Are Detroit Public Schools Getting Out of Hand?

I recently wrote a blog about Detroit Public School attendance agents knocking on doors trying to get answers as to why children were not in school on Count Day. Well, now the Detroit Public School system is at it again. This time with a more outrageous form of reprimanding the parents.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy on Tuesday pitched a plan to the Detroit City Council that would require parents to attend at least one parent-teacher conference per school year or spend up to three days in jail.

She has sent her plan to the state legislature and the Wayne County Commission and the national media picked up the proposal as well. Kym Worthy was on Good Morning America just last week defending her plan. (To watch video click here)

What's your take: Should parents be punished for missing teacher conferences? Is jail time an appropriate punishment?

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Should teachers/professors have Tenure?

There is a debate about whether or not teachers should have tenure on education.com. Some say that tenure makes it hard to get rid of under performing teachers. Do you think that's true though?

So what exactly is tenure you ask? "Tenure is a form of job security for teachers who have successfully completed a probationary period. Its primary purpose is to protect competent teachers from arbitrary nonrenewal of contract for reasons unrelated to the educational process -- personal beliefs, personality conflicts with administrators or school board members, and the like."

Basically in a nutshell, a teacher on tenure is entitled to due process when he/she is dismissed from the job. It's not totally impossible to terminate a tenured teacher. But the process to do so is a difficult and cumbersome one.

So knowing that information now, do you think that teachers should have Tenure?

I think so, I mean if the administrators do their jobs, then worrying about teachers shouldn't be an issue. Also, there is a way to control the under performing teacher from teaching a boat load of classes. And like one article said if a teacher is doing THAT bad at teaching, getting rid of them shouldn't be an issue despite the cumbersome process.

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Are Degrees Overrated?

Time magazine posted an article criticizing college education. The American society values education and pushes every child to go to college. Recent studies have shown that people with college degrees make more than people with just a high school diploma. With that statistic in our minds, our first instinct is to send our children to college, but what if our child is ready? Then what do you do? Do you force them to go anyways and potentially drop out of college or possibly take maybe 6 years to finish a 4 year degree?

The article makes the argument that when students graduate from college, they end up getting jobs that sometimes dont even require the degree. Or they may find themselves working along side a person with a high school diploma. I mean wouldn't you think that a person with a college degree would push ahead of the pack? Yeah, I would. But unfortunately it doesn't work that way most times. I hope and pray that when I get older, I don't regret the debt that I am accumulating now. I just know I BETTER find a job that pays well and has something to do with my degrees, I didn't pay for them for nothing! lol

Do you think that college is overrated?

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Education on Television

While taking classes for my Broadcasting major, we talk about television a lot. And in the early days when tv was just introduced, educational programs seemed to be the hottest thing out. The FCC even regulated that there are stations dedicated to educational and or children programs. When did we (as society) stray away from that purpose to educate.

Yes, there are still programs on television that are dedicated to educating however it seems like we have strayed away from that. While I was reading someone's blog they talked about Glee! and how people viewed that as a family friendly program. I honestly don't think it is a family program although they do format it in the "Disney" kind of way (with all the singing and dancing and such). There are still issues that are talked about on the show that I don't think is suitable for children under 16 (even if they do watch it with a parent).

Recently, some of the cast members had a photo shoot for the magazine GQ and some argued that it was too over the top for it to be a "family show".(To see the article...click here) Honestly, we need to bring television back to what it used to be and there would be no confusion of whether or not the pictures were too much for the eyes.

To bring it all together, I think there needs to be more educational things on television. Now I know that it is not gonna happen cause that doesn't "sell" or make money, but it would be nice to see the society grow and not be "dumbed" down by the foolish shows on television now (i.e. reality shows).

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Paying for College

Do you think its fair for our parents to be obligated to put their information on the FAFSA? Like it's their responsibility to pay for our education?

Well, that's a question that I often hear a lot at work. Some parents actually want to help and then you have those that are like "You're on your own!" According to one article, parent's dont realize how much times have changed. Parents might have been able to work their own way through college, but tuition has risen much faster than wages and financial aid in the past 20 years. I can attest to that because my father was one of those parents. He did not want to help with my schooling because he did it on his own.

Second, parents may not realize that, no matter how serious they are about cutting a student off financially, colleges and scholarship providers still expect parents to help pay tuition until a student qualifies as independent.

Generally, the government and colleges expect parents to contribute to a student's education until the student turns 24, becomes a veteran, gets married or becomes a parent.

How fair is that??

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

School Nurses...

Last week at Cass Technical High School (my old HS) in Detroit, a girl passed out on the stairs, had a seizure and died. (If you havent seen the story click here). My question right after it happened was could this have been prevented?

You only hear about nurses in elementary and middle schools. Not so much in High Schools anymore. Well, that is how it was for me in Detroit. My mom was actually the school nurse in my elementary and middle school years. When I got to high school it was like we were on our own. No sex education classes...nothing. I always hear about teachers going through CPR training and stuff but is that really enough or effective?

I know in Detroit, the public school system is going down hill. There seems to not be enough money for programs and because of it the budget for nurses have been cut. (I kinda have the inside scoop on the budget issues of the school system because of my mom, who is the the nurse coordinator for the district). Nurses have been removed from schools because of the lack of money.

I think officials or people who determine budgets should look at the bigger picture--> a healthy community will make a successful community. With nurses, students will have less of an excuse to go home and miss class due to a stomachache...

Just something to think about...

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Technology in Schools

I can remember the first time I had a class dedicated to computers(technology). It had to be when I was in about fourth grade. We spent an hour a day learning how to work different programs, how to create and manage email, and create websites. The question is how early should technology be introduced to a student and is technology really effective in the learning process?

I'm sure some would argue that computers or technology makes the student lazy. The fact that some students never actually touch a book while doing research for a paper proves that. On the contrary, others would argue that they are just using the resources they have to their maximum ability. Which I totally agree with. But how exactly is technology benefiting the education process?

There are many different reasons for bringing technology into schools. According to one website, it supports the thinking process. It also prepares students for the future. Technology is evolving everyday and as students going into the workforce, we want to be well prepared.

In an article by the New York Times, Bill Gates said in an interview that for children from kindergarten to about fifth grade “the idea that you stick them in front of a computer is ludicrous.” I absolutely agree but like anything...there are ups and downs to it.

Technology in higher education is extremely important. The Bill and Melinda Gates has grants for institutions to create online courses and tools. The online tools, can help open up educational pathways to skills, especially for low-income young adults.

So in all, is technology important in schools?? Absolutely! When is the right time to introduce technology to children?? Who knows...Only time will tell...I think it depends on how rapid the technology movement is developing. That faster it moves the sooner we have to adjust to it...even if it means introducing it at an early age.

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Better Be in School or They'll Be Lookin' For Ya

I've always heard people say that attendance is important but I never knew why...well, I finally got the answer...they will come looking for you!

Attendance agents for Detroit Public Schools were on a prowl for parents of students that have missed school. About 50 attendance agents went knocking on doors to get answers. They went searching for those students who missed the most important day to school districts "Count Day". Count Day determines how much a district gets from the state based on the number of students they have.

Count Day for Detroit Public Schools was September 29th and they have until tomorrow to get every kid counted for.

It sucks that it takes money for a district to be concerned with attendance, what about any other day of school? Why not send the agents out to find the parents of students that skip school on a regular basis? Well I do not want to be the one to complain because at least something is being done about trying to get the most funding for the school district.

I really didn’t know that people actually come looking for you until now. Hopefully the prowl will scare the parents straight and force their children to attend everyday!

Good Job DPS!!!! We are making small steps to success!

Until Next Time…

Lauren!

Bullying in School

Bullying and teasing has been a major concern in schools recently. Bullying and teasing has been around since the beginning of time but why does it seem like a big deal now? Well, unfortunately it takes someone to commit suicide or do something terrible for it to come to light in the media. Also, technology has been a factor in the increase of bullying. The internet has become a new source to target individuals. The internet is easy and it is available around the clock. Bullying on the internet, in my opinion, is somewhat worse than being bullied in person because there is no way for a person to defend themselves.

Everyone has experienced bullying in one form or another, so why isn’t anything be done about it? Why are children still committing suicide? When a student at school is being targeted, parents always tell their children to go tell someone. So what does a student do when adults don’t listen or do anything to resolve the problem? Well in 13-year- old Asher Brown’s case he had no other way out. He told his parents and the parents went to the school and complained. But no action was taken. Asher committed suicide in September due to what his parents believe bullying was to blame.

We hear too many sad stories like that from children that had no where else to turn to. Parents, school officials and peers must take bullying seriously and put fourth every effort to stop it from occurring. There is a show on MTV called “If You Really Knew Me” and it focuses on youth subculture and different cliques in high schools. The students participate in Challenge Day and it is designed to breakdown stereotypes and unites students in schools. It allows students to get to know the “real” side of them. If students actually took the time to know each others stories, I do believe that there would be a decrease in bullying. I believe every school should have a program like Challenge Day.

Next time you see or hear about bullying…ask yourself…what can I do about it?? Make a difference!

Until Next Time…

Lauren!

There IS Hope!

Yes, I have blogged a lot about people not caring and taking action on improving the education system. However, I have found proof that there are people feel the same way I do! Instead of blogging to express how they felt, someone directed a movie. The movie is called "Waiting for 'Superman'" and it is scheduled to show in Atlanta.
A man named Davis Guggenheim directed this movie with hopes that people start to care about other children and their education. “It haunted me to think about the broken schools in my own neighborhood,” he said. “Forty years have passed and we still haven’t figured out how to give kids a good education. What if I made a film that made people care about other people’s children?”
This man has won Academy Awards and he could be making films about other thing but he has chosen to focus his attention on education because he recognizes the problems we suffer. That is what I mean about stepping up to the plate. I commend this guy. Too bad this movie is only coming out in Atlanta but at least we are making progress slowly but surely.
So here is the synopsis of movie. It follows 5 children that are in the school system and the challenges they face to get a good education. "There is Anthony, a Washington, D.C., fifth-grader who lost his father to drugs and hopes to take another path; Bianca, a Harlem kindergartner whose single mom can no longer afford Catholic school tuition; Daisy, a fifth-grader from Los Angeles who dreams of college, even though her parents didn’t finish high school; Emily, a Silicon Valley eighth-grader who has unwillingly been put on a non-collegiate “track”; and Francisco, a Bronx first-grader whose school can’t provide him with the reading help he needs."
These are issues that everyday Americans face. And with this movie, hopefully change will be made. This movie was influential in such a way that the president of the American Federation of Teachers is revising the terms of tenure in the right direction which means if a teacher is rated ineffective, they will lose their jobs in the Washington D.C. area.
There IS hope everyone!!! Progress is being made slowly but surely! :)

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

Education in the News

In the news the other day, Obama made another speech on education.He talked about the republicans plan on education and how it will lead to a 20% education cut. It surprises me that officials or the people in government have not yet recognized the importance of education in our country.
However, despite the importance of the subject the media still managed to focus on something extremely trivial. During his speech, the presidential seal fell off of the podium. While trying to research the basic points from the speech, I found articles mostly contributed to the seal mishap. Never mind the important information that he shared with America on one of the most important issues: Education.
It never fails, that as each year goes by and the generations get older, we complain about how education is not how it used to be. Here we are attempting to make changes and "no one" is listening. Of course there are some people that care, like teachers and parents of young children concerned about their future. But what about the people that can actually bring about change?? The people with money, the people on executive boards, etc. when will they start to take action and attempt to change the route that Education in America is going in?
Bill and Melinda Gates has pitched in and is helping children get to college with their scholarship...but when will other millionaires start to follow suit?
We need to do better!

Until Next Time...
Lauren!

The Wonderful World of Teaching

Education is the most important issue in America (in my opinion), and yet they are the ones with the most job cuts and lay offs. How do we expect to educate our children with an unstable environment?

Teaching is not an easy job. A successful teacher must possess a number of characteristics and still maintain their livelihood outside of school. Now we all know that life in general outside of work can be stressful but just imagine how one must feel with 27 little lives in their hands. That is something that a teacher must go through five days a week. I commend everyone that dreams and aspires to be teachers because it is not an easy job.

A good teacher must be a good listener, a great motivator and knows how to be fair. Those three characteristics alone are difficult to do if someone does not have their personal lives together. Being a student myself and valuing education, I am sometimes concerned at the treatment that teachers get. The treatment from the students, parents, administrators, even sometimes the government. I don't think that people actually sit and realize how stressful a job like that can be. And yet there are still those fussy parents at parent-teacher conference that starts yelling at the teacher when something goes wrong.

I try and feel for teachers that go to work everyday and say to themselves that "this is my passion and I will not give up". Added stress will make a person think twice about what they chose as their passion.

I personally think that teachers are not paid enough. Ever wonder how much teachers are paid? "Compared with public school teachers, airplane pilots earn 186% more; physicians, 80% more; lawyers, 49% more; nuclear engineers, 17% more; actuaries, 9% more; and physicists, 3% more." School teachers are just as important as the next occupation. Lets try to level the playing field shall we??

When will someone involved in funding for education in America stop and think about the teachers, that is the foundation of our school systems, before making a decision. Until that happens, school teachers will continue to be underrated.

Until Next Time...
Lauren!