We’re still a few years away from C’s first day of class (thank heaven for that says the new mom), but lately it seems the topic on everyone’s mind is our education system and what’s gone wrong – which honestly, has us a bit worried.
Among friends I’ve noticed an increased interest in home schooling and a more desperate tone when it comes to sending their kids off to rather pricey private schools. I’ve heard talk of lotteries and wait lists you need to register for well in advance of your child’s birth. Have things deteriorated so much in our public school system?
With the debut of the documentary Waiting for Superman, NBC has kicked off what they’re calling ‘Education Nation‘ week, a nationally broadcast, in-depth conversation about improving America’s school system. We typically have the Today Show playing in the background while getting ready in the morning, so I couldn’t help but catch these alarming statistics:
- One third of students in this country don’t graduate.
- Another third who get their high school diploma are not college ready.
- Only 35% of 12th graders can read at their grade level.
Maybe I need to recap my recent history, but I don’t remember things ever being that far gone in the U.S. before. What has happened?
Let’s kickoff a discussion of our own. I know many of you are educators, both in the private and public school systems, and I would love to hear your take on this. What should young parents be aware of as they look into the future towards sending their children to school? How are things different in your area? Are things really as bad off as we’re being led to believe and if so, what are some ways we as parents can get involved to help turn things around? I know the bulk of the work has to start at home with parents being advocates for their kids, so how can we be better prepared to make sure their futures are bright?
Great article! Although I’m not an educator, I do want to add that it seems like they are cutting back on everything in the schools, but education should be priority. As far as public schools, I think things are worse than we are led to believe.
Although I agree that the bulk of work starts at home, we also have to be mindful of what other parents are teaching their kids these days. It’s a shame that such extensive research is needed when choosing schools.
Chris and I are planning on having kids very soon, and we researched and concluded that we will try homeschooling first. Now if that doesn’t work out, there are some great private schools in Orlando. LOL!
Homeschool vs. Private School vs. Public school also depends on the child, their personality and at what pace they learn.
We have two kids in public school right now and we are worried too. One is doing pretty good, but the other has had trouble keeping up and his teachers just don’t seem to be interested in helping out. I’d be happy to get him tutoring if they would just recommend something. I really wish we could afford private school but we can’t.
There are good schools and good teachers all over the country. Some of our kids may just not have the opportunity to benefit from them. And, in my opinion, that’s not because of the lottery system for charter schools only. Our experience caused us to recognize the first serious problem with our public schools early on. We sent our oldest daughter to a public school in Winconsin at first. After some serious abuse by a male classmate in junior high, we visited with the Principal and asked her why kids were not being taught any values? We noticed the dilemma she was under when she simply asked us which values she should teach. Even though we come from a Christian-Judeo background, at that moment I actually didn’t care which ones she picked, as long as she picked some. It became evident to us that a free-for-all, amoral environment did not offer a good base for the development of individuals in their entirety in spite of the metal detectors they had just installed in the school. What serves as the bases for camaraderie, respect, discipline and pursuit of higher achievement? We’re no die-hard, flat, young-earth Christian zealots, but even the French resort to their revolutionary goals when they realize they need to ground their secularism on something. If we’re taking God out of schools, we better find another foundation for our ethics…and good luck with that. Based on that experience, we opted to place our girls in a Catholic school, even though we’re as far from Catholicism as we are from Judaism.
Our girls were high average students based on the U.S. evaluation system. But, when we moved to the U.K., we were faced with the second problem of our secondary school system. Our youngest daughter came with us and required a lot of remedial help to be able to complete what they refer to as their A levels. There were several long and tearful nights. That is when we realized that the grading system in the U.S. does not necessary reflect academic achievement. It is public knowledge that our teenagers underperform in Mathematics and Sciences as compared to those of other developed nations and lean toward subjects which will just get them through high school. And we’re beginning to see that in the labor market, where in spite of the high unemployment rate, there are several jobs for which one cannot find skilled workers. And teachers’ unions will certainly continue to put the interests of their worst-performing members before the interests of children. So the future is not bright since political ambitions will result into timid public administrations and inflexible unions taking the public education system in the same direction of our automobile industry. But, as an older parent, I feel younger parents need to select the best educational options they can afford for their children, while continuing to advocate for improvements in the overall public system. Unfortunately, your children only have you as their advocate and, as research demonstrates, their knowledge level will determine a great portion of what they’ll be able to achieve — even though they all think they’ll be the next rock star. I no longer believe parents should be asked to sacrifice the education of their children on the altar of political activism as I did when our children were born. Isn’t learning is a life-long process after all?
Joann, you bring up some great points. I do agree that our school system needs to keep an eye on the big picture and prepare their students to compete across the globe, not just here at home – especially with the economy the way it is and opportunities springing up in other countries. That’s why I’m really hoping we can encourage our daughter to learn several languages as well. You never know where the future will take her.
The issue of values is also a huge area for debate. You’re so right in pointing out that in the past our religious beliefs helped shape the way our education system worked. Intentional or not, it’s rather undeniable. The more we try to strip our beliefs and values from the public domain, the harder time we’ll have educating kids with strong character. Just look at all the bullying stories in the news lately. It’s a much deeper problem than just what happens in that moment… it starts with how future generations are being raised. We may not agree on the details, but I think if we lose sight of the major values (treating each other with respect, showing compassion, etc.) we’ll be in big trouble.