Few would argue that the state of our education system has plenty of room for
improvement. However, developing a plan to take schools in the right direction
is easier said than done. The first challenge lies in identifying underlying
problems keeping students from learning today. This challenge, in part, is due
to the fact that the problems may change considerably depending on who is
labeling them, whether it is students, parents, educators or lawmakers.
Consider this list of 10 major challenges currently facing public schools, based
on the perspective of many involved in the world of education today.
Classroom Size
Many areas of the country are facing classrooms that are literally busting out
at the seams. A report at NEA Today two years ago discussed how schools in
Georgia, in the midst of major funding cuts for schools, had no choice but to
lift all class size limits to accommodate students with the faculty the school
system could still afford to keep. More recently, Fairfax County in Virginia has
been looking into a proposal to increase classroom sizes in the face of
significant budget cuts. The Board of Education in South Carolina is also
weighing their options in this area.
When money gets tight, classroom numbers are often impacted. Yet, most
teachers agree that they cannot effectively teach every student in a
classroom, if the class size exceeds about 30. Their statements are backed
up by research. Class Size Matters cites a study performed by the Tennessee
Star that found classes of 15-17 students in grades K-3 provided both long
and short-term benefits to both the students and the teachers in those
classrooms. Minority students, those living in poverty and male students
appeared to benefit from smaller classroom sizes the most.
Poverty
Technorati reported last fall that 22 percent of the children in the U.S. live at or
below poverty level. American Graduate defines poverty as a family of four
with an annual income level of $23,050 or lower. American Graduate also
cites a report from the Southern Education Foundation, which shows in 17
states across the U.S., low-income students now comprise the majority of
public school students in those states. Some estimates put poverty levels for
public school students at 25% in the not-so-distant future.
Students living at or below poverty level tend to have the highest dropout
rates. Studies show that students who do not get enough food or sleep are
less likely to perform at their full academic potential. Schools know these
truths first-hand, and despite efforts to provide students with basic essentials,
teachers, administrators and lawmakers know there is simply not enough to
go around.
Family Factors
Family factors also play a role in a teacher’s ability to teach students.
Principals and teachers agree that what is going on at home will impact a
student’s propensity to learn. Divorce, single parents, poverty, violence and
many other issues are all challenges a student brings to school every day.
While some teachers and administrators try to work with children in less than
ideal family environments, they can only do so much – especially when
parents are often not willing to partner with the schools to provide for the
children.
Technology
Kids Health Guide reports that students are more technologically advanced
than many teachers today, putting instructors at a decided disadvantage in the
classroom. However, a student’s love of technology also tends to distract him
from his schoolwork, according to NEA Today. When teachers don’t have the
techno-savvy to compete with those devices, by bringing education and
technology together, it can be difficult to keep students’ interest and attention
to properly teach new concepts.
Technology needs to come into the classroom to keep up with the learning
demands of the 21st century. Schools that are already cash-strapped may find
an unsurmountable challenge in coming up with the funding to bring
computers and other forms of technology into their classes. Scholastic offers
some tips for school districts that want to fit the bill for technology, including
everything from asking individuals in the district for “big gifts” to going to Uncle
Sam for the funding. The website also suggests negotiating prices on
technology when possible and allowing student to bring their own from home.
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oto By Intel Free Press CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bullying
Bullying is not a new problem, but it is one that has a profound impact on the
learning aptitude of many students today. Technology has given bullies even
more avenues to torment their victims – through social networking, texting and
other virtual interactions. Cyberbullying has become a major issue for schools,
as evidenced by the number of suicides that can be directly traced to bullying
events. The fact that laws are still fuzzy regarding cyberbullying adds to the
challenge – since parents, teachers and administrators are unsure of how to
legally handle such issues.
Student Attitudes and Behaviors
Many public school teachers also cite student attitudes, such as apathy and
disrespect for teachers, as a major problem facing schools today. A poll from
the National Center for Education Statistics cited that problems like apathy,
tardiness, disrespect and absenteeism posed significant challenges for
teachers. These issues were seen more frequently at the secondary school
level, rather than the primary grades.
No Child Left Behind
Many students, parents and teachers see No Child Left Behind as a detriment
to the public education environment today. Although the current Obama
Administration is working to reform NCLB policies, the focus in education on
both the national and state level continues to be on the testing process.
Student test scores are now being used by a number of states as a way to
evaluate teacher performance, putting even more pressure on faculty in
schools to “teach to the tests.”
NEA Today quotes Kansas special educator Shelly Dunham as saying,
“Testing, testing, testing, what is the point of testing? Do we use the data to
remediate those who do not measure up? No!” Many teachers believe they
are forced to teach to the annual standardized tests, and activities like recess
and lunch have been cut way down to make more time for academics in light
of the new testing procedures.
Parent Involvement
Often teachers find there is no happy medium when it comes to parental
involvement, according to the Kids Health Guide. Some parents won’t be seen
for the entire school year, no matter what sort of issues might arise. Others
never seem to go away, hovering over the child and teacher and interfering
with the education process. There are ways parents can become involved and
support their child’s education at the same time, but teachers don’t always get
that level from parents.
Student Health
Obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., and the same poor
eating habits that led to the obesity problem may also be contributing to lower
student achievement. Obesity also increases a student’s risk for other
conditions, like diabetes and high blood pressure, which could result in higher
absenteeism and more academic issues.
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oto By English: Lance Cpl. Ryan M. Joyner [Public domain], via Wikimedia
Commons
The national school lunch movement Let’s Move! has been working to bring
healthier options into school lunchrooms across the country. According to
the website, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released new guidelines in
2012 to boost the nutritional quality of the meals students get at school.
Exercise programs are also coming to schools across the country to promote
more physical activity among students of all ages. However, it seems the
country as a whole still has a long way to go to get on the road to better health
on a large scale.
Funding
Budget cuts have created huge problems for most public schools in recent
years. Less funding means smaller staffs, fewer resources and a lower
number of services for students. While some argue that throwing more money
at the education problems won’t make them go away, others assert that lack
of funding caused many of the problems in the first place.
There are many problems in public schools today, but identifying those issues
is half the battle. With a laundry list of challenges to face, now is the time for
educators, parents and lawmakers to come together and begin to find
solutions – for the benefit of all students in public schools today.
Questions? Contact us on Twitter. @publicschoolreview
