A poll conducted by the Associated Press has found that more than half of people polled claim that U.S. high schools are falling short when it comes to readying students for adulthood. In addition, the same number of American’s polled believe that schools are focusing too much on some subjects and neglecting others, leading to an unbalanced education and a lack of “survival skills” needed for life after high school.
“When you get out of high school, what are you educated to do?” Mused California firefighter Jamie Norton. “A lot of kids, when they get out of school, are kind of lost.”
The AP poll revealed that parents from a minority group tend to believe that their children are receiving an education than they actually are. Three-fourths of adults polled also claimed that their children’s schools were emphasizing the wrong subjects – music, art, English – and not spending enough time on “important” subjects, such as math or biology. Parents are also frustrated by the seeming lack of assistance available during school hours for children who may be struggling with math, and are often unwilling to dedicate time at home to work on their children’s math homework.
Most individuals polled claimed that the U.S. is far behind other world countries when it comes to education. In reality, U.S. students fall somewhere in the middle when compared to students from other countries.
When it comes to standardized testing, those polled have mixed feelings. Some thought that homework assignments and tests written and administered by teachers were a more accurate measure of individual progress. Standardized testing has been a topic of much debate since the installment of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2002, as many schools across the nation scored terribly and faced strict scrutiny as a result. Since NCLB was passed, schools have reworked their curriculum to focus on standardized testing, and the quality of the overall school experience has decreased, with the majority of time spent preparing for Federal testing.
“Children get taught to the test,” complained parent Larry Michalec. “They don’t get taught to learn.”
The AP poll also uncovered a new trend in teacher compensation. Over half of those polled believe that teachers should receive a salary based on the performance of their students, rather than years spent teaching. Half of individuals thought that teachers should have the option to strike, with the other half believing that teacher strikes should absolutely be illegal. Currently, the option to strike is decided by the state.
The beliefs of Americans related to education are heavily influenced by politics, as demonstrated by the overwhelming number of individuals that claimed that gas prices and the status of the economy were “bigger issues” than education.
According to a 1999 U.S. census, there were approximately 15.9 million high school students in the U.S. One-third of these students were enrolled one grade below their peers of the same age due to poor performance. 520,000 students had dropped out of high school. The number of students expected to enter college immediately after high school graduation was around 12 million, with that number forecasted to increase in each subsequent year.
Related article courtesy of MSNBC.com and The Associated Press.
Nicolette Kuff is a freelance writer from Upstate NY. She reflects on current news stories in her blog, The Daily Kuff.
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7 users commented in " American High Schools “Not Properly Preparing Kids For Life” "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackHow many of “those polled” have ever spent a minute in a classroom after their high school graduation, as a teacher or even a mere observer? Less than half, I’d say. Let them do that, and then come back to me with your poll results. Most of the teachers I know, myself included, work ourselves to death to let our students know what awaits them after high school - that life is not a TV drama, that things are not handed to you on a silver platter, that you may NOT come into work 30 minutes late every day and think you can get away with it, that plagiarism is indeed a crime, and it could possibly cost them their college education or even their job. We do all that, on top of teaching them to read, to write, to calculate, and please God, to think for themselves. Parents who “aren’t willing” to help their kids with homework??? Shame on you!!! That’s criminal. We aren’t paid to raise your kids. Why don’t you try investing some time and effort into your kids and then you can criticize my work.
About 30 years ago, just when our schools were the tops, corporate America, in dire need of educated workers as a result of extraordinary growth, raided schools for talent. We were told to look for the best and most ambitious teachers to fill our customer training positions. We were offering a teacher with a four year degree and a couple of years of experience, $60,000 per year.
The most ambitious and talented took us up on our offers. The ones who were more comfortable with their tenure stayed. A teacher with a Masters and 10 years of experience still does not make that much money.
Our schools used to be more like the Greek educational communities with the teachers not only being presenters but nurturers as well mixing with the students on and off campus. Every week, there was some club meeting at some student’s home with teachers in attendance. Now teachers hang out in the teachers’ lounge when they are not teaching, until the bell rings.
Teachers are suppose to nurture and educate. Instead, they say it is not their job to raise your kids. They are with them longer than you are during the school day and it is their job to nurture.
I wanted so badly to be an English teacher…to be the teacher that kids could connect with, the teacher that kids would work really hard for. It’s unfortunate that kids of high school age no longer place an emphasis on their education, and that they refuse to form any kind of bond with their educators. When I did a teaching placement in a second grade classroom, the kids embraced me and could not WAIT to learn each and every day. Somewhere between second grade and high school, that enthusiasm dwindles. It’s tragic, if you ask me. My Mom is also a teacher - underpaid and overworked, but all she can talk about are her kids. THAT’S a good teacher!
Parents are not willing to help their children with homework is not a surprise. These parents probably cannot do the work themselves.
You people are breaking my heart. Websmith, if you are corporate America, then we can thank you for some of today’s problems. It is apparent that you are one of the people of whom I spoke: you’ve never laid eyes on a classroom since the day you graduated. Allow me to enlighten you… Not only do I teach, I mentor, I coach, I sponsor clubs, I make home visits, I work WAY more than the 40 or 50 hours a week “corporate America” works, and you’re right- I get paid far less. I speak four languages and instead of being a translator for the government or for some giant corporation somewhere, I choose instead to teach. I know my students far better than their own parents. I have students who have graduated and are in college and call me to ask me about their proposed schedules. I cannot speak for other teachers, but I know what I do for my little corner of the world and the impact I have on it. What do you do for yours?
At the time I retired from teaching,parents had begun suing teachers if their child didn’t get an A, if their child was disciplined,If the child didn’t feel the teacher liked them. This has become consistent pattern at least in my district. Teachers,parents all of us have to expect that children treat others with respect,take responsibility for their own actions ang their own diligence. If mom and dad come to the rescue, teachers can’t teach and children can,t learn. Some how too many adults in America have formed the notion thatanyone can teach. They also believe that teachers should be held accountable for test scores. I think we forget that two people are responsible for learning the teacher and the student. Teachers are not building houses, they are working with people who have minds of their own. have to work together to help the child develop maturity. Those who think teachers “don’t know what they are doing are welcome to visit any school and spend the day there. This might lead to greater understanding.
In NYS, the teacher education program is rigorous and difficult. We go through the basics, but we also have to take classes on social justice, racism, etc. in an effort to better prepare for the students we may encounter. I believe that our society is not placing enough emphasis on education - there are so many things that parents have to worry about [money,etc.] that they seem to forget about supporting their kids school-wise.
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