Posts Tagged ‘High School’

Youth’s Education Compromised

January 17th, 2010

Since the early 60’s, our educational system for our children has been slowly eroding.  Our government has been notorious for promising better education, not one child left behind and yet in 2009 many college students and high school graduates are unable to pursue a higher education due to the horrific increase in cost. 

High school graduates are faced with several complex problems and at this time no relief is in sight.  Job availability this summer for this age group is a farce – the few jobs available are being snatched by the middle class who is in a survival mode trying just trying to exist.  

The  American dream of getting a college education for many is just a dream; colleges throughout the Nation have raised tuition fees once again and of course the economy is getting all of the blame. 

Possibly colleges have become strictly bottom line institutions and like many corporations those in charge can’t budget or utilize their monies in a responsible manner.   

High school drops appear to be increasing at a rapid rate, not because our children are stupid but these children are pretty logical in their decision.   College education for them would only come via a very expensive loan and even if they received a diploma that still wouldn’t  guarantee employment in their chosen field. 

After talking with several of these students, I realized they have analyzed the employment playing field for young people their age; regardless of education there’s a good chance that they’ll be flipping burgers and pancakes.  Our youth refuse to buy into the “what if” or “maybe” promises of what a college education will do for them.  

Our dropouts are aware that during the difficult economic times, there is a huge increase in the unskilled labor market.  Some of these jobs do pay well and our youth have decided to dominate the unskilled markets. 

So when and how did Americans allow their children’s education to be compromised?  There are more than a few factors that have contributed to the rapid decline or our educational system.  Here are but a few contributing factors.

The new child psychology started back in the good old days with Dr. Spock and friends – parents were criticized, made fun of and bashed for being the heads of the household. 

Over time the children became the dominant figures in the household and the parent/child relationship was weakened.  Discipline, guidelines and responsibility were relegated to the ancient history shelf. 

At the same time, “they” and I use this similar to Glenn Beck when referring to groups of people who worked 24/7 to change our educational standards.  Parents turned into their child’s best friends and along with that new role, discipline, respect and student responsibility evaporated little by little from the schools. 

Schools, teachers, superintendants were put in the line of fire via lawsuits and the media crap.  We stripped our school system down to nothing but a few pieces of scraps.  

Teachers are expected to raise our children, but lord forbid if they discipline Johnny or Susie!   Why did we decide it was the teacher’s job to mentor, counsel, comfort and raise our children?  Where is it written that our children should be in charge?

So we’re faced with an educational system where the children rule, make out on the campus, wear clothes that don’t cover bosom, crotches or butt cracks because parents have relinquished their “God” given rights. 

Morality is no longer dominant on our horizon.  The bottom line remains the same, “Our children need us – not the gifts and material junk we extend to them. 

Why are we allowing our school curriculum to slip below the norm of many other countries world-wide?  Frankly, I believe our curriculum has taken a beating in order to appease a very few – words removed, paragraphs eliminated and many books removed from the shelves just because of a small group of misinformed people.  “They” have peddled, meddled and taken control of our children’s education. 

Our Nation’s education should always be a priority for it is the backbone of our country!  America can’t raise their hands on educational excellence anymore –other countries are leaving us in the dust.  This isn’t acceptable and hopefully parents will return to a few basics.

Fathers and mothers can return to their homes as head of the household, mentors to their children.  Know where your child is, who she or he is hanging out with, restore order to your homes.  The child is a member of the household who needs guidelines, rules and structure.  

It’s unfair to ask teachers to take over parental tasks – you are the parents and if you can’t assume that awesome responsibility therein is the problem.  

Teaching should be one of the highest paying professions in our United States – along with higher pay; discipline should be restored to our educational structure.  Curriculum needs a heavy overhaul at the same time …

Over the years, we have seen a few bad teachers, just like bad cops or bad parents, but the majority remain good moral people so we can’t let the liberal news media turn our heads.  Quit babying your children; give them the tools needed to become young responsible adults with high self esteem and many beautiful dreams in their hip pocket. 

May God Bless America and help all citizens return our Nation to a strong foundation.  As Always, Annie

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Obama’s Education Opinion the Right Stuff

January 4th, 2010

Obama says testing alone is not the solution for improving student performance. The countries financial investments should support better K12 teaching not testing. In his opinion we are attacking the education system which we should be trying to bolster. Obama says too much time is spent preparing students for No Child Left Behind testing. The results of these failed policies are putting a strangle hold on education. Student’s minds are no longer nourished by the knowledge that teachers impart. How can a teacher focus on course content when their schools very existence hinges on testing scores? Obama says we need to make a greater investment in changing education.

He also states that teachers should be paid higher salaries. The teaching profession has lost its glimmer because our country is not investing in K12 education. Obama’s opinion in this area shows that he is looking at the future. Within the next ten years a massive number of teachers will retire. It will be difficult to replace them if teachers cannot make a living wage. These potential teachers will go into other professions. Teachers want to work in a country where they do not have to struggle due to financial obligations after college.

Our country needs new leadership to effectively craft teacher and student friendly education policy. Obama is striking the right cord with many educators who are in higher education. He has taken his campaign to college campuses around the country. He is demonstrating how much he values the opportunity to be educated. Obama’s family could not afford to send him to the most expensive K12 schools but he still learned the value of education. He wants to open the doors for many students who feel that the doors of higher education will never open for them.

Obama is demonstrating the true qualities of a leader. His history of serving as a volunteer in his community has put him in touch with the education gap that is like the Grand Canyon in many of our nation’s inner cities. His thirst for change in the way that we educate our nation’s youth is a breath of fresh air. Obama has an opinion that United States citizens should unit around the value of improving access to good education.

The country needs to remain competitive in the global markets of the world. Obama says that if our current lack of investment in education continues we will not compete with the rest of the world. Based on a recent assessment the United States ranks twenty-ninth in math and science knowledge. The country is losing its place as a world leader. All of the other countries around the world are increasing their investment in education. The United States continues to flounder at implementing strategic education policy. The country needs a plan that positions our workers to be the most educated workforce in the world.

Based on the response of voters around the country they are looking for a leader who will stand up and speak out on education. Obama has the right stuff because he knows the boundaries that a limited education can cast on a child’s entire life. When a young person desires to learn is extinguished in the forth grade they will never recover. Obama has the attitude and motivation of a Presidential candidate that wants education to take its rightful place in our society. He proves that he is the right person to change the direction of education in this country.

For twenty-six years, Dr. Jones has delivered presentations on numerous topics including how to study, leadership, effective communication, and innovative management practices. He is the author of two books one is titled “Seven Secrets of How to Study” and the second is the “Parent’s Ultimate Education Guide.” The book provides an easy understanding of the seven pillars that are essential to learning effective study techniques. His URL is www.sevenbooks.net.
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Character Education: Elementary Vs. High School

January 3rd, 2010

Character Education: Whose Job Is It? While elementary and middle school teachers often work with students on critical but non-academic issues of Character and Values education, such as getting along, behaving appropriately, being respectful, honesty, cooperating, and so forth, high school teachers have a tendency not to work on these issues.
According to Dr. Andrew Milson in the Journal of Research in Character Education (Vol. 1, Number 2,2003), many elementary school teachers feel that values and character based teaching should be combined along with subject-oriented teaching and learning. High school teachers on the other hand, tend not to have a strong sense of self-efficacy in relation to teaching character education. They often feel that they don’t know how to “do” character education and if they did try it, they feel they probably would not have a real impact on their students.
Milson (2003) cites studies which indicate that high school teachers who have only had character education pedagogy during their pre-service training, or who only have university-delivered character education training, feel less confident about being able to teach character development. In contrast, teachers who have attended conferences or had staff development sessions on character education express a greater sense of confidence about being able to teach these critical skills to their students.
It makes sense, then, that schools and districts attempt to provide sessions on character education in the form of staff development, in particular focusing on strategies and programs that address issues that teachers are currently experiencing in their classrooms, rather than theory or abstract ideas.
Teachers can also benefit from learning how to incorporate elements of character education through their regular curriculum. Character education can contribute to a psychologically healthy classroom environment as well as increased achievement among students. It can also set the stage for mutual respect in the classroom. This respect can reduce the amount of time usually spent on disciplinary issues, and focus the class time back on learning the curriculum.
When teachers get practical information on how to incorporate character education into what they already do, they can become more confident about following through and reaping the benefits of character education.
Hal Urban, a successful teacher in a multiethnic public school for 35 years shares the importance of character education at home and in the classroom. He begins his presentation by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”
Urban states, “The best news of all is that we now have solid research to prove that schools with an effective character education program promote higher academic standards. Yes, this even means higher scores on standardized tests. The reason is simple: an environment of mutual respect results in a better place for teachers to teach and a better place for students to learn.”
Utilizing an integrated character education program that emphasizes modeling and incorporating character education throughout the day is the best way to teach the students the value of character. Just as important is a support system for teachers that included staff development training and sessions that focus on specific implementation strategies, demonstrating how character traits can be integrated into the curriculum.

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High School Drug Use

December 7th, 2009

It is amazing how fast things can change; how pure innocence can turn to arrogance and adventurism. It seems up until your first year in high school, you feel safe from anything. You are preoccupied with life as how you knew it from the start, when in school you’re intrigued to hear rumors in junior high, they’re usually about who likes who, and who broke up with who. It just seems so naive. But when you stepped into high school, it becomes an entirely different ballgame. Somehow you seem to have been stripped of all your innocence. Suddenly you become vulnerable to the evils that you knew nothing about before. It seems the only thing people talk about is either sex or drug use. We all know of so many personalities who have so much potential to do great things in life, but threw it all away when they started to use drugs.

This is the daunting scenario that we have today. We are aware of it, the government is aware of it, law enforcers are aware of it but still the nagging problem persists and threatens the fragile future of our youth today. Numbers don’t lie. Nearly half of all high school seniors in America have experimented with illegal drugs and about three quarters have tried alcohol. A study conducted on the drug use prevalence among high school seniors in the US revealed the following: 41.8% have tried marijuana and at least 5% uses it everyday; 7.8% have used cocaine; 1.5% have tried heroin; 72.2% have used alcohol and 3.1% take alcohol daily; 6.5% have tried ecstasy; 8.4% have tried using hallucinogens (LSD, Magic Mushrooms, Peyote); and at least 15.4% have reported having used prescription drugs (vicodin, oxycontin etc.) to get high. These are alarming statistics but equally disturbing is how easily high school students can get hold of these prohibited drugs. The dilemma that we have today is worse than what our parents had to deal with; and at the rate things are going it is quite likely that by the time you have kids, the situation will be ten times worse than what it is today. The problem should be addressed now with more stringent measures and from different fronts. It should be a collective and conscious effort from the government, school administrations and more importantly the parents. Parents should be educated about the dangers facing their teens today because they are for real and are likely to stay if nothing is done to stem the problem. The government should make laws with much more teeth in them so as to deter drug dealers and manufacturers who are selling these substances like pancakes. Schools must have more effective screening and monitoring systems to keep drugs away from their vicinity and thus give their students a good shot for a productive college life.  Illicit drugs seem to fall in and out of favor with experimental youths.  But one thing is constant, more and more teens are experimenting with it. The perils are great and more threatening than ever, but studies consistently show that teens whose parents talk to them about drugs are at a much lower risk to experiment.

Mia is a full time Internet Marketer that manage a site for helping troubled teens and their families. She is always available for any help about teen problems via 1-866-573-6566. Call now!
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Here’s Why You Need to Talk to Your Teen About Drugs Now

November 24th, 2009

 

Like talking about sex, having a conversation with your teen about drugs and alcohol can be, well, a bit uncomfortable. Sure, you may hear about how you should talk to your children about illegal substances whenever you get the opportunity – but having the conversation itself can be so awkward that many parents choose not to do it, not to mention that many parents feel too uneducated about booze and drugs to even talk about it! In fact, a recent study conducted by Action on Addiction in the United Kingdom found that over 40% of adults choose not to have these necessary conversations with their children and teenagers, but rather leave it up to the schools. If this sounds familiar, then take note: children and teenagers often want to hear about drugs and alcohol from the mouths of their own parents rather than their health class teacher.

 

But how exactly do you got about having this conversation without appearing uneducated – or worse – hypocritical? Here’s what you need to know in order to best educate your kids about the dangers of drugs and underage drinking as effectively as possible.

 

Give Them Warnings That Are Tangible. it’s no secret that most tweens and teens think that they’re invincible. If you warn your child that drinking and doing drugs will kill them – even though your teen is surrounded by people who have not died from alcohol or certain drugs – they won’t get as scared as you’d like them to. However, if you tell your child that drinking and doing drugs can cost them thousands of dollars a year – not to mention make them smell horrible – and you’ll see a change in their behavior quickly!

 

Try To Relate To Your Teen. Tweens and teens have an uncanny ability to see straight through any fibs; therefore, if you are staunchly against drinking and drugs, even though you may have experimented yourself as a teen, you’ll just end up confusing your child. Be honest with your child – if you did drugs as a teen, tell them why you did it, and why you chose to stop it. Your teen will appreciate your honesty, as opposed to labeling you as a “hypocrite”.

 

Find Out Who His Or Her Friends Are. When it comes to raising teens, knowledge is half the battle – that’s why you should make the effort to become familiar with you teenager’s friends. You don’t have to know everything about them; rather, you want to do so in order to determine if they’re positive influences on your teen. It won’t take long for you to get a feel for your teen’s friends’ personalities – if someone rubs you the wrong way, try to limit how much time your teen spends with him or her.

 

Be Supportive. If you’ve discovered that your child drank at a party or took drugs, your first reaction may be to punish them. While discipline is completely necessary, it’s important for your teen to know that you’ll love them no matter what – this will teach your child that it’s okay to approach you about their upsetting behavior rather than keep it secret.

 

Above all, accept the fact that you won’t be around to monitor your child’s activities for every hour of every day – no matter how tempted you may be! Instead, trust that you instilled proper values within your children that will help them to make the right decisions when it counts, therefore setting them up for future success long into adulthood.

 

Gareth Williams has been an expert in the field of parenting for well over 25 years and is the author of the highly acclaimed ebook ‘Harmony at Home – A Parent’s Companion’. If you’re interested in receiving FREE information on modern day and successful parenting techniques then please visit http://www.instantparentsuccess.com
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