Proposed Education Reform

Has anyone else noticed how ass backward the school system is? They shove a certain number of students of all different learning types into the same classroom with a random teacher and expect everyone to progress at the same pace even though that is impossible. And then, they blame the teacher when that happens. Everything is measured by tests and scores and results, not individual progress. Even the bureaucratic crap is confusingly stupid.

I am making a call for a serious overhaul of the education system, here, in the U.S.

First, if a student moves away to a new district, that district should not be allowed to refuse their enrollment based on a cut off date. Considering the unstable state our country is in, kids are forced to move all the time. My best friend, for example, recently had to move to somewhere less expensive. The process of moving took time, and the school district refused to let him enroll until he was actually moved in. Before then, something could fall through, he could move somewhere else. Until everything was finalized, they refused enrollment. Once they were officially in district residents, they missed the "cut off date" and were refused enrollment because they were too late in registering. Perhaps if they had made an exception, this would not have become a problem. Now, my friend has to wait a whole semester to even begin his senior year of high school, so he'll have to go an extra semester, graduate late, get everything else pushed back, all because some bureaucratic bullshit created a Catch 22 and removed all options aside from being unable to go to school.

This sort of thing is ridiculous. Situations like this should NEVER be allowed to happen. This is not a private school, this is a public school. Students should not be forcibly barred from an education just because they are uprooted in order to afford somewhere to live.

There was even a point where my friend was technically homeless and the school district did not seem to care. If you're homeless, they cannot verify that you are in district. If you don't have a home, you cannot get an education either. If that's not solidifying the barriers between the classes, I don't know what is.

I digress.

Now, here is my idea for how an effective school should run.

Elementary School

Each elementary school should be divided into classes by learning ability and then age. Students should take a learning ability test (visual, audio, kinesthetic, tactile) and put into classes where the teacher is trained to teach to that specific learning style. This way, the information imparted in elementary school is actually learned and absorbed. Each grade has classes built for each learning style. Tests are given depending on the learning style in order to eliminate bad test taking from information not learned. This would give an accurate view of how a child is progressing. Instead of the ISAT or MAP tests, human test administrators should go to elementary schools and test each child, one on one with a basic skills test developed with that child's learning style in mind. This way, the tests actually reflect the results of how the child has been learning and growing. Once a year, these tests can be administered and the children's progress can be mapped that way.

Middle School

Middle school should be shaped much the same way as the elementary school with the exception that this should indicate a transition from learning styles to a main stream way of teaching, like we have in the few high schools that shunned No Child Left Behind. Instead of all learning style based tests in classes, they can begin to introduce written and scan-tron tests. This way, students can still develop the skills necessary for success in the real world that does not cater to how someone learns information, but still have gotten the help at a young age to easily access important information and be cognizant of their learning style. Knowing one's learning style and being raised with it from a young age can be helpful when approaching teaching and testing tactics that do not conform to one's learning style. In middle school, how to use your learning strengths in order to accomplish something not made for your needs can be something taught in classes and made priority in preparation for high school. For middle school standardized tests, test administrators would still administer tests one on one.

High School

High school should be more main streamed than the others without shaping class and tests based on learning style. Much like it currently is, in fact. ACT could be given the same way and everything. The only difference that I would call for would be to reintroduce creativity to the classroom. Instead of teaching just what would show up on a test, the teacher should have more freedom with their lesson plans and not teach to the test. What they should have in mind when creating said lesson plan, however, is that each lesson includes something for each learning style to grasp onto. This way there aren't bored and disruptive kinesthetic learners messing with the vibe of the classroom which could distract tactile learners. High school should be more meshing the children of different learning styles and maintaining a calm classroom environment in order for more productive learning.

I think it's a good idea, anyway. Who knows.

Maybe with this kind of lay out, knowledge will not be lost of children who don't care about learning. School can be fun if trying to understand the simplest concept is not made frustrating due to lack of attention to a certain learning style.

What I'm suggesting would be no light undertaking and the financial cost would be huge considering that I'm suggesting to restructure the whole dead system into something that could breathe some life into this country again. Someone needs to resuscitate this country's education system. The "leaders of tomorrow" should be people who can read, write, spell, count, understand, communicate, and have the confidence in themselves and their intellect to do it.

What I'm suggesting could be the cure to things like U.S. citizens not knowing how many states there are in the U.S. It could be the cure to Honey Boo Boo. If we give natural human intelligence a chance, there could still be some hope yet.