The American public school system is in crisis and is often criticized, but it’s difficult to say whether the system is actually working well. The US system has nearly 100,000 schools and is spread out over 13,000 districts, so how is it doing? There are good and bad points to all aspects of public education, but the problem is not as simple as blaming a few individuals. In the end, we all have to ask ourselves: Are we paying the right price for the quality of education we receive?
There are several reasons why the American education system is not working so well. First of all, it focuses too much on standardized testing. The government’s No Child Left Behind policy has increased the amount of testing that students take. Students are graded on their test scores, and schools are judged on those. The focus on test scores, however, is a major problem in the system, according to many critics. While standardized testing does not equate to poor teaching, it has led to a teach-to-the-test mentality and a lack of focus on subjects other than those tested.
We should be teaching children to be more socially and emotionally intelligent. A good teacher can inspire students to develop empathy and resilience. In addition, they should work together to create a thoughtful curriculum that engages them and is relevant to them. The best curriculum should be relevant to students and include appropriate materials, assessments, and learning strategies. The goal is to help students grow emotionally, and to develop a sense of self.
