livingitup

Public education has it flaws. Many things keep it from being a highly effective system.

1. Structure isn’t conducive to creativity as curiosity-inspired learning.
2. Classrooms have too many kids to effectively give needed attention to all.
3. New programs and fixes always thrown at schools (without funding).  Prescribed programs may change yearly.
4. Mandated testing in a format that promotes more rote skills and less application and analysis.
5. Forced repetition to ‘equate’ all schools through curriculum.
6. Uniformity.
7. Limited funding.
8. School size (the total school population)

Students are not the reasons for problems.  However ideas and public opinion have a huge impact.

1. Students are forced to go to school for a prescribed amount of time, regardless of learning.  (No flexibility.)
2. “Free” education is not appreciated or desired by many.  Don’t realize the alternatives.
3. Learning is not considered to be a”job” for kids.  School is something that gets in the way of extra-curricular activities.
4. Blame shifting.
5. Lack of education for many parents.  Lack of value placed on education/learning.
6. Expecting schools to parent.  Becoming enraged when they do.
7. Media’s representation of schools.
8. Misplacement of responsibility.
9. Negativity towards schools, administrators, teachers, & leaders.
10. Breakdown in communication.

Schools need to be rethought and restructured.  Currently they serve a basic purpose.  Students learn to read, understand basic math functions, write, and interact socially with a wide range of individuals and groups.  While at school students also gain a united cultural background.  (They learn certain texts, such as Romeo and Juliet, and the history of the New England states.)

Students may not read well, or at a normal functioning level, but they do gain a basic understanding.  They can communicate basic needs through the written word.  They can add and subtract–they can use a four function calculator (if any still exist).  These are the things that have survived American schools’ original purpose.  (Well, the calculator is  new feature.)

Socialization is perhaps one of the only things that has really evolved in schools–and it has done so mostly in the midde to upper grades.  The ability to deal with people from differing walks of life–to deal with people that are irritating, that think differently, to deal with people who aren’t always looking out for you.  Peer interactions  at school teach students much.  Society isn’t looking for that, though, when holding schools accountable.   Schools aren’t currently structured to do much else–and it will take a major overhaul &  tons of money to change that.

Schools have methodologies and training to reach a variety of students.  They can, too.  However, if students are not taught to respect teachers, teachers can do very little.  Their time with students (at least older students) is very limited.  It’s hard to turn disdain to respect in 50 minutes.

American culture, in general, doesn’t put as much emphasis on education as many other countries.  And yet, Americans aim to educate all students (at least until they turn 18) to the same level.  This isn’t so for most other countries. When students don’t learn to read by 2nd grade, schools are blamed–even though very often, if you check the records, it is those same students that are absent day after day.  The same ones that are tardy often and leave early day after day.   But what did the schools do for that child?!

I’m angry with accusations that teachers are to blame.  I’ll delve deeper into this later.