1. Seven Major Issues in Education 1.School choice (generally refers to a school district that allows parents to decide which school within the district to use for their children.) 2.School Violence (The fact is, violence of one sort or another is part of many schools today. Fortunately, this usually involves a small group of people fighting amongst themselves.) 3. Charter schools (schools which are publicly-funded and publicly-controlled, but privately run; therefore, they may not need to adhere as many district rules as regular public schools.) 4. Funding(funding at the state and federal levels provides much needed help for poorer communities, whereas federal educational funding has suffered recently at the hands of the Iraqi War and Homeland Security budgets.) 5. NCLB(this law calls for high standards and accountability for the learning of all children, several measures within this program have failed. Additionally, many schools continue to fail to meet the standards set by this program.) 6. Social promotion(students are allowed to advance a grade to keep up with their peer group, even if they did not pass standardized tests. Usually 90% of K-12 students are promoted, 10% per year are retained.) 7. Teacher testing(Current law maintains that states certify teachers and decide requirements; there are currently no national standards or testing. Most US states now require public school teachers to pass a standardized test such as the National Teacher Examination.)

2. Seven Major Issues in Education 1. School choice 2. School Violence 3. Charter schools 4. Funding 5. NCLB 6. Social promotion 7.Teacher testing

3. Pictures to go with issues 1. &3. 2. vs vs 5. &7. 4. 6.

4. School choice School Choice generally refers to a school district that allows parents to decide which school within the district to use for their children. As the On The Issue site states, the political issue is focused on whether to allow parental choice to include private schools, parochial schools, and home schooling at taxpayer expense. While taxpayer funding of parochial schools potentially violates the Constitutional separation of church and state, taxpayer funding of private schools remains controversial because it subsidizes parents who currently pay for private schools and who usually are more wealthy than the average public school family. However, about 90% of all students remain enrolled in public schools. Opponents against school choice have argued that the free-market theory does not work in the educational realm, and that allowing school choice will hurt more students than it helps. This issue is tied directly to Vouchers.

5. School Violence As teachers, parents and students prepare and begin this new school year, hopefully fears of school violence such as the Columbine shootings will not be their major concern. What is sad is that school violence needs to be a concern at all. The fact is, violence of one sort or another is part of many schools today. Fortunately, this usually involves a small group of people fighting amongst themselves. In a recently completed study of the Class of 2000, CBS News found that 96% of students said they felt safe in school. However, 22% of those same students said that they knew students who regularly carried weapons to school. This does not mean that students did not fear a school violence incident like Columbine. 53% said that a school shooting could happen in their own school.Class of 2000 Whose problem is school violence? The answer is all of ours. Just as it is a problem we all must deal with, it is also a problem we all must work to solve. The community, the administrators, the teachers, the parents, and the students must come together and make schools safe. Otherwise, prevention and punishment will not be effective.

6. Charter schools Charter schools are schools which are publicly-funded and publicly-controlled, but privately run; therefore, they may not need to adhere as many district rules as regular public schools. This choice is an alternative to public, private, and home schools, and provides what is known as a "nontraditional environment". They are usually sponsored by local or state educational organizations who monitor their quality and effectiveness. Laws that govern charter schools vary from state to state. Charter schools are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The "charter" establishing each such school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. The length of time for which charters are granted varies, but most are granted for 3-5 years. At the end of the term, the entity granting the charter may renew the school's contract. Charter schools are accountable to their sponsor-- usually a state or local school board-- to produce positive academic results and adhere to the charter contract. The basic concept of charter schools is that they exercise increased autonomy in return for this accountability. They are accountable for both academic results and fiscal practices to several groups: the sponsor that grants them, the parents who choose them, and the public that funds them.

7. Funding No matter if the school is public or private, K-12 or college — educational funding is a major issue. Jay Greene, author of "Education Myths," states that "If money were the solution, the problem would already be solved...We've doubled per pupil spending, adjusting for inflation, over the last 30 years, and yet schools aren't better." Despite this opinion, funding at the state and federal levels provides much needed help for poorer communities, whereas federal educational funding has suffered recently at the hands of the Iraqi War and Homeland Security budgets. The important thing to follow in this issue is the language, as support for smaller classes and for more buildings to house those classes usually means opposition to funding private schools.

8. No Child Left Behind (NCLB ) NCLB is, perhaps, the most controversial issues. However, trends seem to indicate that this law will face transformation both financially and in policy. Although this law calls for high standards and accountability for the learning of all children, several measures within this program have failed. Additionally, many schools continue to fail to meet the standards set by this program. As America enters the 21 st Century full of hope and promise, too many of our neediest students are being left behind. Today, nearly 70 percent of inner city fourth graders are unable to read at a basic level on national reading tests. Our high school seniors trail students in Cyprus and South Africa on international math tests. And nearly a third of our college freshmen find they must take a remedial course before they are able to even begin regular college level courses.

9. Social promotion Social promotion means that students are allowed to advance a grade to keep up with their peer group, even if they did not pass standardized tests. Usually 90% of K-12 students are promoted, 10% per year are retained. That child's teacher and his principal usually make this decision. This topic is highly debated as research indicates, and common sense confirms, that passing students on to the next grade when they are unprepared neither increases student achievement nor properly prepares students for college and future employment. At the same time, research also shows that holding students back to repeat a grade without changing instructional strategies is ineffective. Students who are promoted without regard to their achievement or are retained often fall even further behind their classmates, and those who do not drop out usually finish school without the knowledge and skills expected of a high school graduate. Both being promoted without regard to effort or achievement or retained without extra assistance sends a message to students that little is expected from them, that they have little worth, and that they do not warrant the time and effort it would take to help them be successful in school. Neither social promotion nor holding kids back without help is a successful strategy for improving learning. —Sandra Feldman, American Federation of Teachers

10. Teacher testing Current law maintains that states certify teachers and decide requirements; there are currently no national standards or testing. Most US states now require public school teachers to pass a standardized test such as the National Teacher Examination. Many critics against standardized tests (including those for students) believe that these tests are biased and that they discourage talented teachers from applying for teaching jobs. The issue of high-stakes testing has yet to surface substantially in the national political debate, although most advocates for higher teacher pay seem to oppose teacher testing in voting records.

11. Recommendations for the application in your personal teaching and the nature of teaching in a contemporary world. As a teacher currently, you have to be prepared to do more for your students and classroom, with less. The funding for different programs, technology and basic educational needs, are not always available and as a teacher you have to be able to “improvise”, or “make do” with what you have. We as educators have to be committed to our schools and our students, and not only try to make ourselves the best teachers we can be, but make our schools the best they can be. Additionally, we need to be aware of, and act immediately on, any instances of violence or bullying that we encounter as a teacher. Also, technology is a major component in the contemporary world, and utilizing it in the classrooms is imperative. Additionally as an educator we need to be open to new teaching styles, theories and also cultures. This is a multicultural nation, which transfers to the classrooms as well. Not all students learn the same and not all students have the same cultural backgrounds.

12. School reform School improvement efforts over the last few decades require teachers not only to study, implement, and assess learner outcomes outlined in local, state, and national educational standards but also to provide meaningful, engaged learning (cognitively, socially, and culturally) for a very diverse student population. educational standards meaningful, engaged learning

13. School reform Reform requires that teachers learn new roles and ways of teaching. That translates into a long-term developmental process requiring teachers to focus on changing their own practice. The problem is, where do teachers find the time for change in their already busy schedules?

14. School reform Quality curricula alone will not ensure that a school or district’s students reach educational goals. Teacher professional development and educator support have a powerful impact on instruction, school culture, and student outcomes.

15. School reform Teachers are expected to understand emerging standards--such as those in math and science--and views of learning, and to change their roles and practice accordingly. Teachers who were prepared for their profession prior to the reform movement may not be prepared for these new practices and roles. In working toward change, teachers need to be continually supported with professional development. Teaching is a complex task, and substantial time will be required for teachers and other educators to test out new ideas, assess their effects, adjust their strategies and approaches, and assess again in an effort to reach all students and make learning meaningful.mathscience