Introduction
Education reforms are processes that are aimed at improving public education. Education reforms were made in the United States to ensure that all children had equal access to education. The Education reforms in the United States were enacted by President George bush, and they made headlines in the year 2001. Implementing the law still needs to improve as some still need access to education (Ravitch, 2020). The number of children unable to attend and complete their studies is high. The high school graduation rate in 2018 dropped by 14 percent from 73 percent in 2017. This number indicates a need for Education reforms to be enforced as there are newer generations in the working world. Decisions on education reforms are a critical part of government planning, and all stakeholders, including parents and teachers, should be involved. Education Reform decisions should be placed into the hands of teachers in a classroom daily. Ensuring they have the proper resources, an all-inclusive curriculum, and raising the pay for teachers because the job they do is one of the most important.
Teachers need to be provided with the necessary resources in abundance, which are required in school. Learning in school is enhanced with the availability of teaching resources. Teachers need help when they are teaching without. Some resources are available but need to be improved. Districts should be allowed to set school expectations (Ravitch, 2020). Schools may need additional resources according to the area of location. Schools in different regions will need relatively more or fewer resources because of the residents’ income. Standardizing the provision of resources ensures there is no equability in sharing school resources. Some schools have a very high number of students, which increases the need for more teaching resources. Students need help, such as writing books, textbooks, and furniture. Teachers, on the other hand, need curriculum materials and technology to teach the class effectively. The involvement of teachers in education reforms ensures that proper policies on education are enacted. The teachers’ experience with the need for resources will enable allocating the needed learning and teaching resources.
The effectiveness of educational reform will also be determined by how successfully the new curriculum is implemented. The government often proposes curricular changes without first consulting experts. The instructor’s reputation is at risk, regardless of how well or poorly a pupil performs. However, most decision-makers who set educational standards need more classroom experience. This kind of “feedback and information” from instructors should be made accessible to educational authorities in order for them to “make suitable, educated judgments.” (Lynch, 2019). To ensure that the curriculum remains current and useful for students, it should be revised regularly, with teachers encouraged to share their ideas. A teacher should not be held responsible for a student’s or parent’s actions outside the classroom. People who work in the same sector every day need to be able to share advice and tales. Engaging educators in curriculum creation and assessment guarantees that only those with firsthand experience with the program make decisions about the tools and strategies to be employed. The teacher’s expertise with the system aids the success of the selected learning method.
Teachers should get a raised salary because they work more in implementing the curriculum. Teachers are frequently underpaid for their crucial work, leading to low morale and motivation. Students’ performance is standard when the teachers miss classes because they need to be motivated. Low grades reduce students’ hopes of continuing with education. Studies have shown that the higher the pay for teachers, the better the test results are. “On the whole, every 10% increase in teacher salary was associated with about a 0.2 point boost to average math and English scores” (Pomorey, 2022). Students mostly scored low grades after schooling in public and charter schools. Meager teacher salaries meant fewer professional teachers provided education than unqualified teachers. Less interaction between students and teachers during the Covid 19 year resulted in poorer scores (Camera, 2022). The low scores prove that teachers must be motivated to attend to students’ learning needs. Raising teacher salaries would help retain highly competent teachers while also attracting new talent to the profession. As a result, pupils will receive a better education since teachers will be more driven to deliver high-quality education. Teachers are motivated to work more if they feel financially secure, much like many others.
Many individuals feel that Education Reform is optional. They have repeatedly seen education reform attempts fail, leaving them hesitant to jump on the bandwagon. Education reform critics argue that there has been a focus on standardized tests, which has led to the narrowing of the curriculum(Ravitch, 2020). Another argument is that education reform was implemented without evidence. Though there have been shortcomings in the educational reforms, more details for failure its failure need to be investigated. Teachers significantly impact how the world will develop, and they merit praise for the difficult effort they put in every day. Individuals feel that even with the continued losses, test scores go up and dropout rates lower. However, statistics would show that the dropout rate has increased from 5.3% in 2020 to 6%.
Along with test scores showing a significant decrease from 2019-2022. The critics of educational reforms have criticized its implementation. The implementation of education reforms has failed primarily in public and charter schools. Government efforts in evaluating charter school scores have resulted in more criticism. Private schools perform better than public schools due to their planned funding and learning.
In conclusion, education reform decisions should be placed in the hands of those in the classroom daily. Reforms should ensure teachers have the proper resources, an inclusive curriculum, and improved payment rates. It would go a long way in improving the quality of education for students. By considering the perspectives and opinions of teachers, education reform decisions can be made that are indeed in the best interest of students. Moreover, there will be very little wastage in funding for resources because priority will be given to the resources that are integrable with the learning needs. Increased teacher pay will encourage well-qualified individuals to accept the challenge of pursuing a career in teaching. Education reforms have been slugging in education’s development, but they are important in shaping an equitable education system. The education reforms will gradually improve America’s education. The reforms cannot be expected to work immediately, and critics should understand that from the famous saying, “Rome was not built in a day.” Education is a continuous learning process and can only continue to better student learning. Teachers are shaping the future of the American people, and they should never be given up.
References
Camera, L. (2022, October 26). States with the largest drops in reading, math test scores | best… Mapping the Math of America's Test Score Declines. Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2022-10-26/states-with-the-largest-drops-in-reading-math-test-scores
Lynch, M. (2019, June 21). Give teachers a voice in education reform. The Edvocate. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://www.theedadvocate.org/give-teachers-a-voice-in-education-reform/
Pomeroy, R. (2022, March 22). When teachers are paid more, students do better real clear science. When Public School Teachers Are Paid More, Students Perform Better. Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://www.realclearscience.com/2022/03/22/when_teachers_are_paid_more_studen_do_better_822999.html#!
Ravitch, D., & Slaying Goliath: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the fight to Save America's Public Schools. (2020, February 1). The Education Reform Movement has failed America. Time. Retrieved February 6, 2023, from https://time.com/5775795/education-reform-failed-America/
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