Reforms for the American Public Education System
Reforms for the American Public Education System
Recently, American public education has faced scrutinization from education practitioners. The education system has been facing several challenges. Concerned organizations and individuals have feared that it may fail. The constant degradation of the public education system and lack of responsive actions threatens to promote failure. The Education advocates support the proposals of implementing effective policies and strategies to promote public education reforms. Noah Karvelis, an educator from Arizona, says the country’s public education is in a crisis due to cuts in funding (Alvarez et al., 2018). The advocates champion for constant and productive involvement of federal and local governments in promoting public education reforms. The reform proponents have pressured policymakers to formulate policies and strategies to solve the education problems. However, several individuals and organizations have expressed diverging opinions and approaches to solving the issues. Policymakers and governments have been trying to discover appropriate strategies for education reforms amid constant criticism. The public education system problems can be solved through adequate funding, addressing overcrowding, and prepping learners for 21st century needs.
The problems facing the public education system inhibit the student’s achievement of academic excellence. These challenges would be solved by formulating policies to promote education reforms and enhance the learning environment. The general education challenges include a lack of ideal funding systems and slow diversification of the education system. However, the most visible problem is the lack of funding for public education institutions to develop learning facilities and increase academic resources. Recently educators jammed the streets of cities and towns to protest for allocation of sufficient funds for learning institutions (Alvarez et al., 2018). The Nation Education Association (NEA) write, “Our students deserve better…they said no more jam-packed classrooms…no more decades-old textbooks…and cuts to basic curricula” (Alvarez et al., 2018, para. 2). The authors write that state governments are providing less money to learning institutions. In addition, the educators protested about students’ safety and discipline in schools (Alvarez et al., 2018). Overcrowding in the classrooms is also a visible problem that should be addressed to promote education reforms in the U.S. Alvarez (2018) and other authors state that educators protested because of the congestion of classrooms. The protesters expressed that they require more funds to sponsor the expansion and upgrading of old facilities. The issues experienced in the American public education system can be solved by providing adequate funds. The finances will address the problems of overcrowding and institutional safety by enhancing institutional facilities.
The solution to the public education system is the provision of adequate funds. The strategy will enable learning institutions to enhance safety and promote an appropriate learning environment (Alvarez et al., 2018). In addition, it will foster the implementation of policies to promote quality education for 21st-century students. Adequacy of finance in public education is vital for achieving academic goals and learning objectives (Pianta, 2019). Funding ensures that educational institutions and organizations can manage students and provide a safe learning place. Pianta (2019) states, “…greater investments in public schools pave the way for students to realize lasting academic gains” (para. 13). Funding is a significant factor that leads to the achievement of long-term academic success. According to Alvarez (2018) and other authors, “Educators understand if students do not feel safe at school, achievement suffers” (para. 13). For example, in the recent past, anxiety among teachers, students, and their families has escalated due to frequent cases of shooting at school. Most education reform advocates refute the idea of arming teachers (Alvarez et al., 2018). Instead, they argue that funding is the most appropriate solution to enhance safety in learning institutions.
Sufficient funding encourages equity because it promotes a balanced education system. Equity is achieved through fostering diversity by supporting financially struggling students (Blanton et al., 2018). Alvarez (2018) and other authors state, “…low-income students end up in schools with the lowest funding, fewest supplies, the least rigorous curriculum” (para. 8).
Adequate government funding for public education will ensure that learning institutions are transformed to adapt new curricula of education. It will also promote equity and diversity because students have an educational choice (Lueken & Shuls, 2019). Lueken and Shuls (2019) recommend that policymakers foster interventions that assure equitable funding. The strategy can be approached by providing funds to learners based on their necessities. This approach will ensure that all students have equal access to public education and academic resources. The existing policies hinder the provision of adequate funds to learning institutions. For this reason, finance policies and strategies should be changed to increase funding (Alvarez et al., 2018). The transition will ensure that the country is advancing towards commendable public education reforms.
Overcrowding in public schools can only be solved by investing extensively in facility development. Congestion in classrooms is the most observable hindrance to delivering effective education. It makes it hard for educators to manage students and promote discipline (Alvarez et al., 2018). The provision of funds is the only solution to offset learning institutions from the overcrowding dilemma. Expanding K-12 learning facilities requires extra funds to ensure that students are not densely compacted in one place ((Lueken & Shuls, 2019). The lack of adequate funds in public education systems overburdens schools in dealing with classroom congestion. For this reason, investing heavily in the public education system should be a priority for the federal and state governments. Policymakers should take drastic actions toward advocating for increased funds for academic institutions.
The adequate funds will not only promote the expansion of the learning facilities but also improve the condition of the existing resources. Public education reform proponents recommend upgrading old facilities and installing new technologies. Alvarez (2018) and other authors state, “…educators get inundated with…classroom technology…[game-changer] set to [revolutionize] teaching and learning” (para. 48). Applying new technologies in schools would deliver the best education considering the global state of technological advancement. It ensures that teaching is students centered by providing more resources for learning (Alvarez et al., 2018). However, the proposal’s success can only be achieved by allocating adequate funds to learning institutions.
Conversely, some critics argue that adequate funding for the public education system cannot promote reforms. They refute the argument of funding the K-12 education system to foster public education reforms. Ingraham (2021) says, “ Money can’t buy happiness. Nor can pumping…into our K-12 public education system buy student achievement” (para. 1). She claims that adequate funding is the solution for problems experienced in the public education system. She states that the federal and local governments have invested heavily in educated, but positive outcomes are not achieved (Ingraham, 2021). However, she does not clearly illustrate why she objects to providing sufficient finances to the K-12 system. Despite her diverging argument, funding remains the solution to public education problems.
In summary, investing adequate funds in the public education system can promote reforms. The reason is that it will solve overcrowding problems and the lack of learning resources. It will also assure the safety of students and easy management of learning institutions. Funding will promote equity because it will support low-income students. In addition, it will foster the embracement of new technologies in learning for all students.
References
Álvarez, B., Walker, T., Long, C., & Litvinov, A. (2018, March 8). 10 Challenges Facing Public Education Today. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-change/new-from-nea/10-challenges-facing-public-education-today.
Blanton, L. P., Pugach, M. C., & Boveda, M. (2018). Interrogating the intersections between
general and special education in the history of teacher education reform. Journal of Teacher Education, 69(4), 354–366. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487118778539
Ingraham, K. D. (2021, May). More Money Can’t Solve the K-12 Education Crisis. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://www.discovery.org/education/2021/05/12/more-money-cant-solve-the-k-12-education-crisis/.
Lueken, M.F & Shuls, J.V. (2019, January). The future of K–12 funding: How states can
equalize opportunity and make K–12 funding more equitable. Edchoice.org. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED595038.pdf
Pianta, R. (2019, December 10). The one education reform that would really help? Giving public schools more money. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from