Guest Post by Emma Taylor: Why Is Education in America Falling Behind?

I pleased to have a guest post from Emma Taylor. Here's a little bit about her:

"Emma Taylor is a self titled lifetime learner.  She started her education as a struggling student.  With the help of gifted teachers and tutors, she was able to overcome her setbacks and find a joy in learning.  Emma is a contributing author for School Tutoring Academy and loves sharing her love of learning with others."

This article reflects her opinions and ideas, and not necessarily those of the blog owner. With that said, read, enjoy, and respond!

Why is Education in America Falling Behind?

      It’s all over the news: According to the New York Times in an October 2013 editorial article titled “The United States, Falling Behind”, a recent study done by The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development showed that Americans between the ages of 16 and 65 scored lower on literacy, numeracy and problem solving than comparable populations in both Finland and Japan. In fact, the only comparison countries outperformed by the United States were Italy and Spain. This report was considered alarming by the New York Times editorial board, which postulated that if the United States does not take action soon, we will fall even further behind.

     Bloomberg Businessweek ran an article a year earlier stating that compared to school children in China, Finland and Korea, students in the United States may be chronic underachievers. They state reasons such as the fact that American kids do an average of less than one hour of homework at all grade levels, according to a study by RAND and the Brookings Institution. According to a task force for Educational Reform and National Security, this country’s “educational failure” endangers the U.S. “economic prosperity, global position and physical safety.”

Who’s to Blame?

     The reasons for these discouraging statistics have been debated on both sides of the aisle for
decades, and solutions are dished out right and left. Here are a few theories being dished out:

     Blame the Teachers. This idea states that teachers are more concerned with pension and tenure rights than actually teaching kids. Others say that many teachers become complacent once they receive tenure. Still others state that teachers are the trampled on heroes of education and can do no wrong. The truth likely lies somewhere between these extremes.  A Gates Foundation study found that only about 8% of teachers ranked below “basic competence.”

     Blame the Lawmakers. It’s easiest sometimes to just blame Washington, since its a nameless entity that isn’t generally standing in the gossip circle with a way to defend itself. Some people say that politicians should just give more money to schools to fix the problem, others say too much is being dished out in an inefficient manner that makes things worse. One opinion stated that as schools try to get funding, they often focus too much on jumping through the hoops instead of focusing on the individual child. Perhaps there is some truth there.

     Blame the Students. If American kids were not so lazy, and spent more time studying instead of all day tapping away on electronics, everything would be better, right? You don’t have to go far to hear this opinion shouted from the rooftops. But who is buying the electronics for those kids and supervising their schedules? Who is providing consequences and incentives to encourage kids in their use of free time? That leads to the last group who often takes the blame for world ills.

      Blame the Parents. If education is messed up in this country, it must be the parents’ fault. After
all, it's the parents who have primary responsibility for making sure their children are educated, right? While this is true, it’s also the case that parents need resources and training, especially if they were in a group that was not well educated in the last generation. Parents alone cannot fix the overall problem, though they have an incredible amount of influence over their own child’s success in the world.

Finding Solutions and Improving Education

     The American education crisis is a complicated problem that compounds upon itself and continues to get worse with each generation as America struggles with trying to find an answer. If the answer to these questions were easy, the solutions could be implemented immediately. But it’s not an easy problem to tackle. There are thousands of solutions offered, from both camps of thought on the subject. This problem should not be considered a Democrat or Republican problem, but a concern for all Americans alike.

      Pay Teachers More. Generally acknowledged is the fact that teacher salaries are low compared to other career fields. Others argue that since teachers generally get the entire summer off, plus every national holiday, that their salaries are comparable to other higher paying fields. Then again, others point out that teachers often spend much of their time before and after the school day making lesson plans, correcting papers, and many spend their own money on classroom supplies and decorations.

     Focus on Math and Science. Politicians such as Tennessee Senator Bob Corker voted for legislation providing as much as $43 billion for scientific research, doubling the previous budget for this area. This type of spending is seen as creating opportunities for science and math students, as well as teachers and researchers. Others are concerned that just throwing money at the problem doesn't necessarily fix it, especially if that money is not managed well as it trickles down through the various committees and institutions.

      Help Students Pay for Higher Education. A bi-partisan effort to improve higher education in the United States was broadly approved to expand the Pell Grant program, helping hundreds of thousands more students of all socioeconomic levels to be able to afford college tuition. It also put forth reduced interest on student loans, and gave special bonuses to students planning to teach school in the future. The advocates of this approach state that U.S. ability to compete in the world marketplace depends on a highly educated workforce, which can be done through increased college affordability and access.

      Put More Books into Homes. Some feel that education can be greatly improved by just making sure parents have lots of books in their homes, and encouraging them to read 20 minutes a day with their children. In fact, according to a study by Hanushek and Woessman, the number of books in an American student’s home can predict with great accuracy the outcome of that student’s academic progress. In fact, kids coming from homes with at least two full bookcases will score two and a half grade levels above kids coming from homes with few books.

What’s a Parent to Do?

     While the country continues to battle over what exactly is causing the struggle in America's schools and how to fix it, parents are left with few good answers from the outside. Those who are concerned about making sure their own children don’t fall into the trap of going through the system without receiving an adequate education need to come up with their own conclusions and strategies. In fact, homeschooling is a growing trend that many parents have chosen to make sure their kids are taught what the parents value most. When done well, homeschooled children have shown the ability to compete well against children educated in other ways.    
     Other parents are turning to auxiliary programs such as personal tutoring, or using summer educational programs as a supplement to their child’s education. Whatever you choose to help your own students, it's important to realize that without adequate parental involvement, you’re leaving your children’s education in the hands of a hotly debated topic that has not yet been figured out at the highest levels.



So... Now that you have read Emma's thoughts, what do YOU think? Leave a comment and/or share with a teacher/parent/administrator!

Cheers-
Mr. Hughes

Where Does One Draw the Line?

A thought has really been on my mind lately. A thought about the number of students in my class that are falling victim to warm weather and spring sports programs. These students that have all but checked out of school mentally, not to mention academically. Then there is the group that I feel never really checked into school this year.

This leaves me, as the teacher, in a bit of a lurch. You see, teachers walk a tight-rope to begin with. We, generally speaking, try our best to support, cheer on, and encourage our students to be successful, responsible citizens of our respective schools.  However, at any given time, many teachers (myself included), step over the line and into the role of parent (or counselor, enforcer, etc.). While the actual distance a teacher travels from "teacher" role to one of these "other" roles is minute, it requires a HUGE change in energy, time, and emotional investment.

For example. Let's say that a student you have been working with all school year in regards to bringing homework, signed planners, signed grades, projects, and more is making improvements. Then one day he/she stops coming with the little they were doing. You, as a teacher, remind the student of the obligation he/she is under to complete assignments. You also offer encouraging words, and praise the student for their hard work (while knowing inside realistically they have done very little).
The next day nothing.
The next, again nothing.
You pull the student aside and express you disappointment in his/her lack of responsibility. You give a "life lecture" and express your confidence they can and will improve.
The next day, nothing.
The next....nothing.
Again, you pull the student aside. You ask what you can do to help them. In return, you get a shoulder shrug, a mumbled excuse that it was "forgotten", and that the grade isn't a big deal to them.

Here is where the teacher has to make a choice. This is a jumping off point. A point that ultimately leads down a path of no return.

Now here is where my nagging question has been playing over and over and over in my mind. This dilemma is eating me up. I believe I am actually becoming depressed over it.

I want SO DESPERATELY for each child that enters my classroom to feel safe, acknowledged, and willing to work hard. What I get in reality is a group of students (in general) that are unmotivated, unwilling to try, and flat out bullies to one another. (At this point I do acknowledge that in the past these students that were a challenge were by far the minority. But as the years progress, they are becoming the majority. I have many students whom are excellent at learning, believing in themselves, and making an effort to learn. Thanks to those precious few).

So the dilemma- the one of which I have successfully avoided.

Is it ever okay to back away from the line towards the school side. To simply let a student know you have done all you can for them (Is it possible to say you HAVE done all you can for them?) and that you hope they discover, on their own, the need to step-up?

OR

If you back away from that line and "abandon" the student to their on demise is that unprofessional? Is that unethical? Is that giving up on the future of America? Does it mean that I am not fit to be a teacher anymore?

NOW, before you wax all judgmental and starting spouting words of encouragement or disdain, I will present another headscratcher.

IF, I don't back away from the line, my only option would then be to move towards the parent side of the line. I then must start to nag them, hound them, threaten them with all sorts of creative and punitive consequences (which usually are more of a punishment for the teacher who is left to enforce them during breaks/recess time- which is also break time for the teacher).

As I read back over this posting, I am not sure I have been able to completely capture the true anxiety that a teacher feels in this situation.

Me? I am what I would hope others would call a dedicated teacher. I work many hours outside of school to ensure that materials and lessons are prepared. I spend extra money to provide activities and experiences that I feel enhance learning. I strive to be interactive and a technology user. I greet every student every morning as they enter the room and talk to them, ask about them, try to show interest in them. I guess what I am driving at it that I am 100% invested in teaching my students. This isn't a brag or a boast. (If you were to look at testing results for the past several years- you would NOT get that idea at all). Rather I am trying to present all the facts, all the evidence before judgement is passed.

One more piece of "evidence" to lay out there. I don't ask for anything in return from my students, other than their very best work. However, I will say that it is emotionally draining to put yourself out there day after day- greeting, working, striving, hoping- and get nothing in return. No "Thanks for helping me today". No, "That was a great lesson Mr. Hughes". I don't mean to sound like a whiner. I don't really expect those things. But it simply shows that most students are oblivious to what a teacher does for them behind the scenes that they will never understand or appreciate (unless they become a teacher themselves).

So, what is the answer?

I really don't know. I will spend many restless nights during the last five weeks of school, waging a battle against what I WANT and what I hope is right. I hope my soul won't become a casualty of war and that my actions are worthy of a professional educator.

Later...

Public or Private

That was the question I posed on BlogCatalog today. I am trying to find the pulse of what other people in other parts of the country are thinking and feeling about public education vs. private education and how vouchers play into the whole mess. You can see the actual discussion HERE Feel free to sign-up and share your own ideas.

As for me, I am not sure anymore what is the best thing for our students. In a rural area like mine, kids will NEVER have the option of private or charter schools, so I could just say, I don't really care what goes on. But I fear that our fearless state leaders are looking to gain a buck or two for their buddies by really pushing the voucher issue. The reality is it doesn't give parents the choice everyone thinks it will. It simply give the rich a break on their tution fees to a private school while the poor and disadvantaged students are left with bills for private school they could never pay- and therefore could not attend anyways.

What is the answer? I couldn't even begin to tell you. I have thoughts and ideas on ways to HELP REDUCE, but I don't think I know how to SOLVE the problems.

If you think you know what the answer is, don't hesitate to chime in. Realizing this isn't only a one state problem, it is a nationwide problem.
later...