Now that we are entering another school year, it is hard to believe that our modern school system is less than 100 years old. According to Wikipedia, in 1900, out of 45 states, 34 had compulsory schooling laws for elementary education, of which only four were in the South. As a result, in 1910, 72% of American children attended elementary school, of which half attended in one room schools. Finally, by 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school.
In the 1880s, American high schools were preparatory academies for colleges, but, by 1910, they had been transformed into what are now the core elements for the high-schools system. In 1890, there were 200,000 high-school students, which grew to one million by 1910 and two million by 1920. Seven percent of kids [ages] 14 [to] 17 were enrolled in high school in 1890, rising to 32% in 1920. In 1910, 9% of Americans had high-school diplomas, which grew to 40% in 1935 and 50% by 1940. Today, 88% of all Americans age 20 and older have graduated from high school.
Obviously, our public education system is so much better than it was 100 years ago, [b]ut are our schools any better than they were last year, five years ago or even 10 years ago? In the most recent decade, the “No Child Left Behind” act was passed by a bipartisan coalition in Congress and signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002. [The act] marked a new direction in education. In exchange for more federal aid, the states were required to measure progress and punish schools not meeting the goals measured by standardized state exams. According to Education Week, 38% of schools were failing to make adequate yearly progress in 2010, up from 29% in 2006, [a]nd now, right before our new school year begins, six more states […] and the District of Columbia were the latest to be approved for waivers to this law. This brings the total to 33 states that have been granted waivers to get out of the tough test requirements in order to get more federal funds. In 2011, $14.5 billion was spent by the federal government on this program, so it is a program every educator must live and breathe.
According to the New America Foundation, America spent over $500 billion a year on public elementary and secondary education. This averages $10,591 per student. The federal government picks up $40 billion of this, or 8%, which is less than 3% of our total federal budget. This means 92% of public schools are funded by the states and local government. […] Wealthier states like those in the Northeast have more funding available than states with limited resources. Is this fair for the children of the United States?
Not everyone has kids [or] grandchildren in school, so many of us tend to not pay much attention to the status of education, [b]ut even if you do support your local schools, there are so many other schools we can all help that are struggling because they just don’t have adequate funding. Take a look at Donors Choose, which is an online charity connecting donors to classrooms in need. Here, public school teachers from every corner of America post needed projects, and donors can give any amount to help these classroom projects succeed. […]
To think that the federal government spends less than 3% of our budget to educate the upcoming generation to be smarter and better than us is an embarrassment for the American way of life. To realize that more schools today are failing to make progress than schools just five years ago is appalling. If we could just educate the next generation on how to eliminate poverty or war, we could then use that savings from our federal budget to fund more education for the following generations.
This cannot be the start of another school year where we fall behind the year before. It looks like the only way we can avoid this American tragedy is to get involved. Volunteer at your local schools so schools can move their paid staff to help the students most in need. Give your time and your money to help your local PTA to fund the extracurricular activities that may have been lost over the years, [a]nd, as important[ly], lobby your local, state and federal government to increase the funding needed to make this generation of kids better than the last generation. With the major election cycle coming up this November, this is the time to elect representatives who know a better education for all is tied to the future of America. Help our kids now so they can help us later.
Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/no-school-left-behind_b_1735175.html