Criticism and Analysis of the Problems in the American Public School System - Research Paper Example

Problems in the Public School System Introduction It is the belief of many American Education critics that the major issue facing public schooling in the United States today is a lack of focus on outcomes. Students in today’s education system are not subjected to the high expectations that were a norm in yesteryears. More focus in education is today placed on how the process of education is formulated rather than on the outcomes of the education process. This may be a valid argument though it does not sum up the whole range of issues bedeviling public education and schooling in the United States. A more pressing observation, which most people have failed to acknowledge, is the collective failure of the American public to hold not only learners to standards but also the government and its policy towards education. Learner Apathy Learner apathy in the American public school system may be blamed on a variety of factors. Most students of today have come to put things such as sports and other activities such as T.V watching and going out to be of more importance than an education. Issues from home such as divorce or poverty make the learner unable to learn and compete effectively in the classroom (Long 54-61), plague some students. While educational psychologists have acknowledged these problems as having the potential to impair learning, very little has been done by parents and teachers in trying to prevent emotional and mental disabilities, which ultimately result into apathy in school. According to Griffith, the education system is to blame since it makes learners have misguided perceptions on education. Many learners know that colleges take into consideration the grades of the eleventh and twelfth grades and thus they tend to relax and only start getting serious during those final years, which results, into failure (231-4). Since the American system is based on the traditional approach of classroom learning, many students may feel neglected since they may be more inclined to the practical aspects of learning. The system is also to blame for some of the apathy among students. Students in the lower classes are required to attend compulsory classes some of which they may not have an interest. Since overhauls of the system are also few and far between some of the content being learned may not give learners the challenge they require at a certain level. Accountability One of the foremost issues in the American public education system is the lack of holding of students accountable. Many public schools teachers and parents do not hold students accountable to attaining high academic standards as before. Many public schools are only interested in the dissemination of information and covering of the syllabus without caring whether the learners attain the set goals or they fail (Scovronick 186-7). Many learners in the public schools only attend school at their own volition since parents do not care whether they attend school or they do not. Many learners are known to keep away from school on many instances without receiving any reprimand or any kind of punishment from either the parents or teachers. In days of old, such behavior was expected to elicit heavy punishment and consequences for the student not only from the parents but also from teachers. Many of the parents and teachers of today lay the blame of a lack of student accountability on changing attitudes about child punishment, which makes the enforcement of student accountability difficult if not impossible. A review of research done however shows that there are a variety of methods that may be employed by teachers and parents in holding learners accountable in education apart from corporal punishment (Hood 345-53). Changing lifestyles of American parents such as having two jobs lead to poor relationships between the learner and the parent. Such lifestyles also leave no room for the parent to appraise the learner’s performance. Political Interference Political interference in the public system of American schooling has to be acknowledged as a major obstacle in the education sector. Politicians have in many instances in the pasty and present used the public education system as a means of attaining their social ends. While political interference in the policy making and running of the public education system is inevitable, it ought to be regulated in order not to compromise education standards. Political interference in education has a long history, which can even be traced to the sixties when policies of racial segregation permeated public schooling. Politicians have in many instances pushed their socio economic, humanist, and cultural agendas into the education system through congress and the senate. Calls for reform of the American public school system are thus always tempered with undertones of the various parties involved (Shortt 95-99). In recent times, the most talked about issue in the public education system has been the no child left behind policy introduced by the Bush government. While politicians are always known to be on opposite ends of the spectrum on many issues, they were united with respect to the passing of the policy. Many education stakeholders as being politically motivated rather than intended to bring reforms (Reese 107-8) have viewed the no child left behind policy. The policy is intended to ensure that all learners proceed to the next level regardless of their performance, which has led to declining standards since there is no motivation for schooling. Shift in Authority The public schooling system has undergone many changes, which have been as a result of changing dynamics of the American society. An overemphasis of social issues and cultural changes has led to the abolition of such disciplinary measures such as corporal punishment. There have also been shifts in the authority of both parents and teachers in influencing the education process. While in the past the teacher was the utmost authority in the classroom, these social and legislative changes have changed all this. Learners in today’s modern learning school system have more authority that the teacher and any authority that the teacher may seem to have is granted by the learners (Neufield 37-9). Since legislation makes many of the disciplinary methods punishable by law, many classes in the public education schooling system have become unruly and ungovernable. While many of the students may have been taught the value of order and respect for their elders, this situation changes when they reach the school since the locus of control shifts in their favor (Vollmer 95-103). While it must be acknowledged that, a majority of learners in public school systems are well behaved and have a true desire to learn, the few unruly one pose a threat to learning. These learners may also influence others into unruly behavior, which leaves the teacher helpless. Poor Teaching Conditions While public education system in the United States may boast of having facilities, which rival many in the world, some public schools especially those in disadvantaged communities, may not boast of these privileges. Public schools n disadvantaged areas are further crippled by the high stakes system of testing achievement. Since the education system is based on a high stakes system and these schools do not have the necessary resources to effectively compete, they are forever caught in the trap and continue to deteriorate in performance (Mondale 83-6). While education has always received a large share of both state and national governments, the amount of funding is not nearly enough for the needs of the large number of students in a dynamic environment. Another issue that has been of concern to public education system in the United States re inflexible regards and regulations imposed on schools and teachers. Research has shown that schools, which have the least interference from authorities, tend to perform better than schools subjected to such conditions. Public schools ay relatively lower salaries to teachers than private schools which results into low motivation, which is reflected in performance indices. The introduction of uniform salary schedules is also another issue of contention among teaching practitioners. Uniform salary scales while introduced as a measure of promoting equality have led to decreased motivation since they do not reward good performance (Baer and Drury 67). Conclusion The American public education system has many problems, which lead to it not being receptive to the changing needs of the American society. While many of these problems may be solved by proper policymaking and modification, some of these problems are hard to solve without a complete overhaul of the system. Some problems such as interference in public education and a lack of enough funding may be solved by a proper application for the necessary policies in government. Policies need to be put in place that would ensure that education policy is made without political interference. Parents are of utmost importance in the education process and as such, there needs to be education of teachers and the public with regard to the role they play in fostering education. Parents ought to hold their children to account in educational achievement and ensure that there is no a conducive home environment in order to reduce learner apathy and distraction. Teachers represent the most important resource in any education system and as such, more needs to be done by the government to ensure that they are properly motivated. The government also needs to ensure that there is minimal interference in the work of teachers since they are the ones that know best. Works Cited Baer, Justin & Drury, Darrel. The American Public School Teacher: Past, Present, and Future. Massachusetts: Harvard Education Press, June 2011. Print. Griffith, Kenneth. Douglass High School: Maryland Historical Society. Web. October 12, 2011. Hood, John. The failure of American Public Education. New York: Foundation for Economic Education, 2011. Print. Long, Doctor. Hard Times at Douglass High. New York: Kindle Books, 2008. Print. Mondale, Sarah. School: The Story of American Public Education. New York: Beacon Press, 2002. Print. Neufield, Sara. A Realistic Portrait of Douglass High school. Baltimore Sun. Web. October 12, 2011. Reese, William. America’s Public Schools: From the Common School to “No Child Left Behind.” Virginia: John Hopkins University Press, 2000. Print. Scovronick, Nathan. The American Dream and the Public Schools. London: Oxford University Press, 2004.Print. Shortt, Bruce. The Harsh Truth about Public Schools. Chicago: Ross House Books, 2004. Print. Vollmer, Jamie. Schools cannot do it Alone. San Francisco: Enlightenment Press, 2010. Print. Read More