School Reform

The process of school reform should include all stakeholders’ voices but most importantly, student voices.  Educators are looking for best practices to engage students to learn curriculum.  Students are entering school with academic gaps along with social dilemmas.  Students are not meeting standards on state standardized tests and are not meeting annual adequate progress.  Who should we ask for answers? 

 Many schools struggle with this question, but few have decided to go straight to the source and ask students. Through increasing "student voice" in schools, students have the potential for contributing their opinions on a variety of levels, including sharing their views on problems and potential solutions in their schools.  (Mitra, 2003).    In addition, school districts are providing opportunities for students to meet with school board members for questions and reflections. The National School Board Association (NSBA) emphasizes: “Students cannot learn in chaos, fear, or embarrassment.” It also says, “If you really want to know what people feel about their schools, ask them.”

 The teachers’ voice is also important to hear because of the fact that they see firsthand what the current academic challenges schools face.  School Reform should take into account the opinions and concerns teachers have expressed throughout the years.  Teachers are faced with limited time, limited resources and support, and an increase number of students in the classroom.  These challenges are very difficult for teachers to effectively reach every student.  For the most part, teachers provide differentiated instruction to best meet individualized student needs.  Ignacio Estrada’s quote, “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn”, can be seen in today’s classrooms as a reminder of what needs to be done to reach every student. 

State and Federal Politicians need to hear teacher and student voices when making educational decisions.  Unfortunately, this is not happening.  But the tone, language, and proposals for change currently articulated by the most prominent "reformers" at the national level reveal both a lack of knowledge and experience of the daily realities of even the most successful public schools and a total lack of respect for the professionals now working in public education.  (Education Week, 2012).

To add to the lack of awareness of today’s school realities, politicians are tackling a fiscal cliff that consists of increasing budget cuts to education that will negatively impact the public school system.  According to Education Week, The American Association of School Administrators has been gathering information about the impact of sequestration on districts for months. In a survey released in July, AASA asked districts if they were starting to plan for the cuts. More than half said had built the cuts into their budget, although they were still very worried about the long-term impact of sequestration. Superintendents expected that they will have to cut back on professional development, reduce personnel, and boost class size.   

At the David School, the student voices are heard.  Throughout the documentary, it is evident that the David School is the last option before dropping out of school altogether.  Administration constantly meets and encourages at risk students such as Chris Johnson.  They were aware of the challenges of his financial dilemmas and the obstacles, primarily his parents, which often distracted him from his focus of graduating.  The David School did whatever it took for Chris to finish school.  The school gave him ample opportunities to turn in late work, was willing to decrease the number of credits required to graduate, registered him to take the GED, and provided him with an apartment so he could concentrate on his studies. 

Chris Johnson is an example of many at risk students who need a support staff to get them through economic and social factors to reach their ultimate goal-an education.  "Education is for all, and there can be no compromise with the proposition."  Mark Van Doren