Recently in one of my CoE classes, we debated over the two educational acts in place in America. As in any debate, we were to argue for the side we were placed on. As the debate progressed we discovered that this task became more and more difficult for all of the future proficient educators involved in the debate. You see neither team actually believed in the act that they were arguing for. Everyone felt that both acts were not doing the job that they were set into play to do.
We came to the conclusion that both acts have their standards set for the average to above average students. The students with mild to moderate learning disabilities are left behind even whit the acts that are "supposed" to "leave no child behind." Our educational systems focus more on making the students up to par with technology, and advanced educational procedures that we forget the basics of teaching itself. Teachers deal more with discipline issues than they do actually teaching.
I blame this on the jump in technology. The fast pace changes in technology are causing a price jump in the cost of attending school. The poverty stricken schools and students suffer from this due to lack of funding. The cost issue however is not our biggest issue in America.
If we we are going to set standards for all of the students we need to make the standards equal to those of the high ranking educational systems of other countries. If we were to set our standards like those in Asian countries or Germany along with doing away wit grade levels our schools would be so much better off as a whole.
Taking away grade levels allows students to progress at their own rate. Instead of saying that a child has to know this Math, this English, this History and this Science at a certain age is what is holding our students back. If we take this away we sole half of the problem in our school systems.
Think about it. It makes sense to change a system that is clearly failing. We can do no more damage than is already done.