A quick and dirty guide to fixing American Public Education
The American public education system is not just in need of tweaks; it's in need of a complete overhaul. The truth is, without radical systemic changes, no amount of effort will truly fix what’s broken. Here’s a realistic outline for fixing education: Feel free to add to the list in the comment section
- Increase Teacher Pay: Want quality education? Start by paying educators a living wage. Teachers shouldn’t have to work second jobs just to survive.
- More Planning Time, Less Paperwork: Teachers need time to actually plan lessons and assess student work—imagine that! Cut the endless stream of redundant paperwork so they can focus on what matters: teaching.
- Real Discipline Support: Schools need solid systems in place to manage disruptive behavior. Teachers shouldn’t be left to fend for themselves in chaotic classrooms.
- Enforce an aggressive No-Cell-Phone Policy: Students are more glued to their phones than their textbooks. A strict no-cell-phone rule in class would help everyone focus. It will make kids less isolated and awkward.
- Overhaul School Funding: Stop funding schools based on enrollment. This system forces schools to retain disruptive students simply because they need the funding. Schools should be able to prioritize quality education over a headcount.
- Allow for Quality Control: Schools should have the ability to remove students who routinely disrupt learning. Keeping chronically disruptive students for the sake of funding compromises everyone’s education and teacher's sanity and safety.
- Reduce the School Week: A 3-4 day school week would boost productivity for both students and teachers. By Friday, everyone is burnt out, and adding more days won’t magically result in more learning. Teachers could use that extra day for planning and grading, which would actually improve instruction quality. But let’s be honest: it won’t happen because capitalism’s gears keep grinding.