Why is the educational system in American so inadequate?

Question

I attend a Baltimore County public school and let me tell you I've probably learned more teaching myself than what they've tried to teach me there.

Answer 1

If you think something is wrong with your public school, let them know what tyou think they are doing wrong.  Ask other parents if they share your view.   If that does not work, try an advocate, maybe a peteition. Whatever you do, get in writing whatever you request.  Verbal  corresp does not hold up.  Send that first request to the school principal.  If that is not taken seriously,ask for an interview with your school  district super, with the possibilty of broadcast on the live tv news.  If no one will listen, there is always the option of homeschool.

Answer 2

I firmly believe that the public school system has been totally undermined by the federal government itself.  The laws have come to the point where teachers cannot maintain control of their classrooms because of the unruly students, and there is just nothing the teacher can do about it, without getting in trouble with the parents and the school administration.

Teachers really don't have the time to teach anymore because of all the problems in the classroom.

Answer 3

1.  Standardized tests, for one.  If you teach to a test, all you teach is how to game the test.  But that's good enough for many schools because high test scores == more money for them.

2.  They waste money on stupid things.  There are tons of companies out there who make "teaching aides," which are cute little inventions or services that are not very useful, but very expensive and backed up by clever sales people.  Think online homework and smartboards.  These add very little to the educational experience, or more often take away from it, but these companies are laughing all the way to the bank nonetheless.

3.  Many schools don't care about art.  You can't design a standardized test for art.  There's no objective numbers in it.  So it gets swept under the rug.  The art classes are optional and the art extracurriculars are always the first to get cut.  Football makes more money anyway.

Answer 4

Many things are involved.

1. Not all teachers are unionized.

    Many states prohibit teachers from going on strike and there are no unions to protect teachers speak for them or take care of their needs to take care of the students.

2. There isn't enough money being put in

     Most money given to a school does not come from the federal gov't but from your local government. So if you live in a poor town with little industry or proffessional jobs don't expect much.

3. Teachers dont make the laws

Most legislatures who make the laws have never been a teacher or stepped into a classroom. These people make laws but have no clue whats goign on

4. NCLB

You fail no money you pass little money

Today teachers are teaching to test there is no time for fun extra knowledge or involvement

5. No programs to help those who need the extra help

Those unruly kids in the classrooms are most likely that way for 2 reasons they are bored because they know the stuff or they have given up because they don't know and NCLB tells them they never will.

6.Cutesy teachers aides

Oh they really are there for a reason if it weren't for them your teachers wouldn't get alot done or have a lunch break

Answer 5

1.  Because public school teachers are unionized.

Teachers need to be paid more, but they need to use that extra money as leverage to break the unions.  Teachers should work at the pleasure of their boss (the principal).  He/she shouldn't have to jump through a million hoops to fire an underperforming teacher.  Teacher pay should be negotiated on an individual basis and not be on a scale according to seniority.  If you are a great teacher or if you bring needed skills, the principal should be able to pay you what you are worth.  Being around a school for a long time doesn't make you an effective teacher.  They could get a lot of capable people from other walks of life if they could get rid of the unions.  Look at private schools.  They generally pay their teachers less, but they get much better teachers because they give them respect.  Unions don't encourage respect; they encourage showing up and putting in time.

2.  Too much involvement from politicians at too high a level. Schools should be run by principals working for superintendents executing the policies dictated by local school boards.  That's about as high as educational decision-making needs to go.  With very rare exceptions (like the schools in Compton that had to be taken over from the school board for gross incompetence), we don't need state and federal bureaucrats telling communities how to run schools.  That's the underlying cause of the whole standardized testing nightmare and a lot of the other problems people cite here.

Answer 6

two major reasons the teachers are not getting paid enough and the students are not getting the proper family support. asians, whites, and some hispanics and blacks do just fine, it is just the ones left behind that are not doing so well.  theres other reasons but I do not know the intricate details

Answer 7

Bush's wonderful "No Child Left Behind" act.  Foolish act, makes us dumb things down, so students who cannot make the cut, make it.  Also, students are not pushed hard enough.  Assessments that make the teacher "teach to the test' as opposed to real teaching.

Answer 8

the teachers barely get payed anything because public schools are owned by the gov't and the gov't is busy wasting its money on other, more "important" things... :(