Fundamental+Issues+Facing+Public+Education



What are the fundamental issues facing public education in southeastern North Carolina and in the United States?

In the space below, add your answers to the ones submitted prior. Where there is overlap, please combine and edit so that we are left with a coherent response as a class. In addition to the issue, please share a brief explanation of why that issue is fundamental. Add your initials by the entry you post or by the entry you affirm.

gkg I think that the fundamental issues facing public education is that we continue to teach by the same standard that we were taught. Children are not getting it. End-of-grade testing is not measuring what they know...it is measuring what they do not know. We have lowered standards to the point that I could honestly make a passing score by closing my eyes and guessing. What is worse...students are still not being successful. Okay, schools state that their school has an 85% proficiency. What they don't say is that 90% of those students scored below 60% on the test, itself. How is that proficient? Where in life is 60% going to cut it? I read the discussion board that identified migrants as a huge fundamental issue. And I do not disagree, not at all. I could talk about that all day. And I can only speak from my experience. My school has a huge migrant and esl population. They have one, count them, one teacher to support them all. They have a budget of practically nothing. Many of these kids are barely in the US and their parents speak very little to no english at all. They are the english speaking representative in thier household. They are the translators for their families at school, the bank, the doctors office. And while in school, many of them manage to achieve some success despite all of the disadvantages. It pains my heart that most of them will not make it past their sophomore year of high school. I am ranting. Back to my issue...we also have a considerable EC population. When I say considerable, I mean that we could probably identify twice as many if we were being honest with ourselves and were not so afraid of making our schools look so desperate. We are a title I school, so we have money that most schools do not. Despite not being a big school, we have 5 full time EC teachers, 3 teacher assistants, 1 math coach, 1 graduation coach, 2 paid, part-time tutors, an after-school program, and more. So much, and I would love to know how much, of our schools finances are directed at EC and disadvantaged students. I am not saying that it isn't necessary, because I believe that it is. What I am saying is that it is NOT making a big enough difference. All of those professionals, all of the money. Same result. Are you screaming? I am.

PRV - One of the most fundamental issues facing education in southeastern North Carolina is our significant increase in our hispanic population. We, as educators, in the Wilmington area have most likely noticed a surge in our schools' hispanic population. According to an article, Black Issues in Higher Education by Ronald Roach, there has been a 300-400% increase in our hispanic population since the early 1990s, particularly in the southeast, including North Carolina, Arkansas and Georgia. In southeastern North Carolina alone, hispanics have reached a high school dropout rate of 47%. Posted Saturday, 12:13 pm - [|[delete]] || I agree with PRV that one of our primary issues is the rise in our hispanic population. We have had to revamp our education system to accomodate these families. Not only do we see it in our schools, but everywhere we go. In automated machines at grocery stores and banks, you have choice of "English" or "Spanish." It has cost vast amounts of money to add ESL programs to our schools. But, one advantage is that all the children (English speaking and non English speaking) can learn from each other - Academically and socially. Younger English speaking children quickly learn to be empatheic to their ESL classmates that don't understand the teacher and find ways to be able to communicate. This can teach everyone the value of patience and understanding.
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I also feel that poverty is another issue in SE North Carolina. Here in Wilmington, we have such a diverse community, but very few benefit from it. While I like the idea of neighborhood schools, it is so unfair to all. We do not live in a perfect world, so why should we go to school in one? The students that come from low-income families may not see how to rise out of their situation when they go to school with students in the same situation as them. Likewise, children from more priveledged families should have their eyes opened to the fact that there is different types of diversity. Posted Saturday, 3:25 pm - [|[delete]] || I agree with you, Jill. There seems to be the haves and have-nots here, in Wilmington. I know at Hoggard, I dealth with students who drove cars like BMWs and Hummvees, and then others who couldn't afford the increase that recently came with public transportation. Poverty and ESL definitely go hand-in-hand. Posted Sunday, 11:11 am - [|[delete]] || One of the biggest issures that I see is the apathetic attitude that many have towards education. Student's no longer care about their education liek they did years ago. Maybe it's just a perecption or a syptom of a bigger issue, but it appears that many kids have "given up" when it comes to learning and bettering themselves. Parents are not as involved in their childs eduaction as they once were. This is an epidemic that will continue, when these students have children they will pass on that same attitude. Posted Sunday, 7:57 pm - [|[delete]] || [|sjf4628] Yes, all these things - hispanic population increase (some of which are illegal and could be here today and gone tomorrow plus have different values and especially in education), apathetic parents, poverty, etc. I hear and feel your pain. Some interventions work and some do not. Maybe we should go back in history when importance was placed on math and science in the late 50's or early 60's. What did they do to cause a change? Was the population of the United States behind it causing their value about education to change when they feared their country might lose status or be in danger? Did it not trickle down from the parents? It might take a review of values to make a change. Just a 'what if?' Seems like we are in a similar position at this time? The statistics we just read made me step back and reflect. How would parents feel? Posted Yesterday 9:48 pm -
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