If you could change 3-5 things about America's public education system, what wou

1. 67

   KrystalDposted 11 years ago

   If you could change 3-5 things about America's public education system, what would they be and why?

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2. 61

   jwoerleinposted 11 years ago

   1. I would eliminate high-stakes testing in schools. Although these tests do make districts, schools, and teachers accountable for student performance, they do not take into effect cultural or socioeconomic factors that play a role in such performances.
   
   2. I would give all planning control to teachers and take it away from administrators. Teachers spend the entire school day with students and know students as individuals and as learners. Administrators see snapshots of students and their performances.
   
   3. I would require all prospective school board members to have a background in education. Too many board members have backgrounds in business or other non-academic fields, and they are not knowledgeable in the factors that directly effect learning.
   
   4. I would equally distribute federal money to all schools, not just the schools that are performing well. Schools that perform better are given more money than those not performing well, while urban schools that are impoverished do not have the means to improve student performance. I feel that an equitable disbursement of money between all schools would improve under-performing schools and do a better job of leaving no child behind.

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      ElleBeeposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I am so with you on the equitable distribution of federal monies! I think the best plan would be to tie a certain # of dollars to each student, b/c if a school w/ 1000 students and a school w/ 100 got the same amount of money this would be unequal to

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3. 39

   mamarouposted 11 years ago

   1- Do away with the "no child left behind".  When you go as fast as the slowest person, then the rest never reach there full potential.  There is no growth and achievement status.
   
   2- Do away with all the self-esteem programs.  The reality of life is not everyone gets the job, a raise or can start a business.  Therefor to teach children that everyone wins is flawed to begin with.  Everyone doesn't win.  There will always be children and consequently adults that don't feel good about themselves. 
   
   3- Pay raise substantial (60,000) for those that truly excel and are set apart from the gang.  If the cream always rises, then it needs to be rewarded.  All teachers are not the same.  Just like all business are not the same, nor do they all make it.
   
   4- Start school later in the day.  It's not normal for anyone to be awake at 6 a.m. in order to be to school by 8:00.  It's not just the sugar that makes the children tired, it's the ridiculous hour that school starts.
   
   5- Do away with parents in the class room.  When I grew up it was a 40:1 student/teacher ratio.  They did report cards AFTER school, not giving days off.  We've lowered our standards for our children and teachers,  consequently our country has slid further and further down in the ranks of productivity, leading the world in business and ingenuity!

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4. 61

   ElleBeeposted 11 years ago

   (1) I would make sure teachers had access to ongoing, low cost (or free) professional development focusing on best practices in their field, and also make it easier for teachers to get professional degrees at a lower cost.
   
   (2) I would make community college level courses available to students as part of the general, free public education.
   
   (3) Create partnerships between schools and other community organizations (YMCAs, JCCs, community centers, after-school programs etc.) to assure that the education children receive in school is reinforced through their other activities, even if the parents aren't able to do that at home themselves. This could also be achieved through a longer school/day year with enrichment activities INCLUDED in the school.
   
   (4) Create measures to equalize education amongst states - for example because the MCAS tests are much harder than state tests in other states, MA scored amongst the lowest in the country for how students performed on their state's high stakes testing, yet MA also has some of the highest SAT scores in the country! Something's not adding up here.
   
   (5) Expand opportunities for early education (pre-school and Pre-k).

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5. 61

   Taknovrthewrldposted 10 years ago

   http://taknovrthewrld.hubpages.com/hub/ … tart-Doing

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