How to "Fix" Education in the US

I've been involved lately in some online chats using a site called "Yedda". I found it through AOL and it is a site where questions are posed, and then anyone who signs up for this free site can answer. Answers are posted, then people can rate the answers as helpful or not. One questions posed a few days ago was "What do you think should be done to improve education in the U.S.?" It has engendered hundreds of responses and they are pretty revealing. I thought I'd share some here.

1. I hear complaints about education ALL the time! It has become apparent that U.S. education is in need of improvement. Well gosh, here's an idea: STOP CUTTING THE EDUCATION BUDGETS!!!!!

2. First of all, we need discipline at home and at school. Teachers should be allowed to "correct" students without the fear of being sued. I went to catholic grade school and high school and when you did something wrong, WOWEEE did you get it. But, you know what, I really learned to write, read and speak correctly. Get rid of computers in school and let the kids REALLY LEARN to read and write correctly.
Half of the kids today can't write, they just print.

3. All my children are raised and now I am watching the grandchildren attending our schools. I find it very disturbing that physical education is no longer offered in these schools. Our kids are getting fat and lazy because they are not required to do one hour of rope climbing, jumping, running or other activities requiring exertion every day. The lunch menues are loaded with carbs and there are softdrinks (poison) galore. I spent my school years in Germany and am glad that I did. Things were strict there, one hour of gym everyday, no precooked lunches, mom fixed a lunchbox daily with a sandwich, a sweet, a fruit and a milk, all items that a growing kid needs. Parents were extremely strict about homework, no child got to play until all homework was done, no excuses. Teachers had the authority to keep an orderly classroom, even if you got smacked on the hand with a ruler if you misbehaved. Yes, we learned and we learned well. Now we have a very permissive society when it comes to our kids. They are allowed to do whatever they want whenever they want. They are surrounded by cellphones, computers, and teachers are afraid for their lives if they try to interfere. Parents are way to busy running after the almighty dollar to pay much attention to their children, so now our kids raise themselves with no guidance or attention. Wake up America, you are raising a generation of drug addicts and alcoholics with this attitude. Very sad!

4. Eliminate the unions and Federal Department of Education set up by President Carter.

5. Time to restructure how we place children in an educational environment. Some children are strong in language and poor in math. Some children have difficulty reading; which affects everything required of the child. We need to stop placing children according to their chronological age and place them according to their development in a particular subject. This would also stop the self-esteem problems for children who are not academically proficient. They would not have the age equivalent children to compare themselves.

The very first post got me pretty hot. Here it is:
6. Get better teachers. Some teachers I've seen in my kids' schools should not be teachers. The impatient hateful old lady types should just retire. Some of them obviously hate kids and need to find something else to do. Also teachers who don't know how to teach and are boring.

But when I thought about it later, there is probably some truth to this one, and I hear the frustration in the voice of this probable parent.

This is the highest positively rated answer:

7. I can solve all the problems of public education with no additional cost with three steps.
1. return all the non educational responsibilities to non educational people. (before and after school needs, breakfast0
2. Make the main focus the kids and families that want an education. (loss of the priviledge of a free public education)
3. Make "special education" special again. Remove the financial incentive to have a disability through SSI.
America had the greatest public education when it was viewed as a priviledge and NOT a right!

8. We need smaller classes! Having 34 students in each class is detrimental to every one of them! In only 45 minutes per class, how can you really pay any individual attention to any student?
Another thing that would really help: improve the ESL/ELL programs, and make the exam to get out of them a REAL exam. Right now, anyone with a pulse can test out of ESL/ELL and get placed in a regular class--only to fail miserably when they cannot keep up! Why traumatize kids like this? (This one was rated as third highest positive answer of all.)

9. I would repose the question: How do we improve education while raising the living standards of the lower socioeconomic strata of society. For decades, longitudinal studies have linked the a) schooling level of parents with that of their offspring b) higher scores on standardized tests are correlated with affluent children, lower scores with the working class. So, when we ask a question of improving standards, we need to think of class issues. Further, to answer the question of 'how to improve education', US children fall low or last on comparative standardized exams (eg OECD administered tests, TIMSS). Perhaps the US should look at how countries like Finland conduct their education systems (they scored first). In addition, teacher qualifications need to be standardized, or at least meet minimum requirements of both methodology and subject specific classes. If we use Finland as an example, it is as difficult to get a required Masters in Education, which is needed to teach as to get into other research degrees. In North America, why do teachers not need Master's degrees, or at least after-degrees that include practicums. Why are the media and the US government always simplifying the issue? Why do they not consider sociological explanations and see what other countries are doing? And last but not least, why do we talk of improving education as meaning improving standards? That talk has been around since the 1920s (Eisner, 1976). First of all, whose standards are we talking about? What knowledge should be prioritized? And, should learning not be individualized for children to meet their needs and interests? The No Child Left Behind Act ignores a) racial issues b) socioeconomics c) Arts and the humanities at the expense of Math and Language. Should the US not pay its teachers more and stop blaming teachers? Otherwise, there will be no incentive for teachers to stay in teaching (as the retention rate is low) and paying them more will attract bright minds. After all, is not teaching the next generation of value and is not babysitting? If those of you think that teachers need to have children, then perhaps all parents are qualified as school teachers. Try planning for, teaching, and overseeing 30 children at once. And, don't forget about staff meetings, gradings, coaching. Also, if we do not trust teachers to teach our children, then why not home school them? America… start thinking outside the box when it comes to education policy – please. (This one was my personal favorite as it just makes soooo much sense.)

10. Interestingly, here is the second highest rated answer:
Hit the parents up side the head with a 10 foot 2X4 to get their attention that
they are the problem !!!!!!!!!

11. This tenth highest rated I both agree and disagree with: Abolish the Department of Education. It spends billions of dollars each year, while arguably preventing students at every level from getting the best education that they can.
Reduce the influence of the "education mafia". Many professors of education haven't taught a class below the university level in decades, are hopelessly out of touch with what works in the classroom, and saddle their poor students (future teachers) with poor methods and bad ideas that have to be unlearned in the classroom at the expense of the children they teach.
Seriously limit the power of teachers unions. In many cases, these have evolved from protecting teachers from unfair labor practices to ensuring that no teacher can be fired for anything less than a criminal act, no matter how incompetant they are in the classroom.
Eliminate No Child Left Behind. No Child Left Behind = No Child Gets Ahead.
Provide different educational tracks for the top 25% of all students, the next 25%, and the bottom 50%. Have enough flexibility in this that individuals don't get incorrectly pigeonholed in the wrong track. The top 25% should be headed to a university, the next 25% to a community college, the bottom 50% to vocational training that will allow them to do meaninful, productive work and become valued members of society (as opposed to dropping out when they can't master Algebra that they will never use). Attempting to provide a "world class university prep education" for all ensures that a "world class university prep education" is actually provided to nobody. And not eveybody belongs in a university after graduation.

12. I can guarantee you almost every teacher I know feels this fifth highest rated one at some point or other:
No Child Left Behind needs to be abolished. It was never funded and elitest. Saying 'Get Better Teachers' is a crock. How about 'Get Better Parents?' The parent involvement is the KEY component to the future academic success of the student.

13. Parents are the singlemost important variable in education. Values, reinforcement and motivation come right from the parent. With or without the best teachers, technology and facilities, a child can learn. Standards are useless without strong parental support. Schools should identify cases involving poor attendance, poor preparation, discipline, truancy and lack of motivation early on. Negligent parents can be held accountable with requirements to attend weekend or evening educational parenting classes. A task force is needed in each district. If you realistically get negligent parents into the schools, lay down the law with clear objectives that require compliance, results would soon follow.

Well, what do you think? I'd love to hear from you by having you post an answer on the blog so others can read it. Just go to the blog and click below this post to comment. Let's get a great discussion going!!!