Purpose Statement

American Education and Policy exist for the purpose of challenging the status quo, for improving the quality of instruction, training, or study, currently established for acquiring skills, enabling citizens to reason and make mature intellectual judgments needed for competing in the global economy; regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Showing posts with label Department of Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Department of Education. Show all posts

Sunday, December 10, 2017

When the Corrupt Lead a Nation

                                                  


American choices have led Americans into an age where hidden transgressions are being exposed in lives of leaders, politicians, and those society has learned to respect and admire.  Some of these individuals have made indelible contributions to American society and living. The concerns in this posting are regarding the response to such individuals in relation to the roles of remaining leaders and how they affect American people, society and education. Since no one is perfect, the expectation is that imperfect people can do great work; however, for those who serve as the leaders of the nation; whereas decisions affect every individual, the standard is raised and should be raised. Living above reproach is required, to reduce weakening the respect of the office which one holds.  

 Policy decision makers, and those who hold office for making decisions for education in America should be those who live with respectable values, and with integrity. As has been witnessed; claiming affiliation with a religious group will not guarantee integrity nor that an individual will uphold an office with respect. Therefore, investigation, examinations, evaluations, and screenings, should be conducted for possible leaders, to ensure that the best and most qualified candidate is selected.  Unfortunately, the foremost qualifications for vanguards for this day are too often dependent on their net worth.
   
Good news is that because several of our recent national leaders have been under intense scrutiny for corruption, this leaves those who hold an office of greatest responsibility at a possible crossroads for doing good. Letting one’s light shine so that men may see your good works is more real than ever. A small light will shine bright in darkness. Where leadership has been corrupted, and anti-American, one must stand firm while upholding the values that will sustain this nation. See the big picture, and know that present decisions will affect the lives of people not just for today but for generations to come. Recognize that the opportunity to make a strategic difference in the education of a nation is given to you; an obvious unique individual.  One’s agenda must include social justice without partiality as this is America, which consists of many and diverse ethnic groups of people who all deserve equal opportunities for education. One’s commitment to serve all the peoples of the nation will be remembered throughout history.


When inequality exists, no one wins. Remember that promoting a superior race will no longer be accepted in America, as too much time and change has occurred to revert or impose such dogma. Although laws are proposed in guise for advancing the lives of American people, chosen individuals, placed strategically, must be ready to fight for the good of American people. The agenda of the corrupt is for ultimately creating a compliant kind of society while bankrupting the nation of its Morales and judgement. Those strategically placed in roles of office must make their voices heard within a corrupt nation among corrupt leaders. Remember that the American people elected corrupt leaders because of their own hate, malice, and jealousy.  Beware, and on the alert, lest the few rich take control of the nation’s educational system while widening the gap between our children and their children, creating an aristocratic society.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

The Problem of School Suspensions

                          
   
                                
Arne Duncan served his role of secretary of the Department of Education since 2009 and recently decided to officially step down from his role leaving many accomplishments to American education. One area that he influenced with keen insight was the suspending of kindergarten students in elementary school. He recognized that racial discrimination has been a major problem affecting the suspension of students, as zero tolerance policies also affect minorities and can cause students to feel unwelcome to their schools. He advocated that rethinking suspensions must occur. Arrest, expulsion, and suspension occur too often whereas more constructive approaches should have occurred (George, 2014).   

My concern is that suspensions have often provided relief for the school environment, particularly in regard to students with emotional or social concerns, but are often non-effective with improving student behavior. Students with extreme needs due to emotional, social, or economical struggles, are too often repeat offenders. Their peers and teachers recognize this terrible cycle of suspension and feel helpless.

Imagine an impoverished child with a single parent who works two jobs just to pay the bills. The child has done his best to come to school but has struggled raising himself. His soiled clothing and odors affect relationships with other students, coupled with inferior thoughts, as he tries his best to achieve only to end up suspended for not following the rules. Soon, school does not help the child but becomes a place where the student feels punished for circumstances beyond his control.
Data shows that suspensions are imbalanced as only 5% of white students will be suspended compared to the 16% of blacks to be suspended. Boys are more than two out of three likely to be suspended. Students with disabilities twice likely to be suspended are 13% as opposed to those without disabilities (U.S Department of Education, 2016). The loss is too great as we can no longer do things the same and get the same results. Our prisons are filled with poor minorities who were at risk because of a system that was non-accommodating.

Recently, I asked a 4th grade student who is suspended often, what she does when she is suspended and she replied that she sleeps late but does not get in trouble. She returns to school with a new hair style, and new clothing as the parents seeks to encourage the child in a way that she understands.  A longitudinal study by the council of state government (2011) shows that 31% of students expelled at least once repeat at least one grade. When these students repeat grades, and they are older than the other students, other problems arise, because poor behavior and bullying and disruptive kinds of behaviors often become apparent. The afore mentioned longitudinal study showed that only 3% of those suspended were for violence which is a mandated reason for suspension, but others were suspended for discretionary decisions (Council of State Justice Center, Breaking Schools Rules (2011).

My perspective is that schools must adapt a more holistic approach to educating children. We must not continue to punish children for reasons that are obviously related to economics, mental, or emotional issues, or any other deficiencies which are out of the control of that child or the families. Schools are placed in communities as the schools will be a reflection of the communities. Suspending a disruptive child may make things easier on the school but the long term effect on that child, his family, and community are crucial. The students and families will never receive that time back again to educate the child. Punishment must be restorative rather than punitive for all children. I support the ASCD legislation agenda to support communities to collaboratively strive to educate the whole student with staff and students who are supported, engaged, challenged, safe and healthy(ASCD, 2016). Through these efforts, I believe we can start to experience healthier disciplinary pratices..

Monday, February 15, 2016

No Child Left Behind Act Replaced with the “Every Student Succeeds Act”






The“Every Student Succeed Act "has replaced NCLB act for K-12 education in the United States. Congress voted to lessen the role that the federal government will play in education, while allowing for more decisions to occur in the districts and states. The over testing accountability culture that punished states if students did not score proficient in math and reading will be eliminated and replaced with the “Every Student Succeeds” measure. States will now fix their own problems by creating their own tests and creating their own evaluation for teachers.  States will determine for themselves how achievement gaps will be closed. Arne Duncan says that the top-down, one size fits all system of NCLB will be replaced with a system of laws that are more flexible for finding the best solutions locally. The secretary of education Arne Duncan stepped down as secretary of education and has an interim who is nominated to replace Duncan. The acting secretary of education  is John B. King; an African American and said to be a pro charter schools advocate, as he founded his own charter school, just outside of Boston in 1999 (Camera, 2015).

Some things remain the same in the new system for K-12 education, including the federal schedule of testing (testing grade 3-8 and once in high school in math and reading); and the annual reporting of achievement scores with a demographic break down. New safeguards include the monitoring from states for the underserved students. The new educational law is a direct response to President Obama’s executive authority and call for change in education. The bipartisan vote and legislation of congress is represented in the “Every Student Succeed Act” (Camera, 2015).  

Obviously, selection of local leadership for local developments and strategies need to be done with the most care and discretion. According to Rivera, 2015, the act provides for the states discretion for developing their own strategies for the lowest performing schools of Pennsylvania. In Pennsylvania, Governor Wolf secured an increased budget of 350 million dollars to strengthen education in the state. Now, we all share the goal for securing quality education for Pennsylvania (Reigelman, 2015).

                                                                       

                                                             References

Reigelman, N. (2015). Pennsylvania Pressroom, State department of education responds to congressional passage of Every Student Succeeds Act. http://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Education-Details.aspx?newsid=199