Educational Standards

Educational Standards

It is in America's best interests, in the long term, to fund American schools and promote excellency in in education. Students in American schools today are American leaders of tomorrow, and it is imperative that they are ready to inherit tomorrow's world.
However, the current 'No Child Left Behind' system is not the way to ensure the achievement of American students. No Child Left Behind targets generally low income schools unable to make the standards and sends out ultimatums when these schools cannot achieve. I attended a No Child Left Behind-failing school for a number of years, a school where many students not in the magnet program spoke English as a second language. Although the school was filled with excellent teachers and was run by a truly amazing principal, the school had no chance in the increasingly ridiculous system.

Simply forcing low performing schools to achieve is not the way to ensure a good education for all American students. Unique and individualized standards must be set for each struggling school based on past performance and future trajectory. These standards must be adjustable, and the policy ought to be written by current and former educators and administrators, not politicians.
Additionally, new funding must be allotted for American schools. In a time where most school districts are struggling, education funding must be further increased.
School districts are having to close early, cut programs, and lower teachers' salaries in order to get through the recession. Having poorly funded schools is, in the short term, to the disadvantage of the students, who lose teachers, days, and classes, and, in the long term, to the disadvantage of America.