"Lawsuit: State is failing to educate students" by Megan Hawkins and Jennifer Jacobs represents the hardships within a school. "The families allege that state officials have allowed the quality of Iowa's education system to significantly slip, so much so that high school graduates are inadequately prepared for college or the workplace" (Hawkins and Jacobs). Iowa's school officials have argued with the state saying if they had more resourses, then the students would have better classes to equip them for college or the work place. The state officials have presented a "lawsuit that asks the state to adopt measures such as creating a statewide, mandatory curriculum to ensure equal opportunities for all students" (Hawkins). This would also make sure the students would be prepared for future education.
There are too many problems with this proposal. The main problem is the classes would be focused on the test, than the individual student's needs. The students would have to learn the state mandiated curriculum, but the students wouldn't learn individual learning. Some students don't want to continue their education beyond high school. This curriculum would only be pushing these students who want to only get out of high school. The Iowa state officials are pushing too hard to correct the inadequate education. A court room can't foresee all the problems with students. State officials don't understand the students as well as the teachers. Iowa needs to listen to the students. The students knows the hardships of learning, but why make it more difficult than it needs to be. I understand some students don't make President, but I can't see why make learning into a strict curriculum that every student needs to learn about college. Some students just don't want to broaden their knowledge for college. The workplace has plenty of room for adequate learners.
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3 comments:
I think that it is a shame that these Iowa schools are slipping and that it’s been happening for 30 years. Think about it, thirty years is a long time. Why has it taken so long for these people to take action? However, a mandatory curriculum allowing all students an equal opportunity is a divine idea. In most States, a mandatory curriculum is taken upon anyway, so I am still confused as to why it has taken this school so long to do so. It is disappointing to know that court cases like this can take up to ten years to resolve. So, what they are saying is these students will continue to get a poor education for another ten years. This is absurd. I think they need to take action sooner than this. Students should not have to suffer due to the poor resources in these Iowa schools. I agree with MCook when he/ she says that they are too many problems with this. Any classroom that focuses merely on tests, and not so much the student’s needs is not a very sufficient classroom in my eyes. Tests are helpful, yes. But not always, and not for everything.
I do not see why a mandatory cirriculum would not be is effect in all states. I feel that it is necessary to have specific guidelines that students must meet in order to graduate. I think that tests, if used correctly can be a good prepatory method for students. It is an indicator to the teacher and the cirriculum that the student knows the subject matter. Therefore, it seems testing seems to be the most accurate, but perhaps the most dated form of determining knowledge. However, in some cases it is true that testing is out of control. There needs to be a healthy balance between testing knowledge and allowing critical thinking.
Wow. Why is there a redundant amount of information about school failing to educate, black and white student’s education gaps, low resources and low test scores? It has becomes sad to me about the amount of criticism and very few public action to take control or effectively minimize the slander towards students who don’t have the resources to better themselves. What can be done to maximize student's educational excellence and minimize student's failures?
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