Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Public School System Essay Example for Free

Public School System Essay Abstract The public school system in America is a topic that is surrounded by great debate. There are many questions that surround this topic. The research question for this paper was, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future? And, what solutions are available if the system is failing? The methodology the researcher used in this paper was literature review, and he also conducted an interview with someone working in the field. In this paper the researcher explains how the public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. The paper also explains how the teaching styles are out dated. The researcher also explains the solutions that are already in place and the possible solutions for the future. Introduction For several decades, the public school system has been a topic of great debate. There are many questions surrounding this topic, such as: Is the public schools system failing to prepare our children? Who should make the curriculum? Who should make the policies? And what role and say do the parents have in their children’s education? These are just a few examples of the questions that may come up with the topic of public education. This topic is important to me because of the diverse educational background I come from. I started out my educational experience in regular classes and then was moved to advanced classes and finally, after failing, I ended up at an alternative school. That is why I ask the question, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future, what are the problems, and if it is what is being done to fix it? Due to my educational background I do believe that the public school system is failing to prepare our children. I also believe there are many contributing factors, such as, the school staff, the government, the teachers union, and even the parents. I also believe that there are many ways to fix the system, like new union and staff rules, changing the curriculum, and involving more educators than politicians when forming policies. This topic is important for all children in the U.S. public school system, because if the system is successfully improved, their learning experience will be greatly enhanced. It will also benefit the teachers, because they will have the opportunity to truly serve the community rather than just going to work. This has become a very complex topic but after reading the research ahead you will see that the answer is relatively simple. Review of Literature There is an idea that our public schools are failing to prepare our children for the future. This future could be four year college, technical school or directly into the work place. It is the job of our public schools to prepare each student for all of these futures. However, it seems that the idea that their failing has become the reality and it is a concerning thought that America is producing children less prepared for the world than are other countries. The National Center for Education conducted a study in 1995 involving students from forty one countries. They tested skills in math and science for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. What they found at the fourth grade level was that the students were above the international average in mathematics and science. At the eighth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average in mathematics, but above the average in science. At the twelfth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average among the lowest of the participating nations. (Calsyn, Gonzales, Frase, 1999) This seems to be the trend with our students in America. They tend to level off instead of advancing like students in other nations. Part of this problem is due to the teaching that the students receive. This is described in the 1995 study by the National Center for Education; â€Å"eighth grade U.S. mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future problems.† (Calsyn, Gonzales, Frase, 1999) Some teaching was said to be boring and out dated. The students sometimes seem like drones listening to the person in the front of the room rather than grasping the whole idea. Mike OConner described in his interview. (OConner, 2012) The documentary Waiting for Superman also talked about the case of the bad teacher. Which, if your school has one, it was said that you would be stuck with it? This is mainly because of the union benefit called tenure that protects teachers from being dismissed for the wrong reasons, but also makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to dismiss the bad teachers. (Guggenheim, 2010) Teachers are not the only problem and should not be the only source of blame. There are higher positions to the school system than just teachers such as principals, administrators, and city officials that all play a role in the failing system. The article Dependant teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children describes the differences between having good administrators and bad. The article goes on to say that if a school has a good administrator they will attract good teachers. Then it talks about bad administrators and their need for power and control. This in turn will attract teachers who have dependency needs and do not tolerate independence. (Muschel, Fall 1979) In other words, if you have bad leaders you get bad followers. This article also describes how through the use of rules, regulations, paperwork, and language an administrator can control the staff. They do this to give themselves job satisfaction, but it ultimately stops the teachers from effectively engaging in the classroom. (Muschel, Fall 1979) The government officials also play a role in the way our schools’ lesson plans are laid out. The article Needed: Educational Philosophy as a guide for Decision Making in the Public Schools touches on this. (Klein, Spring 1977) The article talks about how the endeavors of our politicians change our schools curriculum. It also states that the direction our country is going in comparison with other nations changes our curriculum. One example of this is during our endeavors to beat Russia into space our children were required to learn complex and abstract science and math disciplines. (Klein, Spring 1977) Another example of the politics behind education is the No Child Left Behind act of 2002. This act by congress states that each state set up a standard that each student has to test at. It also gives the parents the right to pull a child out of a failing school and put them in a better one. In addition it holds the state accountable for its education. The article Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials, talks about this act. It says that the schools are more accountable for a student’s yearly success. It also states that the schools need to use researched based methods of teaching. It also talks about how the act is somewhat of a control of parental rights; in the manner that it is up for the individual to seek education. Overall, it mainly talks about how the act should help improve students who are in economically disadvantaged areas, but does not touch on the failing children in the more economically fluent areas. (Russo, 2005) Mike O’Conner also talked about the No Child Left Behind act in his interview. He mainly said that it is a good idea, but it is about twenty years too late. He said this because of the times we are in. He also described how this is the technology and information age, it is time we start teaching in that capacity, rather than make provisions that still support our old system. (OConner, 2012) One other problem which was touched on by the film Changing Education Paradigms. This problem was the fact that children are medicated for ADHA too much and too quickly. It was described that children now are being bombarded by information from every technological device around them. This, in turn, distracts them from the information on the blackboard, which appears boring. To deal with this the students are medicated to calm them down and making them pay attention. It also showed that the prescriptions are given more frequently as you head east across the states. (Robinson, 2010) That is just some of the problems with public education today. There are many more like attendance issues, and the children’s home environment. These are just some of the main points surrounding our public schools problems. Now it is time to address some of the solutions to these problems. As the problem of the failing public education system grew so did the demand for a solution. Educators and others came up with one solution which has mixed reviews. This was the invention of the alternative, or charter schools. These schools are set up for the student to ultimately succeed in today’s curriculum, with more ease and confidence. The article An Oasis of Hope: the Power of Thinking Developmentally (McCarty Quirk, 2003) talks about how the public schools have placed some children in low quality, control based programs which give them limited outcomes. It goes on to say that these children need to be put in alternative programs that follow positive guidelines. These guidelines should follow these principles: All children must have opportunities for success based on efforts which are celebrated by significant adults. All children need to be seen for their strengths. All children must have opportunities to develop qualities which follow a healthy developmental progression. All children have the right to live and learn in contexts relevant to their real lives and dreams. (p. 106) The article also describes how to use these principals in the framework for alternative schools for special needs children. (McCarty Quirk, 2003) The idea of alternative and charter schools is in our own backyard of Milwaukee. â€Å"Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in education,† according to the article Alternative Education Programs in Milwaukee. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article states that, â€Å"in 1990 the state of Wisconsin legislated mandatory alternative education programs for children at risk of not graduating from high school.† Howard states that the legislation set parameters that qualify the children as at risk such as; one or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained, habitual truants, adjudicated delinquents, and parents. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article also says that by August fifteenth of each year the schools must have a plan in place for each student who is at risk. It goes on to describe the classes as a fifteen to one student to teacher ratio, which allows personalized time with each student. (Howard, Summer 2003) Howard also talks about three different alternative schools which are Silverspring Neighborhood Academy, Shalom High School, and Cornerstone Achievement Center. Each school has a different approach to the alternative setting, but they all share equal success with their students, according to the article. (Howard, Summer 2003) The video documentary Waiting for Superman is a great example of the successes of charter schools. This documentary talks about several schools across the country. Most of these schools are in the larger cities, but some are in the suburbs. It talks about the great success stories that each school has where the public sector is failing. It also stated that the students graduating from the schools shown were adequately prepared for college. The film also showed the demand for the schools in the failing districts, because the students had to be placed in a lottery just to get in. According to the film, almost all the students who attended the charter schools were successful and most went on to college. Another way the school system can improve is by completely restructuring the way the children are taught. According to Mike O’Conner, in his interview, the schools were designed to educate children fifty years ago. He states that the schools need to â€Å"personalize learning† and base the education on â€Å"competency rather than credits.† One example of this would be not having â€Å"archaic technology bans such as cell phones and I Pads.† Also, with the competency rather than credit program, a child could start school and finish at their own pase, rather than six years of elementary, two years of middle school, and four years of high school. An example of that is two students start their freshman year; one student finishes school in three years, the other in five. Mike also says that part of the â€Å"solution is pacing, relevancy, and refocusing on creativity† which will help keep children involved and help them develop their passions. This is the focal points of what he is trying to do at his school. He also states that although these are great solutions, he does not see it at the state or national level yet. Additionally he thinks that if the school system does not act soon on these ideas, America’s dropout rate and failure rate will rise drastically. (OConner, 2012) Discussion As the research shows the public school system is failing to prepare our children. There are many contributing factors to this. The way I see it is there are too many people trying to be in charge. The schools are controlled by federal, state and local governments. First of all, none of these bodies are education experts. Second, each of these government bodies has their own interests in mind, not necessarily the well being of the children. Third, the three different bodies of government seldom see eye to eye with each other. This is why I think the state and local government need to step out completely in the areas of curriculum not in the areas of budgets. I think if this happened the school system will be on one united front, which would be a good start. They could make teaching a federal job then, and at that point they could abolish the teachers union, and the teachers could still get union like benefits. With this they could make the teaching jobs more performance based. This would also abolish the idea of bad teachers and administrators, because if they have bad performance they would no longer be working in that field. That is just part of the problem. The bigger problem at hand is our outdated curriculum and teaching style. I experienced this, my whole life in school, until my senior year of high school when I was placed in an alternative program. The idea of alternative and charter schools is great, because it gives children a chance, and it promotes competition with the public sector. I think the charter schools are on the right track, but if they do not keep continue with innovative ideas, they will be in the same situation as the public sector. I think the best way for all to benefit is to restructure the whole teaching curriculum and learning environment. I think we need to structure it as if our current time was 2025 and not 2012, because if we do that we will not be starting out dated from the get go. Conclusion Public education is an important role in our children’s lives. It is there to help them develop learning and life skills for the future, so that they may go on and play vital roles in society. It is unfortunate that the research shows that our current public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. It also shows that there are many reasons for this such as, the government, the design of the curriculum and teaching styles, school staff, the parents, and, in some regard, the teachers union. There is hope however, the invention of the charter school is helping children graduate and preparing them for college. There are also some acts that the government has put in place to have some accountability for the children’s success. It is hopeful because there are others out there trying to reshape our whole education system to benefit today’s needs. Our current system is failing. We are behind in almost all subjects when compared to other nations. This is a scary thought when you think of a global economy. Our children are not as prepared as children in other countries to fulfill job needs on a global scale. This means that our children currently are less likely to have the skills to make the new inventions that will carry our nation into the future. This potential is that America, as a whole, will fall behind other nations in all aspects, and it could all be due to education. All of these are frightening thoughts and if we do not act quickly and make changes now it is only going to get harder. Education is one of the most important parts in building society. In our country we are provided the opportunity to have somewhat free public education. Our system seems to be failing; this failure provides a great opportunity. There are many ways to repair it and it is time that we stop crawling with the issue, and start making leaps and bounds. If we start working together we can rebuild the corner stone to a successful society, which is education. References Calsyn, C., Gonzales, P., Frase, M. (1999). Highlights from TIMMS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2010). Waiting for Superman [Motion Picture]. Howard, T. (Summer 2003). Alternative Education Programs Milwaukee. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 121-123. Klein, D. S. (Spring 1977). Needed: Educational Philosophy as a Guide for Decision-Makeing in the Public Schools. Education , 290-293. McCarty, B. C., Quirk, C. A. (2003). An Oasis OF Hope: The Power of Thinking Developmentally. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 105-107. Muschel, I. (Fall 1979, Fall). Dependent Teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children. Education , 06-12. OConner, M. (2012, February 2). A Principals Point of Veiw. (D. Miller, Interviewer) Robinson, K. (Director). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Motion Picture]. Russo, C. J. (2005). Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials? The Journal of Education , 27-40.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

The Federal Government and Medicinal Marijuana :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs should be commended for its report, "Marijuana: Its HealthHazards and Therapeutic Potential." Not only does the report outline evidence of marijuana's potential harms, but it distinguishes this concern from the legitimate issue of marijuana's important medical benefits. All too often the hysteria that attends public debate over marijuana's social abuse compromises a clear appreciation for this critical distinction. Since 1978, 32 states have abandoned the federal prohibition to recognize legislatively marijuana's important medical properties. Federal law, however, continues to define marijuana as a drug "with no accepted medical use," and federal agencies continue to prohibit physician-patient access to marijuana. This outdated federal prohibition is corrupting the intent of the state laws and depriving thousands of glaucoma and cancer patients of the medical care promised them by their state legislatures. This is an excerpt from a letter written in 1982 to the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Its author was a citizen concerned about the complete lack of rationality exhibited time and time again in the Federal Government's attempts to justify its ban on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. It was no burnt-out ex-hippie who penned the letter. The concerned citizen was none other than the current Speaker of the House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich. He was co-sponsoring a bill intended to end the Federal prohibition on marijuana as medicine. He has since abandoned support for such initiatives and begun to deal in the sort of hypocrisy and misinformation that is typical of the federal government's policy toward medicinal marijuana. Gingrich's bill failed despite overwhelming support from both the public and the facts. Legislators, pandering to a vocal minority, struck it down. Fourteen years later, the silent majority spoke. In a move that must have had Nixon spinning in his gr ave, the silent majority, it turns out, supports this drug use. In the Fall of 1996, two states passed referendums legalizing marijuana. Both California's "Compassionate Use Act" and Arizona's "Drug Medicalization, Prevention and Control Act" passed wit h convincing margins despite well-funded opposition. Support for medical marijuana extends far beyond the traditionally libertarian Southwest. A recent survey of the American public by the American Civil Liberties Union showed that 85% of the American p ublic favors making marijuana legally available to the seriously ill. Unwilling to let the people have the final say, the Clinton Administration quickly moved to impose a de facto veto on these referendums.

Monday, January 13, 2020

Case study: Authority and leadership Essay

Introduction Question 1: Julie’s advantages and disadvantages of belonging to a group As a leader, it is imperative to understand the personality differences and cultural diversity of the employees. This is one of the main advantages that Julie has as a leader. She will be managing a group of people, whom she knows their strengths and weakness. She understands who amongst the employees can be able to perform particular tasks or not. The second advantage is that she understands what she has to do to motivate the employees, and foster productivity within the institution. Having been with these friends, she understands pretty well their wishes, and how the company can assist in improving their morale. On the other hand, though, the main disadvantage will be the expectation of favours from the friends. For instance, they may want to be treated in a special way, like being given more off days, increase their salaries or reduce the amount of work that they have been performing. This may interfere with their productivity or lead to some conflicts (Allen, & Judd, 2009). Secondly, how to separate friendship and business may be a daunting task. The friends may fail to give her the respect that she deserves as a leader, which negatively affects the effectiveness and discipline within the institution. Question 2: how Julie will establish herself as a legitimate authority Julie will need to define the relationships, both at the workplace and out of the institution. She should let her friends know that she is a leader of the institution, and has a duty to perform and objectives to achieve. This will ensure that her friends respect her at the workplace, and learn how to draw a line and respect the boundaries of their relationships. Secondly, Julie should let her friends know that by respecting her, they will be submitting to the institution that has employed them. Her authority comes direct from the constitution establishing the health institution, and therefore everyone has the duty to obey, and perform their duties. Thirdly, she should treat everyone fairly, regardless of whether they are her friends or not. This will ensure that she is respected as a leader. Case study 2 Question 1: how to motivate oneself in the new position The new position in the workplace leads to a number of challenges. This may emanate from the fact that one is not familiar with the new environments, new systems and the capability to perform the tasks. Under this situation, the level of confidence may be affected, which on the other hand will interfere with performance. However, motivating oneself through positive attitude and thoughts will lead to productivity, and effectiveness (Bowling & Beehr, 2006). One should have the motivation to learn new tactics in the new position in order to become more competent. Question 2: motivation state of HIM staff At the time of assuming the position of director, the majority of the HIM staff had low morale that was affecting their work. This was attributed to the previous leadership that failed to focus on the growth and development of the staff members. The majority of them did not have the right skills to perform their duties, and this continued to affect their competence and motivational level. Question 3: proactive strategies to reduce conflicts From the podcast provided, conflicts are inevitable within an organization, but can be managed to avoid making affecting the normal operations. enhancing communication, and encouraging the employees to express their emotions are some of the proactive means that can be used to mitigate conflict in the workplace (Liu, Spector, & Shi, 2006). The managers should also be weary of the personality differences and cultural diversity, and seek to create harmony. References Allen, J. F., & Judd, B. B. (2009). Participation in decision-making and job satisfaction: Ideal and reality for male and female university faculty in the United States. Human Communication, 10(3), 157–179. Bowling, N. A., & Beehr, T. A. (2006). Workplace harassment from the victim’s perspective: A theoretical model and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91(5), 998-1012. Liu, C., Spector, P. E., & Shi, L. (2007). Cross-National Job Stress: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 28(2), 209-239.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

Secuestro internacional de niños y restitución

Si su nià ±o o nià ±a, que tiene la residencia habitual en Estados Unidos, es và ­ctima de un secuestro internacional por parte del otro progenitor, esto es lo que debe hacer con e fin de obtener su restitucià ³n. En este artà ­culo tambià ©n se hace referencia en dà ³nde se puede obtener ayuda psicolà ³gica, legal e incluso econà ³mica para estos casos. Quà © hacer si el nià ±o và ­ctima de secuestro està ¡ todavà ­a en Estados Unidos Contactar inmediatamente con la Oficina de Asuntos para la Nià ±ez, dependiente del Departamento de Estado, marcando gratis al 1-888-407-4747. Se puede pedir hablar con alguien en espaà ±ol y llamar a cualquier hora del dà ­a o de la noche, incluso durante los fines de semana. Secuestro internacional de nià ±os Si el menor ya ha dejado Estados Unidos pero se cree que se encuentra en un paà ­s de los que ha firmado la Convencià ³n de la Haya sobre Secuestro internacional de nià ±os, marcar al mismo nà ºmero mencionado en el pà ¡rrafo anterior. Pero si el nià ±o o la nià ±a se encuentran en otro paà ­s no incluido en dicha Convencià ³n, contactar primero con las autoridades de dicho lugar y a continuacià ³n con la Oficina de Asuntos para la Nià ±ez al telà ©fono ya mencionado. Si el padre o la madre que quieren notificar el secuestro se encuentran en ese momento fuera de Estados Unidos, marcar al 1-202-501-4444. Quà © mà ¡s se puede hacer en los casos de secuestro internacional de nià ±os Acudir a la policà ­a y rellenar la planilla para reportar la desaparicià ³n de una persona. Pedir que los datos del menor y su desaparicià ³n sean incluidos en la base de datos del Centro de Informacià ³n Nacional de Crà ­menes (NCIC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). La policà ­a puede informarle de si es posible y cà ³mo obtener rà ©cords de telà ©fono, de tarjetas de crà ©dito e incluso de correos electrà ³nicos para conseguir localizar al padre o a la madre que han secuestrado al menor. En este punto, consultar con un abogado antes de decidir si es conveniente denunciar al padre o a la madre que se llevà ³ al menor. En ocasiones, si no hay todavà ­a denuncia, es posible resolver el caso mà ¡s rà ¡pidamente. Pero depende de las circunstancias. Conviene tambià ©n tener en cuenta que si hay una orden de bà ºsqueda y captura en contra del secuestrador es posible notificarla a la INTERPOL para que ayude en la bà ºsqueda. Tambià ©n se puede solicitar ayuda en la oficina local del FBI en el departamento de de Crà ­menes contra nià ±os. Asimismo se puede acudir a Centro Nacional para Nià ±os Desaparecidos y Explotados (NCMEC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s). Esta oficina puede ayudar a crear un pà ³ster del menor desaparecido y a que se circule y publique en los medios de comunicacià ³n del paà ­s en el que se sospecha que el nià ±o o la nià ±a pueden estar. Si el menor secuestrado està ¡ localizado en otro paà ­s, el padre o la madre pueden solicitar que la embajada o el consulado mà ¡s cercano lo visiten, siempre y cuando el nià ±o sea ciudadano americano y el progenitor que se lo ha llevado lo autorice. Para pedir esta visita se debe enviar un fax al 202-737-9136. Hay que idenficar al nià ±o y seà ±alar su fecha y lugar de nacimiento e identificar al padre o madre que se lo ha llevado y el lugar donde pueden ser localizados. Quà © pasa si el menor està ¡ localizado en otro paà ­s y el padre o madre que se lo ha llevado se niega a devolverlo Puede que el progenitor que lo busca tenga una orden judicial de una corte americana en la que se reconoce que tiene la guardia y custodia en exclusiva del menor. Pero eso no quiere decir que tal orden sea de aplicacià ³n en el paà ­s al que el menor ha sido llevado. Asà ­ que posiblemente hay que ir a Corte en el lugar en el que se encuentra el nià ±o o nià ±a. Para ello es fundamental elegir un buen abogado local. El Departamento de Estado, a travà ©s de la Oficina de Asuntos de la Nià ±ez (Office of Children ´s Issues) cuenta con especialistas en secuestros internacionales que pueden ayudar a definir cuà ¡l es la mejor estrategia en un determinado paà ­s y cà ³mo elegir abogado. Se ruega muy encarecidamente no presentarse en el paà ­s extranjero, tomar al menor e intentar regresar con à ©l a Estados Unidos. Dependiendo del paà ­s, puede acabar en la cà ¡rcel o con una demanda en su contra de carà ¡cter civil o penal. Otro tipo de asistencia disponible Si necesita apoyo mientras busca a su hijo que ha sido và ­ctima de un secuestro internacional, puede contactar con dos organizaciones: Take Root, llamando al 1-800-Root-OrgTeam Hope, marcando al 1-866-305 HOPE Asimismo, puede pedir ayuda a la Oficina de Asuntos de la Nià ±ez que le brindarà ¡n consejo y cà ³mo dirigirse a buenos profesionales. Si necesita apoyo econà ³mico para viajar al extranjero, puede que califique para un fondo de ayuda gestionado por la Oficina de Và ­ctimas de Crà ­menes (OVC, por sus siglas en inglà ©s) y que depende del Departamento de Justicia. Por à ºltimo, a travà ©s de NCMEC puede obtener ayuda profesional para encarar el proceso de reunificacià ³n con su hijo con à ©xito. Tip Si usted tiene miedo fundado de que sus hijos puedan ser secuestrados internacionalmente por su otro progenitor, guarde en un lugar seguro los pasaportes de los nià ±os y asegà ºrese de que sin su autorizacià ³n no se pueden renovar ni conseguir otros nuevos alegando su extravà ­o.   Ademà ¡s, solicitar o renovar el pasaporte americano de un infante requiere requisitos especà ­ficos de presencia de los padres y del menor que hay que respetar, precisamente para evitar este tipo de problemas. Por el contrario, si un nià ±o/a americano va a viajar internacionalmente sà ³lo con uno de los padres o con ninguno pero con el consentimiento de ambos, asegà ºrese de que lleva toda la documentacià ³n extra necesaria para evitar ser parado en la frontera. A tener en cuenta Excepto Bolivia y Cuba, todos los paà ­ses de habla en espaà ±ol son miembros de la Convencià ³n de la Haya sobre Secuestro Internacional de Nià ±os o està ¡n asociados y respetan su normativa. Nià ±os mexicanos en Mà ©xico y papà ¡s (o mamà ¡s) en USA Si tienes un hijo mexicano en Mà ©xico y el papà ¡ està ¡ en Estados Unidos y no paga la pensià ³n de alimentos puedes solicitarla de esta manera.