Education Reform Essay

It is undeniably clear that we have serious problems with our raising system. Talk to any acquireer and you volition hear the same complaints overcrowded classrooms, privation of supplies and text books, unfairness of the grading system, discipline issues, drugs, lowpaid teachers and the list goes on and on. The conduct our children merchantmant read, spell or solve basic math problems without a calculator. Many disciples can non thus far acknowledge their sustain country on a map. In the midst of debates going on in umpteen different levels, the big question is how can we have-to doe with these problems?The National Commission on Excellence in Education delivered a devastating assessment of American cognition in 1983. gibe to the directions findings 23 million American adults were illiterate by the simplest tests of development and writing. Almost 13 percent of completely 17 year olds in the United States were functionally illiterate. Illiteracy among minority yo ung was a scaring 40 percent. Scholastic Aptitude tests ( SAT ) showed that average verbal scores hide over 50 points and mathematics scores dropped 40 points from 1963 to 1980.Inter subject field comparisons of bookman achievement revealed that on 19 faculty member tests American students were never first base or second and comp ared to the other industrialized nations, were last seven times. ( http//www. ed. gov/pubs/NatAtRisk/risk. hypertext mark-up language (3 of 10 ,2005 ). These findings alarmed the nation and in 1989, an preparation summit involving all fifty read governors and president George H. W. Bush resulted in the adoption of national education goals for the year 2000. The same year, National Council of Teachers Of Mathematics published the computer programme and evaluation Standards for School Mathematics, a standards based document. ( Schwardz, 2000 ).Standards based  initiate domesticize has become a predominant issue facing general informs. In th e 1990s , The Standards-based National Education Goals were set by the U. S. Congress. This movement resulted in the famous No child Left Behind Act of 2001 which is smooth an active nation wide designate in the United States ( Schwardz 2000 ). A standards-based system measures each student against the concrete standard, instead of measuring how wholesome the student performed compared to others.The main goal of this reform is that no student by virtue of poverty, age, race, gender, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities or family situation will be exempt from learning the required material. ( Robinson,2000 ). The school income from property taxes and the federal coin are based on the student attendance. Every unrestricted school is required to dispense attendance every day so the budget can be given to the relegate accounting part and the money made available. If a child stays home even for one day, the attendance shows slight need for money.Because of this syste m, we have overcrowded classrooms. The government legislators should gather in that fewer students means better classroom management and better education.The grapple for the control of public schools also contribute to the problems we are facing with our education system. In the United States, schools are regulated by laws and regulations at the dominion, county, stir and federal levels.The most of day to day activities have been influenced by district level government usually by a district bureaucracy led by a superintended and controlled by a locally pick out or appointed school board. ( Smith, 2001 ). State and federal governments often mandate programs and reforms or prohibit certain activities by criminalizing them through legislation or court precedent or restricting state and federal funds to schools which are not in compliance. ( Robinson, 2000 ).In the early geezerhood of our nation, our physical composition left education matters Mostly in the hands of states. In those days founding fathers did not want the federal government running education. just times have changed. Now we have a mobile society, pertly technology, and a global economy which has erased district, county and states lines that once had meaning. Nowadays, whether raised in California, Florida, cobalt or Virginia, all children in America need the same knowledge and skills that will help them compete in both national and the military man(prenominal) marketplace of jobs.Tight local control of public education under the influence of provincial attitudes and ideologies can leave our children ill vigilant to go a guidance in this very challenging global environment. Federal government leads the way in important areas such as food, drug, product, financial and environmental regulations and policies. Should not education, one of the most essential contributors to the success and well being of our nation, be naturally included in that list? The violation of the separation of perform and state issue has also been an ongoing debate in our public schools.In our constitution, the first amendment states Congress shall make no law respecting an brass instrument of religion or prohibiting the bare exercise thereof, this indicates that a person is free to study any form of religion and that the government will not adopt any religion as the official religion of the state or nation nor will they favor any religion to a higher place another ( First Amendment to the United States Constitution, retrieved June 29, 2010 ). There are conflicts over school praying and most people agree that allowing some groups of children to pray inside the classrooms could pause other children with different religious backgrounds or the children with atheist parents.Author Randall Eberts ( 2007 ) states that if we take a look at any humanities course, we will find religion somewhere. He also states that religion is in science, literature and art. The fighting of evol ution vs. creationism vs. intelligent design never stops. Science teachers can teach about the planets, stars and galaxies but they have no answer regarding how it all started. They can come up with several theories but it is difficult to satisfy many students with various religious background.In art classes, Leonardo Da Vincis Last Supper and Michelangelos Sistine Chapel are among the greatest pieces of artistry which are both religious in nature. In order for a student to be able to analyze these types of artwork, they must be able to mention to the religious themes portrayed in the pieces. In literature, Dantes Inferno is a good example of how religion is preludeed in a high school literature class. In the text, Dante has established series of rings of hell and categorize which sins would banish a soul to that region for eternity.Since not all students take in heaven and hell, teachers must be extra careful how to approach this topic so it wont appear as if they are tryin g to enforce their viewpoints on the topic. There has to be a mulct line between teaching religion and teaching about religion. According to a study by Christian Smith, ( Smith, 2002 ) religion affects students many ship canal including the following Religious students are more likely to be convoluted in community work. Religious students are less(prenominal) likely to be suspended or expelled. Religious students are more likely to be involved in student government.Religious 12th graders are less likely to misbehave at school. Religious 12th graders are less likely to skip school without permission. There is a positive correlational statistics between religious students and their involvement in extracurricular activities. Researchers mark Regnerus and Glen sr. ( Regnerus, 2003 ) conducted a research and found out that when youth from low-income neighborhoods attend church, their academic performance improves primarily due to social influences of the church. It awaits like most p roblems in the schools are the result of inability to make important decisions about the approaching of education in America.Valuable time is wasted by infighting and indecision. We seem powerless to fix the problems. All parties involved should have a uncouth agreement about what some of the basic needs of students are. Our culture and the state of society is rapidly changing. In the light of these changes, new ideas about education can be useful to improve our education system. But they should be investigated for their effectiveness. The key to our future depends on highly educated students who are prepared for the 21st century. Our economic future and ability to compete in the world marketplace depends on it.