Important to the public Essay Example for Free

Important to the public Essay The Gallup organization has surveyed American schools for the past 40 years. These surveys, carried over the years, have served as a mirror to reflect the country’s educational achievements, attitudes and perceptions held by various education stakeholders regarding the education system, and to serve as a pointer of reflecting the overall direction of the education sector. It should not be lost on us that the Gallup poll is not meant to be a rapid snapshot for public perception. Rather, the poll is conducted annually to provide all education stakeholders with some useful insights in tracking public opinion about the American educational system. Therefore, the poll is carried in the most straightforward and honest manner, with its objective set at accounting for how Americans perceive their public schools and the learning process. Below, I offer my reactions. Americans opinions regarding schools Being an election year in the United States, The question of who most Americans trust to run their schools could not escape the Gallup survey. I totally agree with the Gallup study that the democratic presidential candidate, Barrack Obama looks more responsive and supportive towards public schools than his challenger, John McCain. This is basically because of the policies that Obama want to institute in the education system. His comprehensive zero to five plan will offer the much needed support to young children and their parents in the United States. He has continued to emphasize early care and education for infants, and has promised to develop an Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote states to move towards voluntary, universal pre-school education. For positive transformation of Americans public schools to take place, the next American president must turn away from using business or political leaders in developing policies for public schools, to utilizing education leaders. To this, I can’t agree more since previous political leaders have been involved in legislating unpopular laws that harm the public schools instead of making the efficient. For example, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) rule needs to be radically reformed by improving on its accountability schemes so that schools that need improvements are supported, rather than being punished. It is also true that most Americans believe that the federal government is still not doing enough to fund the public schools. Federal funds should be increased to maintain local public schools. However, there is a mix-up of issues in that Americans want educational leaders, state and local educators to be more involved in the running of the public schools but they do not want to shoulder the massive costs involved, preferring to request the federal government to meet the ever-rising educational budget. Here, I think that average Americans must be prepared to meet the accrued cost burden arising out of educational expenses (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Majority of the parents perceive their children in public schools to be well behaved. According to me, this is not the case. Discipline in American public schools is a matter of concern. Though the problem of lack of discipline is real, parents are more generally concerned with overcrowding at schools. Infact, during its lifetime, the annual Gallup poll of the public’s attitudes towards public school continue to point out that the most serious problem facing the nation’s educational system is lack of discipline. There are many grave concerns about the dangers and disorders of lack of discipline in school environments. These dangers involve cheating, drug use, insubordination, intimidation, and truancy. It is estimated that unbecoming behaviors in U. S. schools is directly related to nearly two million suspensions per year (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Average Americans continue to perceive community Schools positively. In the recent survey, 46 percent of the respondents assigned grades A and B to community schools, as opposed to 22 percent, who favored nation’s schools. I clearly agree with this finding. Morale and confidence, is quite low in most American’s public schools, and majority of the people interviewed believed that the Democratic presidential candidate, Barrack Obama, have the capability to remedy the situation by offering practical solutions to problems that have made the American public lack confidence in public schools (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Parents continue to carry in high esteem the schools attended by their oldest children. 72 percent of the parents said that their perceptions regarding the school attended by their oldest children were positive. The Americans attitudes and perceptions towards other public schools in Europe and Asia were even more positive. Almost a half of the respondents assigned these European and Asian schools grades of A and B, as opposed to the much lower grades they assigned to their nation’s schools. I totally disagree with this finding and believe that Americans schools are the best that there is in the world. My reflection is reinforced by the view that America receives more applications from foreign students, wanting to come and study in the U. S. If the system is poor, this could not be the case. Our students are competitive, and compare favorably to other students around the world when it comes to their creativity and problem solving skills. Two-thirds of all Americans are satisfied with the education standards set by policy makers. I agree with that assertion (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Important educational issues First, majority of Americans feels that it is important to re-organize the No Child Left Behind rule as it has outlived its usefulness. The NCLB Act of 2001 remade some federal programs that were aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the U. S. public primary and secondary schools. This was to be achieved by increasing the accountability for schools, school districts, and states. Parents were provided with more flexibility in deciding which schools their siblings attend. The NCLB was aimed at increasing the educational standards, but not any more. It needs to be changed drastically, or abandoned in its entirety. In the latest Gallup survey, only 16 percent of the respondents said they can re-administer the NCLB legislation without valid changes. I totally agree with the concerns raised (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Another important educational issue is the School progress measurement system. An overwhelming majority of Americans would like the school progress to be measured, not by a single score as NCLB propagates, but rather by student’s improvement. Nearly 80 percent of the respondents believed that teacher grades, examples of student’s work, and teacher observations are the most dependable measurements of students’ academic progress. I totally agree with that assertion to do away with test scores in our education systems (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). For American educational system to be globally competitive, a change in the belief system of average Americans must take place. Majority of Americans think that their education system is pretty bad and inferior. Everyday, we read in the media about the poor performance of our nation’s schools. But the problem may not even lie with the schools. Children must be trained to achieve more in their schooling to be able to be competitive in the globalized market (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Another important educational issue that needs to be addressed is the use of standardized testing. According to experienced teachers, standardized testing lacks in quality as it only works to produce simplistic results that are embraced by policy makers as indicators of excellence. Teaching techniques need to be looked into, and if possible, overhauled. To prepare the children of tomorrow, we need to move away from standardized testing and integrate into our learning institutions some student-centered learning processes (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Poll results and future planning by public educators First, it would be the challenge of the incoming president to develop a more broader vision of learning and performance, while greatly expanding opportunities to run and raise educational standards. The incoming president needs to increase federal budgets for public schools to effectively meet the costs incurred by school administrators (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). Public educators must also come up with national strategies and policies that would enable the Americans change their belief system, that there is a bad system of education. If such a belief is changed, educators can achieve much in guiding the education system in America. Also, public educators must plan on how they will change the education system from using standardized testing procedures which narrows the students’ desire and imagination, to a more student-centered approach that will free the student and make him enjoy the learning process. All education stake holders must ensure that they come up with strategies that preserve the relevance of education in our learning institutions. Students should not be taught just to pass examinations. They need to be taught how to utilize that education to take care of themselves (â€Å"Highlights†, 2008). In future, education stakeholders must come up with ways of increasing their funding base instead of relying on federal government’s alone. This can be achieved by developing networks and partnerships with other organizations. Education stakeholders need to realize that financial incentives are much needed if the problem of inadequate staffing is to be effectively dealt with. Educational policy makers must from now rely on the expertise of educators while drawing and formulating national education policies, instead of relying on business leaders. Marked improvement in the education system will be reflected if some or all of the above issues are addressed. Reference Highlights of the 40th PDK/ Gallup Poll. (2008). Retrieved October 21 2008, from http://www. pdkmembers. org/members_online/publications/e-GALLUP/kpoll_pdfs/pdkpoll40_2008. pdf