Gay Rights in School

With gay rights and legislation being debated around the country it is impossible to think that the debate would jump over public schools. California is currently passing a bill that would require social studies textbooks to include the contribution of gays and lesbians in the education of students.

Most schools have some sort of LGBT groups for students who find themselves gay or lesbian. These programs offer protection to students who might otherwise be ridiculed by firm minded peers. Does teaching specifically the sexual orientation of contributors to U.S. history increase this protection? Is it necessary? Does not knowing the sexual orientation detract from the contributions these people make?

Summer School

Almost every school in the country has some sort of summer school program for students who might need a little extra help. For students "Summer School" is almost a four letter word. It's used to threaten students into good behavior, but is it really to be as dreaded as students think?


One program in California offers learning in "summer camp-style programs", other programs are classroom settings for only a few days out of the week. For colleges many students choose to take intense three or four week classes through the summer breaks to catch up or get ahead.


A "Times" article in August of 2010 revealed studies that show that students lose about a month of math progression during their summer breaks. Other studies show that students who are from low income families may lose more than just a little math progression.


The loss of summer vacations seem horrific to many students but in the growing world of technology perhaps a steady stream of learning would be the best way to help students compete in modern markets.

Overstimulation

The 2-year-old who can read, the 6-month-old who knows his ABCs, the twelve-year-old who hates to read, the high school dropout; what do these children all have in common? Chance are they were pushed too hard in their first years of education.

Studies all over the U.S. are convincing parents that vigorous preschool and early reading are the keys to well educated and "smart" children. These young students will look great on paper but by the time they reach third or fourth grade they'll be burnt out.

Two men decides they want to run a 5k race. They both begin preparing and by the end they both will have some sort of result. That result will depend on how they prepared. The first man immediately begins sprinting pushing himself to run for 3 miles every day. In a few weeks he finds that he can run the three miles and is proud of himself. The race isn't for another few weeks though so the man continues to run every day. In another two weeks he's given up on the 5k, is tired of running, and has a sharp pain in his shins.

The second man starts slow by walking a mile and a half every day. He lifts weights and practices on a treadmill and takes a break every Wednesday and Sunday. After a week or two he starts to jog his mile and a half and in another week he starts jogging the 3 miles. By the time the 5k comes along the man is in perfect shape and is excited about the chance. He wins the 5k and keeps running for the rest of his life.

The difference is the way they prepared. This happens with students as well. Students who are pushed to run faster than they are prepared to run right off the bat are more likely to loathe high school and college. It's no wonder that American classrooms are filled with zombie students and bored teachers.

Math Initiatives in the U.S.

In 2007 the National Mathematics Advisory Panel presented an argument to the President of the United States about the dismal quality of math education in America. They argued that teachers weren't teaching math at the level needed to teach students what they needed to compete in the 21st century. This launched a series of math and science initiatives to get the U.S. "up to date".

Are the programs working?

For many states these Math Initiatives are still underway, however national research shows that since 1990 math test scores have greatly improved. The number of students proficient in math has more than doubled since 1990. Does that mean the Math Initiatives are working? Maybe more students are going to school now and taking these tests skewing the statistics in the nations favor.

What about the falling interest in math and science careers? Many students have negative things to say about their experiences with math and science. According to education experts this is an attitude is learned from a few bad experiences in the very beginning of math and science education.

With other nations taking great care to instill a love of math and science in their young ones, is the math initiative wave of 2007 too little too late?

A College Degree

With graduations wrapping up around the country colleges are preparing for their next semesters of classes. But how many students actually continue onto college?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics about 68 percent of students who graduated high school in 2010 were enrolled in a college. According to The U.S. Census Bureau as of 2007 one member of the family holding a college degree more than doubled the yearly income of the family. With the benefits of a postsecondary education seem to be so great what are the 32 percent not going to college doing, and why not just do college?

Scholarships.com lists five common reasons students will decide not to continue.

1.                          1.  I can’t afford it.

2.                          2.  I earn good money at my job.

3.                          3.  My grades aren’t so great.

4.                          4.   I don’t know what I want to do with my life.

5.                          5.  My parents didn’t go to college and they’re successful, why should I bother?

“You’re not going to get a decent job without college. They’re going to look at your degrees before they look at anything else,” said one college student. “It’s a security,” said another.

In the end, “action is the foundational key to success.” As long as something is done, something can be achieved.

The Costs of "Free" Education

In a recent Wall Street Journal Article Stephanie Simon brought up the increasing number of parents forced to pay out of pocket for the quality of their children’s public education. As if the gap between upper and lower class students weren’t wide enough, schools are forcing the stress of financial problems onto the younger generation.

An article in the Atlanta Post said “With new “pay to play” rules being implemented in schools across the country, an invisible line is being drawn in classrooms separating the have’s from the have not’s.” Children are already hyper aware of the differences between themselves and other children. These differences include the financial struggles of their parents.

How much are parents paying? One mother from Ohio spent more than $4,000 enrolling their children in public education said the Wall Street Journal. A mother from Oregon spent about $250 for each of her children. “Multiply that by five and I might as well have sent [them] to private school”.

“Public schools are spending 93 percent more than the estimated median private school,” said a study done by the CATO Institute. Schools can waive fees for students who can’t pay them, but they don’t receive the things the other students get for paying the fees. Many students go without yearbooks, or student ID cards because their parents can’t afford to send them to school with the money.

Elective classes like band and the performing arts are being cut from schools across the country. The schools where these classes have not been cut are the schools with students who come from upper class families. “I’d switch schools if I could, but it’s a “rich kid” school,” said a high school freshman who was given the opportunity to help out with a theater production at a neighboring high school. 

With so many budget cuts schools are trying to supplement a lack of money with parent provided funds. Until the government starts working with schools and parents to fix money problems, the price of a "free" education will continue to rise.