School Uniforms...Is it a problem to you??

Uniforms were once the trademark for private schools but now more public and even charter schools are adopting the look. Some people say that “the clothes make the man”…but does it really? As a student, I have attended both public and charter schools. I have worn both uniforms and regular "street" clothes. Overall, I feel like I got the same education. So does it really matter what you wear to school?

Violence and safety seem to be the reoccurring issue here. Some believe that wearing uniforms or enforcing a strict dress code policy will decrease violence in the school systems. That is true, especially when bullying and teasing is involved when a person is not in with the “in-crowd”. There are some positives to wearing uniforms, it improves discipline, its fewer distractions, and it increases self-esteem within students. It also makes the school look well put together; uniform, like it has order.

So I vote YES on uniforms!!! BUT...where uniforms become a problem to me is when administrative or staff members at schools write students up and suspend them for not complying with the dress code. I feel that other forms of discipline should be looked at for students not obeying the policy because missing school does not seem like a good idea. We already fall last on the list of the number of days spend in classrooms and then you suspend a student for not having the right dress code on…that is so trivial!

Suspension and ill-thought out consequences were problems while I was in grade school. Too many times the lesson for the day would be interrupted for students to be reprimanded for not following the dress code.

I think that if we (Americans) are going to adopt the uniform as a way to deter violence lets be uniform in disciplining those that do not comply.

Until Next Time…

Lauren!

Longer School Days??

Have you ever thought about how many days students actually spend in school? Currently the school year length in the U.S. is 180 days. We spend the least amount of time in the classroom compared to other countries. I was curious to know why we (Americans) had the least amount of time spent in the classroom. Well, did you know that the academic calendar year was created during the time when farming was a huge part of our culture? Thus, having the long breaks to help the plowing on the farms at home.(There's a little bit of history for ya!)

Very interesting to me and I agree…there needs to be some type of change! The economy and business world is getting too competitive and I don’t think we as Americans are prepared enough. Speaking of change, Obama made a good point, “That calendar may have once made sense, but today, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Our children spend over a month less in school than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st century economy.” <---I could not have said it better Barack!

It is clear that education is on Obama’s list of priorities. He knows that spending more time in school is not really wanted by students but knows that it is necessary.

Yes, there are downfalls in increasing the number of days in school. It will cost a lot more money but I think it’s worth it! We are too concerned with money these days. I think "why not spend money", especially if it is for a good cause! I am a student myself, and as much as I love the breaks we get I think I will be thankful in the long run for increasing the number of days in school.Think about the future...I think I would feel more comfortable if my next doctor spent an extra month in school!

Until Next Time...

Lauren!

Welcome!

Welcome readers,

I'm sure what brought you here was your curiosity. I know you are wondering what is up with the title...what gap is she bridging? Well, I'm bridging the gap between what we know about education in America and what we don't know about it.

Yes, I know, I'm no genius and sure I may not know everything there is to know about the subject of education, but I'm here to spark curiosity with yourselves. Soon, you will be asking yourself thought provoking questions.

So what IS going on with the education system in America? There are a few good things coming out of America's education system and I'm sure there are a ton of problems to talk about as well. Today, I will only mention the "bad" in America's education system. (I will highlight the "good" things individually at a later date) So just to name a few, the American education system struggles with having students understand diversity, managing differences. There is also discrepancies with the grading system in schools. Plagiarism and religion also seem to be reoccurring issues as well.

Knowing that we have problems that need to be corrected, what are WE doing about it? How are we being proactive in trying to improve the system?

Take time to ponder how we can improve some aspects of the education system....if you have no clue where to start...well, that is fine! That's what my blog is here for! To enlighten you and expand your thought process! My goal is to take each problem and success stories within the education system and bring it to light.

Until next time...

Lauren!