Here's some pretty good ideas on REAL Education reform, by our own Denny Lee Lacy
Educational Reform
By Denny Lee Lacy
For years I have watched the debate over "proper" funding for our school systems. But not once have I seen an attempt to reform the system itself that would save untold millions of dollars if done with any degree of common sense. Let me preface what my recommendations are with the fact that I have been and currently am a public school teacher in Tennessee. I have taught since 1990 and have received several educational awards and honors. I work everyday with some of the finest educators and administrators in this country. Year after year we are asked/required to meet an ever increasing work load mostly generated by "federal mandate" which is never funded properly to start with. As with all federally mandated programs we will eventually be crushed by them; not to mention the fact that they are inherently inefficient. We must remove ourselves from this system.
Let me recommend the following changes as a starting point in "true" educational reform at the federal, state, and local levels. First, the Department of Education must be shut down. There is no provision in the constitution that even allows it.
The education of our children should be left entirely too each individual state and more specifically each individual school district. The parents of the school districts are the final arbiter of all educational decisions in conjunction with the educators of that district. With the removal of federally required programs and mandates the schools can then decide what is best for the students to learn and what programs can be afforded. This will require that no funding whatsoever be accepted from outside the state and/or district itself. Education is a State matter, not a federal matter. Which brings me to the heart of "true reform"; we must bring back to our schools a work ethic that is sorely missing. What other sane country in the world has a school system that promotes children to the next level of instruction without having mastered the level they are worked at? We promote lack of effort, failure to study and prepare, poor behavior and attitude, and children who have a less than passing grade average. This is the root of the problem with our entire educational process.
We have changed education from a privilege to a right. No More! We must start to use some common sense. Let us adopt a European/Asian model. As a first step, let's eliminate mandatory education in this country. When you come to school because you choose to be there you will be there for the right reason. Schools should not as they are now be an expensive day care center where uninvolved parents dump their undisciplined children off so they can get away from them for a while. Let us place the emphasis for achievement and success squarely back on the shoulders of the students and parents. Educators who work long and hard to prepare lessons and materials for students who are there to learn will see great achievement by those students. Students who do their assignments, pay attention in class, and who follow the school's behavior policy will be welcomed. All others will be shown the door. You MUST have mastered the required skills at EACH level BEFORE you will be promoted. No exceptions.
By the time a student has reached the 8th grade a decision should be made. Has the student gained a high degree of skills in Math, Writing, Reading that would permit them to succeed in High School as shown by grades and achievement tests? If so, then they will go to high school. If not, high school will NOT be an option. High school should be a preparatory stage for college. Having "remedial" classes at college is an outrage! You will be accepted into college because you already have the necessary skills and not until.
If at the eighth grade level it is obvious you are not ready for high school then some sort of technical training will be offered as an option. We must focus on skills that will allow each student to make a living for him or her and their future families and not be a burden on society. (The welfare system must also, in conjunction with these reforms, be totally overhauled and as much as possible totally removed.) But, ultimately, if having attained the basic educational skills of reading, writing, and math at the eighth grade level that should be the end of a student's "paid for" education. Those students who have excelled and wish to continue their education at the high school level in preparation for college will be given that opportunity. That is not to say that the door is closed to further educational opportunities for those students who did not prepare themselves for entering college. The GED program should be expanded to offer those young and older adults the chance to raise their skills to a level that would allow them to pass a college entrance exam and eventually attend college.
We have arrived at a "crisis point" within the educational system in this country. Teachers - more and more are being asked to bear the burden of proof that they are accomplishing "growth" within every divergent sub-group within our society. Yet, the two factors that are the most important to educational success (outside trained, motivated, and talented educators) are never addressed. Those two areas are student and parental involvement. You give the educational system a student who wants to learn (and/or is motivated by their parents to learn) and are required to do the work or lose their privilege to attend school; then our achievement scores will go up. But, to constantly place ever increasing demands on educators to show growth without placing the proper demands on the students and parents in absolutely a complete waste of time, money, and resources. Moreover, it is causing talented and dedicated educators to leave the profession, plus makes it more and more difficult to recruit qualified candidates into the system.
As current educational trends continue to deteriorate what good sense would dictate becomes increasing obvious. As a group educators must demand the following changes to be implemented immediately:
1) There must be included in the student handbook and in our school district's policy manual two new expulsion clauses. First, any student who has proven to be a discipline problem for any two years, i.e. shown not to be able to conform to the "code of conduct" should be expelled and not allowed to return. Secondly, any student who has shown over any two year periods that they will not do the assignments given to them and is making no effort to learn the material required of them by state standards should be expelled and not allowed to return.
2) Failure to achieve a passing grade or master the skills at any given level (grade) will automatically retain a student at that level until such time as those skills have been attained. It is ludicrous to assume that if one fails to gain the skills at one level that they will learn them at the next highest level. After two years at any one level (grade) expulsion will occur and that student will not be allowed to return.
3) Skills that are required to be taught by educators will have the proper accompanying books and material provided by the school district and will be in sequence (ordered sequentially within the material provided), so that if all teachers will follow the order of the material it will comply with the order it is required to be taught in. Teachers should not have to "generate" materials, pay for extra teaching aids themselves, or have to "juggle" the materials they are provided with in order to follow a sequence dictated by the school district.
4) Disrespect of any teacher/administrator will be dealt with IMMEDIATELY with a 3 day suspension. On the second similar offence immediate expulsion.
These are just a few ways we can approach remaking our educational system. We must make receiving a diploma meaningful again. It represents something you EARNED. It must represent something that shows you HAVE the necessary skills to make your way in life. Life is hard work. You've got to want to make it in this world. It cannot be given to you. Let's, again, honor hard work and diligence. Let's stop "enduring" those who would "coast" through our educational system. Let's demand excellence and we will achieve excellence.
