Academic Essay

The subject that is on everyones mind these days is how is Americas education system? After such governmental programs like, in the Bush era, the No Child Left Behind Act has there been any significant progress added? The cause, effects and solutions to the problem of why we are not on top when it comes to our education system, brings up a number of complex issues. Everyone has their own speculation as to why the American education system is lagging behind and not progressing like other leading nations. This essay will examine the current state our education system is in and whether money has an effect on the direction it is heading by considering the argument put forth by a variety of professionals.

We see a lot of federal money given to schools year after year to aid for programs and building that are suppose to better them. One significant program that was enacted in 2008 was the No Child Left Behind Act. At the core of the No Child Left Behind Act were a number of measures designed to drive broad gains in student achievement and to hold states and schools more accountable for student progress. They represented significant changes to the education landscape (U.S. Department of Education, 2001). Sarah Reckhow discusses in her book, Follow the Money How Foundation Dollars Change Public School that the act hasnt been as productive as planned to be. She states that over the past few years we have seen a rise in national academic progress, but in actuality children that arent able to pass these standardized tests after the second and

third time are just being pushed along through the system. (Reckhow 24) Author Arthur Wise who wrote Rich Schools Poor Schools The Promise of Equal Educational Opportunity agrees with Mrs. Reckhow. He states recent studies have shown that about 23% of students who have taken and failed these standardized tests the first time still arent able to pass them a second time, and 10% are not able to pass them at all. (Wise 47)

Reckhow also analyzed the effect of increasing teachers pay, and if it would have a direct effect on students performance. Many speak of the importance of great teachers and the appreciation for influential educators. Teachers are consistently compensated less than those in other similarly key professions. (Reckhow 145) A study last fall found that the United States ranked 22nd out of 27 countries when it came to the ratio of teachers with 15 years' experience to the average earnings of full-time workers with a college degree. In the U.S., teachers earned less than 60 percent of the average pay for full-time college-educated workers, whereas in many other countries, teachers earn between 80 and 100 percent of the college-educated average. (Reckhow 156) Increasing the pay would bring in more teachers in the areas as math, science, and foreign languages that suffer severe, long-term shortages. Does increasing pay result in better achievement? While we can all agree that many highly qualified teachers deserve higher salaries, simply raising pay wont fix our schools says Reckhow. I believe we need to invest in other resources that matter too. To start, smaller classes with adequate facilities that include computers and support for teachers to use them

effectively is a step in the right direction.

The recent recession has not only put a dangerous impact on American families but also students in public schools. Michael Hill writes in a recent article called High School Sports Schedules Shaved to Save Dollars article puts into perspective the effect of Americans recession and how it puts a damper on high school sports. In New York a slimmer schedule is the new way to cut spending in public schools. Instead of a football schedule being a 24-game season they would cut it to 20, and have other sports experience the same cutbacks. (Hill 34) While I was in high school I played on the womens basketball team. Up until my junior year we had a bus driver to take us to and from a game. My senior year there was a difference our coach became the driver. Guilford County Schools stated that we either had to provide our own transportation to the games or our coach or someone registered to drive a bus would have to. Although this wasnt a big impact on our performance I thought about the drivers whose job had been replaced. This really put into perspective the degree of the situation.

Federal money is not always necessary funding for schools, but rather individual money each family and student has access to. In Durham North Carolina, two of their county strategic goals are tied at 93 percent complete: academic acceleration and talent development. While the rest arent too far behind leaders say they have completed 96 of 120 goals. (Platt 67) Whats the key to their success? Platt argues that the progress all started from the bottom. It is simply a

stronger parent-teacher bond. Teachers are teaming up with parents to get them more involved with their childs success. Many of the students come from under privileged and single parent homes. The administration saw a problem and prosed a way to eliminate it. Each and every teacher stood as the true definition of a great teacher. They realized that no matter what these students had to succeed, and it was their duty to mold Americas young bright future.

Wise and Platt both analyze similar ideas when it comes to strengthening the education system. Wise pushes for equal educational opportunity often when education is not a priority. With aid from the government he has concrete advice to structure poor schools and bring them to success. Platt on the other hand believes that the success is driven from the interaction between the parent and teacher. Teachers have a big responsibility, and without the parents involvement the success wouldnt have been achieved.

So how much money does a typical county received a year from federal, state, and local funding for its school system? In 2010 44% was from the local government, 48% from the state government, and 8% from the federal government. (National Center for Education) Mike Wilder, who wrote School System Set to Spend on Technology and Buildings explains the many ways that a North Carolinian school in Burlington spent some of their Federal Budget for technology and building improvements. The expense increased student access to computer and other technology such as smart interactive boards. This

advancement widened students frame of thinking and pushed them to imagine more. (Wilder 87) This also opened the door for creativity in the areas of science and mathematics. I believe that the school saw the competitive race to the top, and pursued it. Recently, the Obama Administration launched a Race to the Top competition at the school district level. Nearly $400 million in 2012 was invested in schools to create new models to personalize learning for students, so that they can engage their interests and take responsibility for their success. (Wilder 178) The Race to the Top District competition will encourage transformative change within schools, targeted toward leveraging, enhancing, and improving classroom practices and resources.

The state of our schools is continuing to progress day to day. Time will only tell if federal, state and local acts, programs and aid are the solution. But one thing is certain we have a problem on our hands, the future our countries young minds are at steak.