Donald Johanson                                                                                            Page 1

Eng. 101: Dr. Begert

3/15/2013, Final paper

         K-12 EDUCATION AND ITS RE-INVENTION

     Since the turn of the century, educational institutions were built to give children the tools intellectually to become productive functional adults and to prepare some to advance to institutions of higher learning. Curriculum was chosen, and three divisions of age based groupings were formed based on cognitive abilities as well as mental and physical development. The elementary, middle, and high school levels we have today are the result. The one size fit’s all curriculum formed essentially some fifty years ago is finally starting to reveal its failure to todays children in the form of high drop out rates, and below average scores in standardized testing on an  international level.  

     The factors I feel that have contributed to the down fall of America’s youth are many, and with many variables that obstruct locating a pinpoint reason. Without an exact identifiable cause or a trend that can be specifically identified by school administrators, the blame then gets placed to any and all weak spots in the system. In general, I feel the system and the players involved, from the kindergarten student to the President of the U.S  have good intentions to learn and lead us into the future, but the system needs help. Our inability to manipulate the learning environment to facilitate the individual students strengths in learning is what I’m proposing to address, while retaining education and academic proficiency on a large scale, such as our K-12 student body.

     While keeping curriculum as required by law, I would like to introduce a pilot program where as the student becomes a teacher to a class below them. A portion of the school day would be set aside to incorporate this program. In my paper I will propose the plan for the program, as well as research to reinforce the concept. Although there are schools with similar programs, I intend to take it another level by combining courses as well.

      The initial layout of the program consists of say a senior grade 12 class of forty to be broken down into four groups of ten. Those groups would then be assigned to four  eleventh grade classes of forty students. Math, English, science, geography for instance. The ratio of student teacher to the underclass student would be one to four. With the supervision and guidance of the  actual school instructor, the student teacher would be given the course material and time frame to complete it.

      The time frame for the class would be two hours. The first hour would be in the classroom, the second half of the class would be incorporated into an elective of their choice, as long as the elective could be used as a learning tool to expand on the first hours classwork.

       For instance math and physical education, science and physical education, or even geography and physical education. In each one of these combined courses, the student teacher and their group would find exercises that incorporate that coursework. More examples would be to combine geography with library science, or science with a home economics class. Science could easily be put to practice in a cooking class where subjects such as mixing ingredients and various reactions that occur with mixing, or the effects of boiling or freezing something. The geography class could have a number of different exercises in home-ec, such as cutting out pieces of fabric in the shape of different states or countries, and sewing them together to make a shirt or a quilt. The combinations of required course work when combined with an elective are endless. By doing these combined type programs the student teacher and the student are more involved and get a hands on experience of how and why their education is used and the many relationships between the courses. To have a volleyball game, and have the science class identify the main muscle groups involved in that sport would be fun and educational, and I would suspect the student to have a better grade in that science class.

       Several programs of the student becoming the teacher have been put to practice and documented such as “ The Best and Worst of High School Teaching, by GR Galluzzo,” 1991

        When the high school student becomes a teacher it generally builds on their confidence and self esteem as well. By the time the student finishes their block of instruction in the cross grade fashion, they are well versed in the subject, show a new sense of self worth and empowerment, and take that with them into their future endeavors.

        Due to the current trend in the U.S. public school system in regards to the student low scores in international testing, it’s imperative that any and all options be looked at to stimulate the students academic improvement. A few other key findings with regards to student success must study, or  The International Mathematics and Science study, and revealed some interesting facts that need to be addressed in addition to my proposal. With regards to school management the study revealed the best practices in deciding whether facets of education should be centralized or autonomized. The study indicated that the school budget and texts should be centralized. The hiring and salaries of teachers with autonomy, as well as recruitment and compensation. Senate President of Education Don Gaetz, stated “ Just as parents have the choice of where to send their students to school, teachers should also have a choice of where to work.

        In 2001, the U.S. ranked 24th of 46 countries tested by the independent Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or the O.E.C.D. , using the T.I.M.M.S. Further study results indicate the teacher should have control of the curriculum, as well as specific text books for their course, the students scored 12 points higher than other countries in the TIMMS study. When teachers acting collectively as a union related to their curriculum, the students scored over thirty points less than other countries. According the Harvard University economist

Carolyn Hoxby, “ Teachers unionization helps explain why schools can perform worse when given more resources.” She further labels it as “The ratio of student performance to spending.”

       Other key results show that the teachers age, and level of education were key factors showing that a teacher with a Doctorate resulted in thirty two point increase in test scores from a teacher with minimal post-secondary education.

        Lastly the research recommends to centralize exams that gives the whole educational chain of command more transparency. By doing such, parents, administrators, and government can look at the results and better determine where the weaknesses and strengths are located.

        When students and teachers are given choices where they would like to teach or learn, they as well had markedly higher test scores, as well as teacher involvement with the student.

         A final area of study was in comparing public to private education. Public school teachers as a whole had a 20% higher pay than their counterpart, however job satisfaction leaned toward the private sector teacher. Student performance and and student test scores on average were much higher in the private sector, especially with public funding.

        If only a few of the issues I have addressed could be satisfied, along with implementing the student teacher program or a similar venture in a public or private setting, student success would improve as well as our international ranking academically. In Gatto’s view, “Urge them to take on serious material,the grown up material, in history,literature, philosophy, music, art, economics, and theology.” “If David Farragut could take command of a British warship as a pre-teen, if Thomas Edison could publish a broadsheet at the age of twelve, if Ben Franklin could apprentice himself to a printer at the same age ( then put himself through a course of study that would choke a Yale senior), there’s no telling what your own kids could do.” So true are those statements and the reality that our nation’s K-12 potential is there, we just need to explore ways to bring it to life. Every student has a slightly different way in which they excel and retain educational material. By cross grade student teacher programs, and the utilization or the vast array of internet and other technical advances at our fingertips, the U.S. student should have the opportunity to climb to the top internationally in every facet of education.

                                          chalk

         A mocumentary on education. The challenges of teaching. A comical look at education through the eyes of a teacher. A group of inner city teachers and administrators experience the growing pains of teaching and the day to day challenges they face. Not only trying to teach a broad variety of students with their own issues inside and outside the class , but their own as well. Each teacher in the film experiences their own unique struggle with trying to connect with the students and fellow faculty members as well. The very character and personality of the teacher is challenged daily, and through the film those hard times are dealt with and the teacher readjustments  to those issues. It really pointed out the relationship between teaching and the teachers ability to handle adversity and regaining the control in the classroom, and just how vulnerable they are to loosing the students attention and respect. Its interesting in that we all have the ability to loose, regain, and loose again that interpersonal relationship with each other, but are fortunate for the most part that we have the ability to improve, forgive, understand , adjust, and care for one another, allowing for solution
       With regards to my 3rd paper, this film gave me a little bit more insight in regards writing about our struggling educational system, but reminded me of the ever changing human factor involved, and the variables associated with trying to create a successful educational thats effective for the masses. From one town to another, teacher to another, student to another and social economics of the family and community to another, create a challenge in my mind where there isn't and never will be a cut and dried solution to student success.
      The teacher or first line members to the child's success, as well as the parent set the groundwork for the learning environment of the child. Every aspect of a child's daily routine  must be tailored to provide the best conditions to learning. The cost to feed, clothe, transport, and teach the child is very expensive, compiled with living conditions, family dynamics and continuity, and the geographical location are but a few of the pieces to a puzzle. The problems with puzzles, is that time to time inevitably a piece will get misplaced or lost, and there is no safeguard against that happening. this can often ruin a chance to complete the puzzle, or the childs success. As parent, teachers and students, a group effort is required and a little luck to complete that puzzle.
         

Waiting for superman

                                      waiting for superman

     Education, educators and students

A documentary made in 1999 looks at the public educational system and the risks of the quality of that education that can often start by a lottery type drawing for the placement of their future. The documentary looks at the personal lives of several children and their family situations and their experience in the failing educational system.. It points out the skyrocketing spending for education and all the Presidents claim to making education their number one focus. Spending has gone up, grades have gone down. It appears the social economics of the inner city family's student plays a major role in the child's success.

Starting with president Bush, the "No student left behind' doctrine was initiated. Testing was taken across the nation and pointed to a disturbing pattern of falling grades as students progress to the high school level. In fact there has been a astounding dropout rate and was found to be the fault of the schools rather than the student. Many of the students who dropped out wind up in jail to further damage the financial burden on the economy. Locking up a teenager costs the public three times as much sending the child to a private school. Academic sinkholes in the big cities would suddenly be turned upside down by a 37 y/o teacher named Michelle Reed, who planned to change the system of entangled "GOLIATH" or "BLOB", that has formed in the public educational system that has taken effective education away from the students. The beurocratic overlapping and entanglement of the government has harmed the success of the student. 

Furthermore focus on the teachers ability is looked at, and how 'tenure" or the law protecting teachers employment, has harmed the students quality of education. Teachers unions further protected the failing teachers job security. It appears that that very union actually harms the recognition and rewarding of the good quality teachers. "The dance of the lemons", was put into play in which the failing teachers would be passed of to another school and so on.. "The rubber room", which is a $100 million a year cost to New York city to deal with the crappy teacher.

Charter schools were formed and ran on a lottery system that initiated in the Harlem community took students from a broad social economic community that was to be ran by non union teachers. Michelle Reed the schools superintendant fires several principles in her crusade to further weed out the ineffective failing schools. At the same time the effectiveness of charter schools is being observed, but only very few children will be enrolled. Another factor called tracking has further harmed the students sucess and the economy as a whole. It has been known that math science and engineering is the driving force behind the world economy, but the U.S ranks 23rd in the world.

A new and radically successful education program called Kipp has given new hope to inner city schools. By extending the school day and making the student and teacher accountable. 

What it all boils down to seems to be the adult. The teacher, the parent, and the commitment to the child. Not all students will get into charter schools, so remains is a huge problem in the school system, and really without a solution readily available. The budget for education is up why isn't there an increase in the academic success of the student. Is it the community, the teacher, or the students lack of motivation? Every student should somehow be selected in the lottery, or should the seed schools replace the current institutions?