Teaching Teachers At The School System

Reading chapter six of America’s Teachers: An Introduction to Education (Newman, 2006) reminded me of the Barenaked Ladies song It’s All Been Done (Page, 1998). As I read the conflicting sides of each argument regarding education as far back of the Civil War, I kept thinking how none of this sounded new. It’s all been done before, and we are still debating many of the same issues. Newman (2006) put it another way, “Despite promoters’ claims to the contrary, few educational wheels are brand new. Most have been reinvented. Sold to the public as innovations, they are more like retreaded and recycled tires” (p.180). The purpose of education, the way in which education is managed by state and federal governments, and whom we educate (and how) will always be, in my opinion, a hot debate.

Across the United States, schools are facing a major teacher shortage as they try to fill positions in science, math, special education, bilingual education, and other fields. The shortage mainly lies in the schools serving low-income or colored students. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the student population will increase by about three million in the next decade. While the number of students is multiplying, teacher enrollment in preparation programs is down remarkably, falling 35 percent nationwide in the last five years (Long 2). Not only are more people not entering the teaching profession, multiple teachers are reaching retirement age. Because of the shortage, several states have been loosening their certifications

America’s school system and student population remains segregated, by race and class. The inequalities that exist in schools today result from more than just poorly managed schools; they reflect the racial and socioeconomic inequities of society as a whole. Most of the problems of schools boil down to either racism in and outside the school or financial disparity between wealthy and poor school districts. Because schools receive funding through local property taxes, low-income communities start at an economic disadvantage. Less funding means fewer resources, lower quality instruction and curricula, and little to no community involvement. Even when low-income schools manage to find adequate funding, the money doesn’t solve all the school’s

In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as part of his “war on poverty” in hopes of closing the achievement gap between low income schools, which typically house larger percentages of student of color, and their more affluent counterparts. The act has been redefined and reauthorized every five years since its original enactment. However, despite the last 50 years of education reform, the disparity amongst high and low poverty schools is as large as it ever was. In turn, the disparity between students of color and white students has only grown. Clearly, the one size fits all approach to education America has been using does not work. The U.S public education system is broken and, as a country, very

Kozol (1991) explained in his book how one would think that because they live in a free nation and they are entitled to a free education, that they would receive the same as everyone else. Unfortunately, our country was set up with a tax-based formula for school funding. It’s a complicated formula and most people never think to scrutinize it. Basically, taxes based on the values of homes are levied. It is an equal tax in all districts so it is equitable. Ironically, because the properties in poor areas are worth far less than in affluent areas, there is always a shortage. The Shortage in funding creates a significant difference in teacher quality, curriculum and resources Former Secretary John King (2016) explained how schools with highly concentrated Blacks and Latinos are less likely to offer advanced

As a nation, we currently provide foundational education (K-12) to any and all. Despite the fact that public schools have built the educational foundation within the United States, these schools can be riddled with inequalities that target marginalized identities. Due to the prevalence of inequality within public schools, many are fighting for the reformation of these schools. Many public schools do not obtain enough funding from the state or federal level, as a result, these schools rely on funding from the local level, which is detrimental to the development of schools in low-income communities. These classist boundaries create public schools that are overcrowded, underfunded, and required to follow an ineffective uniform model of teaching based on curriculum expectations. According to the United States Department of Education, failing to ensure that districts start with a ‘level playing field’ in terms of federal funding allocated to support student needs, both creates and exacerbates a system of ongoing inequity. According to American Progress, schools with 90 percent or more students of color spend a full $733 less per student per year than schools with 90 percent or more white students (Spatig-Amerikaner, 2012). The system does not distribute opportunity equitably, as much of the public education funding is derived from local property

I interviewed a teacher from Seckman High School named Lori Bunting. I asked Lori several questions and she gave me more insight on the teaching career. Lori graduated from Southeast Missouri State in in 2000 with her Bachelors in Secondary Education and Mathematics. She then received her masters in classroom teaching in 2008 from Missouri Baptist University. With student teaching in my near future I thought asking her about her student teacher experience would give me some advice on what my next steps are. Lori student taught at two different schools and for eight weeks each. The first place she student taught was at Oak Ridge High School in Oak Ridge, Missouri. Lori stated that the school was very small and only had one math teacher. She said this gave her an insight of what it would feel like to teach in a small school. On the other hand, she also taught at Cape Central High School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. She said she really enjoyed this experience because the school was much bigger and she felt more involved in the school. She said that unlike today, she had no choice of where she student taught but she was grateful for the experience she had at both Oak Ridge High School and Cape Central High School.

To better our country’s education system, we believe in school choice initiatives. Parents and children should never be limited in their choice of school due to income and location. In order to provide their child with the best education, both parents and children should feel free to choose a school that best fits the child’s educational needs. Money may be removed from federal funding to provide assistance to struggling families that wish to send their children to private or charter schools in order to provide their child with the right educational

One of the biggest arguments for vouchers is that they allow parents to choose what school is right for their child. Parents, in taxes, pay for their children’s education, and they should be able to send their children where they want with their education dollars. These vouchers also allow for the parent to decide what school is best fitting for their child based on their racial, cultural, and religious background. A second argument in favor of the school voucher is that, “Advocates believe that vouchers promote fairness, participatory democracy, and engagement with public debate as well as improved quality of education” (Hochschild & Scovronick, 125). Parents who are unable to afford homes in more prominent neighborhoods are forced to send their children to failing districts because they are unable to afford the tuition costs of private schools. If the voucher program was being used, then lower-class parents would have the opportunity to use their own tax dollars to send their children to a more prominent school.

The subject of school vouchers has been an enduring discussion that is currently being argued in spaces from the local school board meetings to the highest courts in some states. The school voucher initiative properly known as the school choice initiatives, it’s one that allow parents and students to choose the educational option or school that is best for them whether it is private or public. The initiative program provides parents and students with certificates that are accepted by the private school to pay for the learning place of the holder’s choice, rather than the funds go to the public school to which they are assigned. As citizens of the United States we enjoy choices and time and again look upon this as rather a positive thing for a citizen of the United States. Being allowed to choose a school of your choice may sound like a sensible initiative on the surface, but when you take a closer look beyond the surface one see serious issues. School choice, though it seems reasonable on the surface turns out to not only be a bad idea; it violates of our US Constitution. With the numerous challenges facing public schools, it’s understandable why many people would be enthusiastic to pursue new paths in education.

And why should concerned parents support public schools over vouchers? The answer, according to Chase, is simple, as public schools over the past thirty years have halved the performance imbalance between white and African American students and, within the last five years, have raised the achievement level of the nation’s poorest children by an entire grade (Chase 1). Chase maintains that, instead of “throwing money” at poorly managed schools, a “genuine commitment be made to giving all children, regardless of zip code, adequate educational resources,” as is the desire of taxpayers and the tradition of education in America (Chase 2).

Ducommun Professor of Education at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, stated that poor students and those of color are more likely to be taught by inexperienced and underqualified teachers because of the No Child Left Behind Act. (2006, p.16) Gina Diorio, the director of media relations at Commonwealth Foundation came to find that the No Child Left Behind Act seeks to provide quality education and to close the achievement gap for minority, low income students, and their peers. Many critics claim that this law encourages a narrow curriculum and there are not enough federal funds to support it. This law has made it easier for teachers to state that they are “highly qualified” although they don’t fit those specific

In the 60’s, I had elementary school teachers that ran their classrooms very rigid. Students would come into the classroom in the morning, sit at their desks doing bookwork, all day, only getting up to go to lunch, out for a 20 minute recess or lining up to go the bathroom. This made for a very difficult and strained learning environment for the students and the teacher. Even to this day, some older teachers still run their classroom in this manner and I find it to be wrong. To divert boredom, children need stimulation, both mentally and physically, to get through the day, especially in a classroom. When boredom sets in, students “will begin to direct their attention elsewhere, which can lead to negative consequences for learning” (Willis

Being an English teacher has always been my dream, and I have been growing up with it since I was a child. That dream has had a great impact on my decision-making and building my personality. It helped me trace my future by improving myself to meet the needs of a suitable English teacher who does not only have the knowledge of the language, but also has good manners, in addition to the potential to be an idol for his students, and also for people in his community. The love of the English language is the basis of the will to be an English teacher because for me, to succeed in something you need to love it first. English is a fascinating language and it is the most widely spoken language globally. It is used mostly every field from aviation, teaching, science and so on. it has a deep history with many wonderful poets and linguists who made this language great such us, William Shakespeare and Noam Chomsky. Overall, a teacher is a peace promoter and an ignorance fighter and for me that is a great duty to have a part of it.

I find the topic of the teacher or educator workforce very interesting. From reading the readings on this topic I found this information very informative and I agree with a lot of the information that was presented. The topic really was personal for me because I’m at a point in my education career where I’m considering changing careers completely. Reading about the data presented in the readings was very interesting to me because I could really relate on a personal level.