; all you have to do is pass a test. Secondly, we need to expand the time of school so that teachers have more time to teach the kids and the students can have more interaction with the teachers. Although this is where we need to look, we don’t need to adopt their entire system.

Educational needs change overtime to fit the ever evolving world and the knowledge required to successfully maneuver through it. Because of these inevitable changes, public school systems today are in need of educational reform. Evidence collected over the the topic of education reform has shown that overall the education system needs reform. However, there are two section in particular that studies have shown to be neglected in most school environments and that have beneficial repercussions for students learning abilities and the skills they learn for real life applications. These two areas of learning include arts programs and sexual education, although they are not the sole area in need of change the do offer valid reform.

America’s public school system is failing, teachers are not being paid enough. Children are not being equipped with the tools they need at home to thrive in school. I must ask the question, is the public school system tearing our youth apart? The post below shows two pencils broken, one at the point and one at the eraser. When you write anything down on a piece of paper you are creating something new, when you erase you are taking something away. We send our children to school with hopes they learn something new. We hope that they are safe, that they are being taught things we as parents cannot teach them. The poster suggests that our current education system is breaking children down and leading them into paths of the unknown.

Although the United States is one of the most highly industrialized nations in the world, students in many other industrialized nations are outperforming U.S. students in various academic areas. As a result, the U.S. has implemented standard-based reform, and its educational costs have soared. No longer are American graduates competing with each other for jobs, in the present global economy, they also are competing with graduates from other industrialized nations, many of whom are preforming at higher academic levels in reading, math, science, and problem solving as measured by their performance on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) (“FactSheet”1-2). The PISA is an assessment that is administered every three years to fifteen year old students in OECD (Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development) countries. The OECD consists of the world’s highly industrialized nations that comprise more than 85% of the world’s economy. (West 2) The PISA was first administered in 2000, and it has been administered every three years since that time. This assessment measures student performance in the areas of reading, mathematics and science. The 2003 and 2012 administrations of the PISA also measured students’ problem solving. On the 2009 administration of the PISA, U.S. students preformed below average in the academic areas of math and science compared to students in other OECD countries (West 2). In math, the U.S. trailed seventeen OECD countries and

Education in America started with the Pilgrims in the early 1600’s. The first public school was opened in 1635 in Boston Massachusetts. In 1642, Massachusetts started an education reform that stated “Any child not properly educated would apprentice to a trade”. This education reform was created because they believed it was important for children and citizens to be able to read the laws of the land. This was the first law that required children to be education. If they were not properly educated they would be moved from their home to a better fit environment where they would be able to learn. Virginia then followed with a similar law in 1646. In 1647 Massachusetts founded an act called “Old Deluder Satan Act”. This act required towns of more than fifty families to hire a teacher for reading and writing. Towns of more than a hundred families had to establish a grammar school which served as college preparation. Dame schools taught reading and writing to females because this was all they were expected to learn so that they would not have the same intellect as men. Their classes were held in the teacher’s kitchen who continued her chores while the students did their lessons. At the beginning of the 20th century, parents and public schools began demanding more practical and useful curriculums.

Another solution to better America’s education system is to offer free or affordable tutoring. Often, children and teenagers do not understand the material and fear asking questions in class. Providing free or accessible coaching benefits these struggling students. If students are afraid to ask questions, they need a safe and friendly environment that assists students at a low cost. After a couple of tutoring sessions, the tutor can form a systematic, structured learning experience for the student. In addition to this, after the student sees an improvement in their grades, their motivation, and their attitude towards that subject will ameliorate. On the contrary, parents may believe that tutoring is a waste of time and money. Nevertheless,

Many countries around the world are striving to reach the top of the academic heap surrounded by a fast-paced, swiftly evolving technological upheaval and economic culture. And why wouldn’t they want to be at the top of that pile? Recognition as having some of the brightest in the world and the ability to pave the way for the future is certainly a goal for any country that wants to better the community or forward an agenda. This issue is addressed in the essay Why School? by Mike Rose. Rose examines the idea that the current learning environment maintained by American schools is fueled by political agendas and a bias to teach to be the best. This is opposed to the idea of teaching to learn, and experience, and grow as a populace. Rose

Since the release of the annual report by Program for International Student Assessment in December of 2010, many in the government and community are searching for ways to reform the American education system to give American students a greater opportunity to succeed. According to the report, one cannot ignore the fact that American students are not testing as high academically as other nations in the world. There are many contributing elements that have brought America to her knees in the education system, however, the obsession with standardized testing is found to be more of a stumbling block than a stepping stone in the education system. To understand how to rectify the problem, we must look at all the facts presented to us, compare

The United States educational system has realized moments in its history when educational reform was the answer to the perceived social and economic issues plaguing the country (Strickland, 1985). In 1892, the National Education Association created a committee to determine what should be taught in American schools. Specific courses of study were identified that addressed two basic components. Specific courses of study were deemed necessary for students to find success when attending college. It was also determined that students should have a well-rounded education that provided relevance for the academic topics that would be studied (Tenam-Zemach & Flynn, 2011). The quality of instruction seemed not to be the issue. One-room schoolhouses

The public school system in the United States was once a powerful tool for producing a well educated populous, but in recent decades this system has failed to prepare students for a continuing education. Compulsory education focuses on preparing youth to become a member of the labor force it teaches them follow orders, to conform their life experience to that of their peers and it fails to prepare students for a college education. The pressure of authority and society is first instilled in Kindergarten and only intensifies as education continues. An educational system based upon the average fails to promote individual expression and thought required by higher education. Required schooling mimics the structure of the work place in an effort to train young citizens as a labor force. This system of interconnected influence shapes the way the future generations see and interact with the world, for better or for worse.

“According to the pro-education reform documentary Waiting for Superman, one out of every 57 doctors loses his or her license to practice medicine. One out of every 97 lawyers loses their license to practice law. In many major cities, only one out of 1,000 teachers is fired for performance-related reasons. Why? Tenure.” Tenure for elementary school teachers is a union contract that offers academic freedom and job security. It does not necessarily guarantee lifetime employment but it does make the firing process extremely timely and equally as costly. It assures that if a teacher must be fired the he or she is guaranteed due process and will be fired for just cause. The original need for tenure during the late 19th century was to protect