People all over the country understand that there are massive problems with public education. They see every day that students are not learning the basics of reading, writing and mathematics. As these children grow up and move into the work force they are going to suffer. Their poor literacy and computation skills will hold them back and this has a huge impact on their own family life.
It is practically impossible to assign just one reason to explain the problem. It is huge and very complex. There are factors from society in general, from the home and also from within the schools themselves. It has become all too easy to fall back on the standard answers of large class sizes and over stressed teachers. Yet there are many more forces at work.
Many of the complaints are about the qualifications of many teachers. They may have completed their requirements but are still not educated to the level of teachers in Europe or Asia. Many teachers are themselves a product of the failing system. They have never known anything else and never think to question why so many of their students are failing.
Unrealistic curriculum expectations are also a big issue. Most teacher now have no control over what they teach in their class rooms. The state will mandate exactly what they must cover each year. In many cases this may be totally unrealistic and not account for the struggling students. Teachers are disheartened that they have to push on through a concept, knowing that half the class is not ready.
Many experts think that one of the biggest problems facing schools today is the lack of parental involvement. Many families are extremely busy. Both parents may be working full time jobs and there is little time left for supervising school work. Some parents just feel that it is the schools job to educate their child, even in cases where the child has a learning disability and needs extra help.
Many teachers are simply not prepared to handle a class of thirty students. They lack the authority and skills needed to manage this large groups of children. A good teacher who really understands their obligation to their students is now quite hard to find. More teachers are worried about pushing their students through standardized tests and getting a good review. As the reviews are mostly written by administration from inside the school it is hard to break this system. Doing what is seen as politically correct has taken priority over actually educating the children.
After studying many schools and classrooms experts have also cited the issue of too much busy work. Busy work typically consists of worksheets designed to keep the students busy, but with no real educational value. They are often over used by harried teachers who want to keep their students quiet whilst they work with small groups. In many cases it may be a word search sheet or a fill in the blanks work sheet. These have little value and are often not even connected to the subject being studied.
It will take a massive effort from everyone involved, parents, teachers and administrators to address the problems with public education. This is not a situation that can be fixed over night. It will take many years of hard work and a completely new way of thinking.
It is practically impossible to assign just one reason to explain the problem. It is huge and very complex. There are factors from society in general, from the home and also from within the schools themselves. It has become all too easy to fall back on the standard answers of large class sizes and over stressed teachers. Yet there are many more forces at work.
Many of the complaints are about the qualifications of many teachers. They may have completed their requirements but are still not educated to the level of teachers in Europe or Asia. Many teachers are themselves a product of the failing system. They have never known anything else and never think to question why so many of their students are failing.
Unrealistic curriculum expectations are also a big issue. Most teacher now have no control over what they teach in their class rooms. The state will mandate exactly what they must cover each year. In many cases this may be totally unrealistic and not account for the struggling students. Teachers are disheartened that they have to push on through a concept, knowing that half the class is not ready.
Many experts think that one of the biggest problems facing schools today is the lack of parental involvement. Many families are extremely busy. Both parents may be working full time jobs and there is little time left for supervising school work. Some parents just feel that it is the schools job to educate their child, even in cases where the child has a learning disability and needs extra help.
Many teachers are simply not prepared to handle a class of thirty students. They lack the authority and skills needed to manage this large groups of children. A good teacher who really understands their obligation to their students is now quite hard to find. More teachers are worried about pushing their students through standardized tests and getting a good review. As the reviews are mostly written by administration from inside the school it is hard to break this system. Doing what is seen as politically correct has taken priority over actually educating the children.
After studying many schools and classrooms experts have also cited the issue of too much busy work. Busy work typically consists of worksheets designed to keep the students busy, but with no real educational value. They are often over used by harried teachers who want to keep their students quiet whilst they work with small groups. In many cases it may be a word search sheet or a fill in the blanks work sheet. These have little value and are often not even connected to the subject being studied.
It will take a massive effort from everyone involved, parents, teachers and administrators to address the problems with public education. This is not a situation that can be fixed over night. It will take many years of hard work and a completely new way of thinking.
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