Midterm – EFND 2030

Amber Marie Grantham

October 12, 2001

 

            Public schools should be a place for learning, social interaction, and building the skills and knowledge essential for becoming a successful and productive American citizen.  As much as I hate to admit it, schools do not perform acceptably in completing the tasks of teaching children social values, morality, or basic educational knowledge.  The definition of being an astute, discerning member of society is never taught in public schools. Why aren’t schools places where children are excited and informed about the world as it is today?  The actual functions of what schools appear to do, and what they should be doing are two completely different things.  This essay will address two points: 1) “What schools appear to actually do,” and 2.) “Why schools have not become sites of engaged, focused learning and action for most of their students and teachers.” 

Schools have not always been the way they are today.  To completely assess what schools appear to actually do, it is essential to know where the school came from and how the ideas for what should be taught originated, basically, the history.  The common school reform, emerging in the 19th century, although based on good ideas, did not do a good job of educating the children.  Jefferson wanted an educated public; he believed that everyone should be wise enough to resist tyranny, and be intelligent, productive citizens of America.  These were great ideas, but they were never put into action.  The common school didn’t allow for much self-expression.  Students were basically taught to memorize the sayings and knowledge of historians and other people instead of increasing creativity and individualism.  Religion was a major issue in the common school, and highly respected.  Many lessons were linked to religious teachings from the Bible. Students were placed together based on their intellectual level, not on their age.  After the industrial revolution, the school became a place that taught kids how to be obedient, somewhat self-disciplined, but it desensitized critical thinking skills.  Child labor was abundant in this period of time.  Children were not viewed as students; they were viewed as the unemployed.  Obviously, the school needed reform.

The progressive education reform, 1890 to 1920, brought in new aspects and ideas for schooling.  There was a major expansion in curriculum, including math, science, arts, and citizenship skills, with a de-emphasis on religion.  The children were grouped together based on their age, not on their intellectual ability.  The presence of tracking came into play and children were tracked into different curriculums. The Board of Education was formed, and administrators, counselors, and principals became a part of the public school system.  The 2nd Industrial revolution, which mechanized people’s fragmented skills, caused schools to increase their production of educated people to operate machinery.  Therefore, schools increased the length of education and high schools were invented.  Children came to be viewed as students, not the unemployed.  These progressive schools were unique to America, although not very democratic. 

The post-progressive education reform, which spans from the early 1900s until today, is hardly as magnificent as it seems.  Schools became segregated, although students still re-segregate themselves based on race, social status, economic status, or religious beliefs.  Equality is taught in schools, but not demonstrated effectively.  Special education students are mainstreamed and infiltrated into the general education classroom.  The emphasis on science increased with the production of the sputnik by NASA and space travel.  Teachers became more limited in their disciplinary actions as courts and government involvement were increased in schools.  The 3rd Industrial revolution occurs with the invention of the television, microwave, computer, and other machines.  While some of these inventions, like the computer, are very useful in the classrooms, these machines are decreasing the traditional skills of all people. 

            There were many good ideas for schooling throughout its history, but is what schools appear to be actually what they are? Schools appear to teach democracy, based on evidence in politics and government. Schools appear to educate millions of Americans, based on the high school graduation rates.  It is believed that there is equal education for all, regardless of sex, race, nationality, or economic status.  There are still many students who attend college after high school, so it seems the public schools are deepening students desire to learn.  But is this really the case in America’s public schools?  Don’t bet on it.  Is what seems so good really to good to be true?  I’m afraid so.

Schooling was based on giving education to everyone, to develop bright, enlightened citizens.  But, do schools teach democratic and citizenship skills and knowledge?  I remember saying the pledge of allegiance every morning at school, but I do not remember anyone every teaching me who wrote it, what it stands for, or what it means.  Today in schools, no one is forced to stand and say the pledge of allegiance.  Some religions do not believe in standing and giving “worship” to an image, such as the flag.  I believe that all American’s should be held responsible for saluting and honoring the flag, which stands for the United States’ beliefs and freedom.  In history, I learned about democracy, how it was established, and the fact that Americans are very privileged to live in this country.  However, I don’t recall being taught how to be a good citizen, or the values all Americans should hold dear to their heart.  Isn’t democracy the central idea around which schools were developed?  We learn history, and that’s all.  No one ever says, what does this mean to you?  How does this affect your life?  Do you agree?  Basically, we read the books, answer the questions, cram for the tests, and anticipate getting out of this hellhole called school.  Public schools aren’t explaining how the material read or discussed in class directly relates to or affects each person as an individual. 

Schools are reproducing a social class of students.  By reproduction, I mean that every bad thing we learned in school is going to be learned by our children and our children’s children.  Spring comments,

“A contributing factor to social-class and racial bias in schools is teacher expectations.  Sometimes, teachers and other school officials expect certain students to act in certain ways.  Research findings suggest that one problem with such stereotyping is that students live up to expectations about them.  If students are expected to do poorly, they do poorly; if expected to do well, they do well.  This is called the self-fulfilling prophecy” (p. 79, American Education).

 

Social status causes segregation among peers in the school.  Suddenly, instead of a place where people come together to learn, the school is a segregated competition ring. Discussion groups among students are not dominant in schools; in fact, usually, it is considered cheating if you learn or share information with other peers.  This teaches students compete with their peers.  Perhaps this competition is good because everyone must compete with other members of society as adults for employment.  The public schools today, in my experiences, teach that you should know more than someone else knows, not know more simply because you have a thirst for knowledge.  This leads to a very boring day at school.

One means of social reproduction is tracking.  Tracking is extremely obvious in high schools in America.  Students are placed among peers of the same intellectual level (college preparatory, vocational, etc.), and follow different curriculums.  Sedlak comments on tracking in his book, Selling Students Short: 

“Curricular track placement has been a process confused by the extent to which adolescents believe they actually ‘chose’ their courses free from any institutional coercion.  Some districts have traditionally made curricular track assignments on the basis of a set of presumptions about the destinies of particular students, presumptions shaped undoubtedly by evidence of social class, race, parental occupation, and the experiences of older siblings” (p. 46-47).

 

Classes of children are reproduced through the schools.  Based on parents employment, for example, lawyers, doctors, janitors, or teachers, there is a likely hood that the child will strive for the same goals and have the same levels of expectations for their success.  Schools have a tendency to track students based on the educational experiences of those who have gone before them.

Parents are vital to children and schools because they have extensive knowledge about their child, and because they have a major voice in what goes on in schools today.  Because most parents must work, many kids have become “latch-key children.”  There is also an extremely high divorce rate in the United States.  This instability in the American families is causing emotional and social problems among many children.  No longer is there such a thing as families sitting together at a table for dinner and then parents helping children with their homework before tucking them into bed.  Children are less and less likely to learn things such as values, morals, and the desire for knowledge from their parents, simply because the parents are not there.  Why are parents not held responsible for teaching their children the basics of life and the desire to learn?  Moreover, who would hold these parents responsible, and how?

What is the actual value of a high school diploma?  Many people would admit that they went through school just wanting to get by, not to become brighter, wiser individuals.  I know that in my graduation class alone, I wouldn’t have trusted at least one-third of my peers to be any kind of loyal citizen, employee, or have any basic knowledge on how to succeed in life.  Why are they being allowed to graduate?  Students perform at public school based on what is necessary to pass or graduate.  Some students strive to make A’s, while others are content with a C.  As long as the core curriculum is completed, and if enough credits have been earned, students may graduate.  Education is not inspirational or thought provoking if we are hand-fed the material from a book.  So many teachers no longer probe the minds of students and infiltrate a desire to dig into subject matter.  Sedlak comments on this by saying,

“It will do little good to blame today’s adolescents, any more than their predecessors, for wanting to do no more than they have to do, or for resisting uninspired instruction and ‘education for its own sake.’  Traditional incentives which once kept at least a large percentage of the high school student body modestly involved in academic work have eroded for both ideological and economic reasons” (p. 13, Selling Students Short). 

 

We are no longer given incentives to learn – only bargains.  Teachers make bargains with their students to gain discipline in the classroom, and to make it easier on themselves.  Why don’t teachers care if every student is receiving a good education?  Could it be because they do not get the deserved respect? Or perhaps it is because they are underpaid.   I have a desire to teach children, to inspire students want to learn and know all they can, to make learning fun and exciting.  How do I know that I won’t become the same burn out, boring teacher that I dreaded as a student in school?

In comparison to schools in other countries, the Untied States is far behind in teaching our children.  The following quote was given from an article, “Will Our Schools Ever Get Better,” in Business Weekly, April 17th Edition:”

“American’s are fed up with their public schools.  Businesses complain that applicants can’t read, write, or do simple arithmetic.  Parents fear that schools have become violent cesspools where gangs run amok and teachers are more concerned with their pensions than their classrooms.  Economists fret that a weak school system is hurting the ability of the U.S. to compete in global economy.  And despite the modest improvement on test scores, U.S. students still rank far behind their international peers in science and math.”

 

Schools today are very culturally diverse; therefore, I believe it is necessary for Americans to become more knowledgeable about other countries, religions, and cultural beliefs.  Why do the people in other countries know so much more about America than we know about other countries? Becoming more culturally educated will also help to increase the equality of education to all.   If teachers cannot communicate with their students because they cannot speak the language of the student, then there will be inequality of education among peers.

            What effect do all these ideas and concepts have on education?  Unfortunately, schools are heading in the wrong direction, but what can we do to stop this increasingly bad inertia?  Reforms throughout the centuries have failed to communicate effectively the benefits of schooling.  Today, more and more violence has become a part of society, divorce rates are high, and moral values are declining.  Obviously, schooling took a wrong turn somewhere along the way and now it is time for more reform and changes.  How can public schools become exciting and inspirational institutions for learning?  When will teachers begin to teach as if it really mattered?  When will students begin to have a thirst for knowledge again?  Most importantly, will it be too late?