Education Today
Education is in a state of flux. It's commonly believed, whether accurately or not, that something is seriously wrong with education in the United States. Politicians often run on education-reform platforms. Reform is also a common topic on talk shows and news reports.
Changing Attitudes about EducationThe truth is that no one has a real handle on the issues and problems with education in America today. The reasons are multifaceted and deal with the core of our changing society itself:
Attitudes among parents have changed. Many parents no longer choose to be partners in their children's discipline process.
The teacher's role has expanded but is no longer well defined, so many teachers lose their focus.
It's difficult to remove ineffective teachers from the school system.
Society has become more permissive as a whole. Less emphasis is placed on personal responsibility.
Student attitudes have changed over time. A greater number of students today believe that teachers and schools must accept them the way they are.
Administration is often stymied by laws and budget concerns. It no longer joins teachers to create a consistent message and outlook on education.
It is obvious that because of all of these intersecting and conflicting issues, the ideas on how to “fix” education are varied. Educational professionals, parent groups, politicians, editorialists, and many others have their own opinions on which reforms are necessary to overcome these difficulties. However, the task is extremely difficult, if not impossible, because the solutions have to alter people's attitudes and actions.
It is often difficult to adjust to the newest educational reforms. Changing the structure of your teaching day or year can be disruptive, both to you and to your students. Keep a positive attitude, and realize that reforms come and go, but the things that make you an effective teacher will never change.
Many of the proposed reforms don't provide solutions. They merely offer a bandage for the battered system of education. This does not mean, however, that education in America is dying or already dead. It is alive and well in the classroom of every effective teacher.
Education reforms are like swings of a pendulum. If you have been in education long enough, reforms that you thought were long forgotten will be revived, dusted off, and given a new coat of paint. As a teacher, you should be prepared to see your school jump on the reform bandwagon at some point. While many reform movements have good points, adopting them can cause problems. School systems often invest a lot of time, effort, and money into a specific reform. With all this investment, it can be hard for schools to admit if a reform does not work as planned.
Reforms will happen to your school sooner or later, so you may expect any of the following:
Year-round education
Block scheduling
4 × 4 scheduling
High-stakes testing
Learning communities
School voucher system
Each of these reforms has its champions and its critics. They all will be discussed in greater depth in Chapter 20.
