Are Teachers Responsible? In his article “Kenneth Cole Gets Schooled” David Scrota writes, “Taking an honest look at Americas education system brings up queries about why other less economically stratified nations have unionized teachers and far better academic results than here in America (761)” Students In other countries such as Korea, Finland,Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada have far better academic results than those in America, yet the teachers are not the one who need to be accepting all the blame for the failing academic standards.
I am an elementary education major and have grown up as a teacher’s kid and have always found this statement and fact somewhat Interesting. Now attending college I understand this statement, and reasoning behind it, a bit more as I have begun to receive a better education. The ad created and sponsored by Kenneth Cole address the educational problem here in America. As Kenneth Cole has shown he believes teachers are the problem with our poor educational standards and performances, and sadly this Is a popular opinion here in America.
People would rather blame teachers because they are the easiest argues and most directly Involved with students’ academic lives. Rather than looking for other influences that maybe causing this problem. While this ad was not extremely popular among all people, It did cause people to look at the real root and problem with the system here in America. Instead of the teachers, I chose to place a majority of the blame on parental expectations and college admissions. Here in America we are supposed to be the absolute best, yet other countries surpass us every day in education.
According to Carols Saber Last-AndГ¶n and Paul E. Peterson In their oracle “The International Experience,” “The u. . Has seen the percentage of its high-school students who are proficient trail that of 31 other countries in math and 16 countries In reading, according to a recent study by Harvard’s Program on Education Policy and Governance (1 . )” I believe this a sad fact: students we view as successful and intelligent here In America would be considered struggling and poor students in other countries. Something else to look at would be the emphasis other countries place on deferent topics.
We are not as far behind In reading, yet compare the same students in math and they are much further behind. A reason for this is the reading movement we have kick started here in America. This movement would include events such as Read across America week, and other events that have not gone as nationwide yet. We do not have a times tables week or competitions about naming bones in the body. America has not yet seen a reason to promote math and science excellence the same way we currently do reading. Rather than blame teachers I believe parental expectations are another thing the American educational system should look at.
Parents in other countries place so much value on their hillside’s education. Something that Is mocked here in America Is the typical Aslant parent stereotype of accepting nothing less than As. People here in American find these parental expectations for their children silly, shocking, and harsh. Yet, I came from a home where an A was expected and anything less was trouble; many of my 1 OFF Eternal Tuna tons nards Ana oaten unattainable Decease tenet parents accepted and Ad’s, as long as they tried their hardest.
For a while I complained that my parents made me try harder which often required a few Friday nights in or missing an occasional movie night with my friends. However, now in hindsight I realize it was for my own good, and a valuable lesson many parents and students should learn. That while you miss out on a few small select things over the years it will eventually come out to benefit your education so much better in the long run.
Other countries also put such emphasis on studies because at various times they may not have been blessed with the ability to continue education up until college like people in America have almost always been given the ability to. In those countries knowledge is viewed s wealth and oftentimes a way to escape the current country and conditions they are living in. In some countries throughout the world kids are put on tracks dependent upon their careers; some get to go further in the education system than others.
Often times these career tracks are ones chosen for them based upon the family they were born into and their parents wealth and educational knowledge. Some countries even do inventory tests in order to place students on a track and decide if they get to continue in education or if they are required to go straight into the work force. One point Carols Saber Last-AndГ¶n and Paul E. Peterson bring up in their article is that while we need to learn from countries such as Korea, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada we must not copy exactly what they are doing but more so do what is best for our educational system (1 . I agree with the point they have made, I do not believe we should implement all of the educational ideas these countries have. I believe this because like America’s educational system their systems have flaws as well. But instead we should learn from their mistakes and apply and implement them into our own system as needed. In doing this step I believe we can make our educational system more successful and proficient in comparison with these countries. Furthermore, I think in America the freedom and availability we have here in America has allowed us as students to become carefree.
Most state institutions will accept students if they graduate with a B average, so students Just coast along with grades that will attain them a B average and get them in. And even if students do not have those grades to get in, they can simply attend a Junior college for four years and make adequate grades there to transfer to the larger school. According to Jackson Toby “Maximizing access to post-secondary education tends to diminish student achievement in both high school and college (51 . ” College has now become somewhere everyone seems to be going after graduating from high school, rather than in other countries where it is more a phenomenon. So in order to accommodate this new social trend, colleges have lowered their standards and began to accept more students. Instead of lowering their standards, college admissions should be raising their standards so more students are still attending college but are making better grades in the progress and we are no longer sub-par to hose other countries So, I believe one reason we are not as impressive with our academic results is students now weigh the options.
Putting forth a bit more effort to get the A or minimal effort and get a B or C? I think mixed with the easy college entrance standards and the minimal efforts students now put forth other countries are now passing us in terms of education. So, when colleges begin to lower their GAP I requirements progressively more teen are In turn also lowering teen Otto students to also sink lower. Yet again while some may claim it is the fault of the public school teachers, I claim college admissions first need to look at their standards.
I found this quote the most interesting from the readings because I am being trained to become teacher here in America at an American institution. Yet when I graduate I really would like to become an overseas teacher, and would greatly enjoy doing my student teaching over there as well. So this quote made me wonder if I will truly be prepared to teach in another country whenever I graduate. Or I wonder if the students I teach will almost have the same knowledge I have gone to school for thirteen years plus to gain.
