Category: School

Fiscal issues impacting the state of Georgia school funding

The State of Georgia has been committed to improving standards of education within the state by developing a funding formula that would ensure that all the needs of schools are adequately met. However, some recent fiscal trends and issues have impacted on the states school funding formula, which in turn have affected the schools budget. According to Houck, Rolle, and Jiang (2010), the State of Georgia, like many other states in the country, have been financially constrained, especially following the recent economic recession that affected the economy of the country. This forced the state to review its funding structure to schools within this country.

The states government realized that it had no option but to reduce its funding on education sector. This meant that the government had to come up with a new fiscal policy that reduced allocation of funds to schools. The funding formula changed from the initial approach where all schools were allocated a specific amount of money, to an approach where allocation of funds was based on the needs of the schools. This meant that schools that were believed to be having the capacity to fund most of their projects were given a lower percentage of funds.

The states government also introduced a funding formula which demanded that part of the funds used by some schools had to come from local sources. This was something that was new to most of the schools administrations. They had to reevaluate their policies in order to find ways of funding their activities from local sources. These drastic measures came at a time when these schools least expected a reduction of funding from the state government. According to Toutkoushian and Michael (2008), most of the state officials did not expect that their funding will be reduced at a time when they were facing financial constraints with their current budget. The schools administrations were negatively affected by this move.

Some of the local sources of funds that they were directed to source their funding from were not reliable. It forced the administrations of the affected schools to improvise ways of funding their activities. The report by Verstegen and Jordan (2009) indicate that the State of Georgia has been poorly ranked among other states in the quality of education and the graduates they produce. This may have some direct relation with the reduced funding from the states government.

It is a clear indication that the performance of students and the schools in general depend on the effort put in place by the government. If the government puts little effort, then this will be reflected in the poor performance. Some schools were always forced to cut down their budget, meaning that they had to reduce some of their educational activities. The strained budget also meant that students could not be exposed to some of the co-curriculum, something that has been blamed for the poor performance.

An analysis done Sielke (2004) on the current fiscal trends in this state indicates that the current formula used to fund schools in Georgia is one of the best approaches in the United States. This report indicates that before the application of this new approach, many schools were being awarded amount of money that was way above their financial needs. Some schools could easily get alternative funding, making the funds from the state government unnecessary.

However, they still kept receiving states funding to cater for unnecessary luxuries that do not add value to education. Sielke (2004) argues that the recent report that Georgia is performing poorly in the education sector should not be associated to the reduced funding from the state. This is so because even before the reduction took place, the state was not performing any better. In fact, the state has achieved some little improvement in its education system within the last one year, but this was after the reduction in funds. The blame on this poor performance should be attributed to the structural issues in the education system. Addressing these structural issues does not need extra funding. The relevant stakeholders must commit themselves to changing the systems in order to reflect the changing trends in the education sector.

Scholars and educational experts have had positive comments about the new fiscal trends used by this state to fund schools. There are schools that have higher needs of funds than others. Awarding the same amount of money to all schools without following a specific criterion, is unfair for schools with higher needs. Reising (2002) says, Students with greater levels of need should be assigned to academic programs with smaller class sizes, and, therefore, should be allocated more funding. This is what the states new funding program is following. This new funding formula focuses on needs of the schools before issuing funds. This means that cases where schools would receive more money than they need has been eliminated. This does not only reduce extravagance in schools, but also encourages accountability and discipline in the administration of schools. The schools are reminded that the economic resources are scarce, and they have to learn how to maximize their limited funds.

Consolidating school districts within a state or privatizing public education elements

The current burden to fund public education relies on the tax payers within the state. As a superintendent of schools, it is a fact that the expenditure of the state on education has been reduced because of fundamental reasons. However, it has been a challenge trying to convince both sides on the best approach to be taken in funding schools. The states government is convinced that the best approach to take is to reduce the amount of its budget on schools funding. The principals and other schools administrations believe that this amount should be increased. As the districts superintendent of education, I often find myself between the two forces that demand that I have to understand them.

I believe that consolidation of school districts within the state or privatization of various elements of public education offers a real solution to the existing problems in funding the schools. It is important to note that although these are two different approaches, they have a number of similarities. Both approaches seek to withdraw the financial responsibility of the schools from the states government to stakeholders who believe that they have a role to play in the education system. This does not only reduce states agents to education department, but also encourages governance of the schools as entities that are semi-independent from the state (Adams & Foster, 2002). This will cut the costs of operations, reducing the burden they have on education.

According to Byrnes (2009), consolidation of school districts within the state has been confirmed as one of the ways of improving efficiency of running schools. The consolidation helps the schools fiscal budget to be made at lower levels that enable the stakeholders understand the specific needs of the individual institutions. This has a similar impact to privatization of some elements of public education. When the schools are privatized, it becomes possible to understand specific areas that are redundant and can be eliminated to ensure that there is efficiency in administration (Byrnes, 2009). This will help in further reduction of funds needed for the schools.

According to Kaufmann (2012), one of the main benefits of consolidating school districts within a state is that it results into higher educational quality. This is so because it offers the relevant stakeholders an opportunity to have greater participatory roles in the management of schools. The centralized system of managing the district schools makes it easy to develop a comprehensive program that can be used to boost education in the entire state. This will help improve the current poor performance that has been witnessed in the recent past. This has a similar impact to what privatization will have on the education system.

According to McKinley and Phillis (2008), privatization of some elements of public schools will result in a scenario where the responsibility of those elements is taken away from the state government to individuals who accept to be part of such administrations. This means that the cost of those elements will be met by the individuals other than the state. It is also a fact that privatization will improve performance of individual schools within the state.

Byrnes (2009) says that, one of the reasons why some public schools have been performing poorly is because of limited strict supervision from the superior authorities. Some of the administrators feel that they do not owe anyone any explanation in case of poor performance. This will change in case some of the elements are privatized. The administrations of these schools will find themselves under much heat trying to meet the needs of the stakeholders. The stakeholders will need good results out of their investment. This will result into improved performance of the schools.

Consolidation of school districts within a state has some significant differences with privatization of various elements of public schools. One such difference is that, while consolidation of the district schools seeks to centralize management of schools, privatization seeks to decentralize this management. As the superintendent of schools, it is a fact that this may be appropriate under different circumstances. Privatization would be appropriate in cases where the main focus is to cut government expenditure in schools, while consolidation would be more appropriate if the focus is to develop similar programs that would help improve the education system. Another fundamental difference between consolidation and privatization is on the funding. When some elements on public schools are privatized, those elements will be fully funded by private individuals. However, consolidation of school districts will still need some form of government funding.

Lacireno (2006) says that consolidation of schools is one of the best approaches that can be used to ensure that a state improves its academic performance of all schools in a universal way. However, privatization promotes individualism, where performance of schools will be based on the effort of the individual schools. I would recommend that the state government should consider privatization of some school elements as a way of cutting costs and improving efficiency of schools in this state.

References

Adams, J. & Foster, M. (2002). District Size and State Educational Costs: Should Consolidation Follow School Finance Reform? Journal of Education Finance, 27(3), 833-855. Web.

Byrnes, V. (2009). Getting a Feel for the Market: The Use of Privatized School Management in Philadelphia. American Journal of Education, 115(3), 437-455. Web.

Houck, E., Rolle, A., & Jiang, H. (2010). Examining School District Efficiency in Georgia. Journal of Education Finance, 35(4), 331-357. Web.

Kaufmann, J. (2012). A Post-structural Ethical Analysis of Antibullying Legislation in the State of Georgia Free content Quick View. International Review of Qualitative Research, 5(1), 29-38. Web.

Lacireno, N. (2006). Charter School Enrollments in Context: An Exploration of Organization and Policy Influences. Peabody Journal of Education, 81(1), 79-102. Web.

McKinley, S. & Phillis, W. (2008). Collaboration in Search of a School Funding Remedy post DeRolph. Journal of Education Finance, 33(3), 311-329. Web.

Reising, B. (2002). School Funding. The Clearing House, 75(5), 220-228. Web.

Sielke, C. (2004). Rural Factors in State Funding Systems. Journal of Education Finance, 29(3), 223-236. Web.

Toutkoushian, R. & Michael, R. (2008). The Impacts of School Funding Formula Modifications on Equity, Fiscal Neutrality, and Adequacy. Journal of Education Finance, 33(4), 352-380. Web.

Verstegen, D. & Jordan, T. (2009). A Fifty-State Survey of School Finance Policies and Programs: An Overview. Journal of Education Finance, 34(3), 213-230. Web.

Introduction

Nowadays people are living in a scraped and challenging era at an uncertain period in history. The ideologies that rule contemporary society may be going into their last, frantic stages, their final lap as Wolf (2007) terms it. The cultural, economic, and political policies of civilization, he claims, are unattainable, in fact, are almost collapsing. Besides Wolf, numerous visionary individuals, including among others Joanna Macy (2006), Derrick Jensen (2006), and Richard Tarnas (2007) have lately affirmed the possible end of ideology, the final lap of an era (Wolf, 2007), possibly even the ultimate end of schooling (Jensen, 2006). In fact, many writers, like Joanna Macy (2006) and Derrick Jensen (2006), have observed that people are familiarizing with one of those exceptional past periods when a basic perspective, the only principle for controlling modernity, crumples and paves the way to an emerging historical period.

The key problem facing civilization, according to Wolf (2007), is that people have pushed away personal experiences from the pulses and/or cycles of humanity so as to emphasize selfish power around the globe for temporary benefits. Not only do these alienations make people existentially, mentally, and religiously bereft-troubled, traumatized, forlorn, and scared-but they unleash the horrible hostility of imperialism, majestic, and reserve conflicts. Additionally, the longing for ruling the earth is eventually pointless since natures reserve is limited, and people cannot ever use it and reduce it to waste.

Political economy, Ideology, and Schooling

While people are discussing the topic regarding the founding observers, they might identify what are possibly the most necessary features between school and society the theory dealing with the isolation of controls. The observers tackled the prospective centralization of country power using an explicit plan-demarcating territory between the authorities that all arms of state could manipulate. Richard Tarnas, an Australian theorist suggested a framework, which integrated the threefold culture that likewise partitioned its roles and/or objectives to restrict the centralization of power in only one organization (Tarnas, 2007). Even though Tarnas defended his system based on his obscure religious pedagogy (which I believe is not comprehensible), I have observed that the idea concerning threefold rests individually as a discerning theoretical instrument for evaluating and contesting the political views of contemporary schooling.

Arguing from my own experience, the three fundamental roles of the cultural sphere are the political economy, ideology, and schooling. The economic sphere, Jefferson claimed, regards the processing and transportation of goods, or more widely it regards the interaction between the material sphere and the general public. The political spheres form the realm of justice and humanity or the appropriate interactions between human beings. The ideological sphere comprises the rapid innovative action of the human intellect; the technologies and the practices of learning (which Tarnas predicted) are forms of this free-flow of religious power. Economic actions that involve disparity and unpredictable commodity prices have no impact on political decisions that must be influenced by supreme fairness of lawful rights, and no single cultural action should interrupt the innovative activity of the founder, scholar, or philosopher.

As Horace Mann observed many decades ago, in the contemporary world economic enterprises have spilled over their correct territories, and the outcomes are that each element of life, including learning, have become commodities-things with economic values instead of internal values (Tarnas, 2007). Basically, my experiences are relevant to the ideas predicted by Jefferson and Mann many years back.

Historical Perspectives and Issues in learning

For the past three decades, grave yet still widely ambiguous literature have been originating from diverse academic views, comprising technology, social ethics, spiritual education, and philosophy that challenge the fundamental educational postulations of civilization, specifically their reductionism and acquisitiveness. Various observers claim that realities are costly and dynamic, and humanity more lively and understated, than modern perspective enables. The observers suggest that there are natural relationships between people and the organic sphere, that people are fondly trapped in their pulses and procedures in a way that people are not able to notice when they split the natural world into distinct parts and blind energies.

Some wider metric of life-scientist Derrick Jensen named it the incriminate order-determines design, implication, and possibly even objective of the cycles of the natural world (Wolf, 2007). From historical perspectives, the principle objective of learning is not disseminating knowledge but to aid learners to undergo senses of speculation and/or avid desire in the natural world, together with patterns of critical reflection and open analysis.

Education Philosophy

The philosophy that I advocate is one that is based on the countercultural norms of holistic learning (Macy, 2006)-the distinct collection of essential learning options that include free institutions and other perspectives based on religious ideologies, and that portion of the home-based schooling approach initiated by the autonomous decentralization of learning institutions. This anti-cultural movement was at first apparent in the feedback that Emerson Alcott, an emerging democrat, initiated in Horace Manns popular learning agenda during the early 1850s.

The basics of anti-cultural/optional pedagogy seek to substitute a rigid and mechanistic framework of schooling-learning for all-with an approach that is more natural (aligned to the pulses and/or cycles of the natural world), customized (deferential of the exclusivity and intrinsic strength of a learner), and genuinely autonomous (receptive society). Holistic learning promotes societal and learning agendas based on various necessary pillars; 1) an integral view, 2) respect for humanity, 3) democracy and 4) openness instead of rigid ideology.

In spite of the demographical and methodological variations evident in the many alternative pedagogies- radical individuals, for instance, would debate many concerns-personally am persuaded that these major theories and practices are broadly common to the nonconformist educational policy that has emerged in order to counter the old-age schooling. Also, I believe that it represents the after-industrial, post-civilization global perspective that is evident in numerous areas of tradition, from integral healthcare to natural, native farming to agribusiness and beyond. Integral pedagogies are not attempts to amend the old schooling system, but to replenish completely fresh frameworks from entirely diverse traditional pillars. Through rethinking the aspects constituting this holistic approach, the likely forms of completely new systems start to emerge (Jensen, 2006).

Conclusion

In spite of the desire of numerous schooling observers for the last two centuries, it appears very well that pedagogies do not impact society so much as reflects them. Teaching children regarding our preferred alternatives-autocratic or natural balance, cultural ethics or spiritual collectivism-does do not appear able to substantially change the intellect or political behavior of society provided the radical tradition is alive in strong financial and political institutions, social beliefs, and the emerging perspectives that surround schoolchildren, adopt other values. Attempting to alter cultures through schooling is pointless if the cultures are not otherwise ready for the change.

References

Jensen, D. (2006). Endgame: The Problem of Civilization. New York: Seven Stories Press.

Macy, J. (2006, Summer 38). The Great Turning as Compass and Lens. Yes! Magazine, pp. 22-24.

Tarnas, R. (2007). Cosmos and Psyche: Intimations of New World View. New York: Plume.

Wolf, N. (2007). The End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Press.

I have been at the meeting of the community agency in Palatine, IL, which is known as Community Consolidated School District 15. It is one of the largest elementary districts in the state, and it consists of more than 30 square miles. As it can be understood from the name, the agency is concentrated on the schools. In this way, it has several elementary and junior high schools as well as the alternative public day and preschool. The history of this community agency goes back to 1946, which proves that it manages its work successfully.

The mission of the agency is to produce world-class learners by building a connected learning community (About School District 15, 2015, para. 6). So it is not surprising that the main focus of the meeting of the District 15 was the education of its clients. The meeting included the reports aimed to show how the previously adopted projects were managed and what the results of their work are. The programs beneficial for educational service personnel and those connected with finances gained much attention.

As I have understood from the meeting, the population of the District 15 is rather diverse. It includes the clients from seven communities (Palatine, Rolling Meadows, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, South Barrington, Arlington Heights, and Schaumburg) (About School District 15, 2015, para. 1), who differ in their origin and beliefs. They mostly include the workers of the educational system, students, and their families.

The agency does its best for educators and students to be well qualified and meet (or even excel) the expectations of the community. It makes sure that the schools participate in various activities, which allow the teachers, students and parents to work as a team. It is crucial that the work the agency does contributes to the health of the community. The majority of the reports included the information about the health of the community in financial perspective and in general. Different funds, expected costs and taxes. It was claimed that the educational programs provided the community members with the information about Mental Health Code and sexual health, etc.

The nurses are already involved in the life of the community, and their role is underlined. As the agency focuses on the educational settings, they claimed the school nurses to be responsible for making the clients aware of the crucial health information. Moreover, they are to make sure that the participants of different physical activities (including the mile-long run discussed at the beginning of the meeting) are in a good condition and can take part in them.

I believe that the nurses can play an immense role in the agency as they can monitor the health of the clients. In this way, the nurses can make up a plan of activities needed to enhance the knowledge of the community and improve their health outcomes. They can also help to identify the best way of costs and funds distribution in the sphere of health and life safety. Nurses can offer the plans for improvement of the educational environment.

I believe this meeting to be a great experience, which allowed me to see the connection between the work of the community agency and healthcare at different levels. I realized that the nurses can help their communities to be healthy not only by providing them with the services in the hospitals and healthcare entities and that the communities consider different aspects of life to benefit their clients.

References

About School District 15. (2015). Web.

It should be said that in coherent society a great deal of attention is given to education. Using various means of media, society promotes the belief that it is extremely vital to obtain good education as it could help a person in the future life. It is believed that in the age of rivalry and high tempos, the fact that a person has studied at some prestigious educational establishment could help him/her to achieve success and become prosperous. Additionally, the idea that education helps to obtain the knowledge, which is needed for career and development of a person, is also cultivated. That is why, it is possible to assume that the popularity of the given issue is high. However, at the same time, another fact that contradicts with the popular idea could be outlined. The problem is that along with the promotion of education a great number of young people drop out of high schools, preferring another way for their development. Under these conditions, the question about the main reasons for these dropouts and their aftermath appears.

It should be said that this problem is not new. There has always been a certain percent of students who dropped out because of a great number of various reasons, starting from academic failure end ending with the absence of the desire to continue education. However, under modern conditions, this question obtains especial significance. Various investigations of peculiarities of the given issue in the USA show that the rate of dropouts among high school students from urban areas is high (Chung, n.d.). Nevertheless, the threatening fact is that the shift in the main reasons for dropouts from some personal to political and economic ones could be observed. That is why, the given process could not be taken as unimportant or just as the manifestation of some personal problems of students anymore. One can acknowledge the fact that in terms of the promotion of the interest towards the education and attempt to increase educational standards, the constant increase of the number of dropouts could be taken as the failure of the economic and political aspect of the whole educational sector.

With this in mind, the necessity of the analysis of the given sphere becomes obvious as the problems of the educational sphere and young generation have a great impact on the state of society and could even lead to its collapse. Thus, it should also be said that the problem is also complicated by the fact that students from urban areas leave educational establishments more often than students residing in suburban areas. Besides, nationwide study shows the magnitude of the gap: the average high school graduation rate in the nations 50 largest cities was 53 percent, compared with 71 percent in the suburbs (Dillon, 2009, para. 4). That is why, it is possible to admit the tendency towards the growth of the gap between urban and suburban areas, which indicates the existence of some unique conditions that make students drop out in big cities. There is also another statistics that shows that about 30% of students choose to leave the high school and involve in some other kind of activity (Rumberger, 2001). It is obvious that the problem becomes more and more complicated.

However, talking about the great rate of dropouts, it is impossible not to mention the main reasons for this very process. Traditionally, there are three main groups of reasons, which are school-related reasons (mentioned by 77 percent of students), family-related reasons (34%) and work-related reasons (32%) (Rumberger, 2011). Students explained their desire to leave school by the fact that they do not like it, could not communicate with teachers or just fail to learn (Lund, 2009). Problems within a family or some other private issues were also very often mentioned.

Finally, the smallest part of students decided to leave school because their desire to work. However, nowadays, the shift of the main reasons could be observed. More and more young people drop out of high schools because of the complicated state of finances in their family. Economic reasons also obtain more and more popularity because of the peculiarities of the development of the consumer society as young people are forced to earn money. Finally, students leave schools because they see no perspective in the further studying as it would not help them to obtain the needed job because of the great rivalry and unfair competition. The last reason can also be taken as political one.

Thus, speaking about the economical aspect of high school dropouts, it is impossible to admit the tendency towards the increase of the cost of education, especially in some higher institutions. That is why, very often school graduates are not able to afford college and have to work hard in order to survive. Under these conditions, a certain percent of high school student prefer not to waste time and to leave school in order to find a job and earn some experience that would be helpful in their further life. Resting on these facts, one can admit the shift of the main reasons which make people leave high schools and look for a job.

The current society depends on the state of economy greatly and, that is why, young people realize the necessity and importance of money. Additionally, economy influences the state of households and very often families are not able to afford education for their children and guarantee their studying at college. With this in mind, it should be said that despite the great attention given to the sphere of education nowadays, there is the tendency for the increasing of the cost of educating which leads to the rise of the level of dropouts from high schools.

Additionally, it should also be said that economic reasons should not be taken separately and as the only problem that influences the sphere of education. However, it is vital to state the fact that in some degree economic problems result from some political failures connected with the given sphere. It should be said that policy determines the main ways of the development of the given sphere and outlines some peculiarities according to which it should function. That is why, one can admit the low efficiency of the policy in the given sphere because the level of dropouts increases and more and more potential students prefer to not to obtain education and involve in some other kind of activity (Doll, Eslami, & Walter, 2013).

However, it is also important to show that the education policy is not the only aspect of state policy that influences students. Besides, the general state of the country and society, which is the result of the activity of the government and its policy, also have the negative impact on peoples desire to obtain education. More and more young people become sure that studying at some institutions will not be able to provide some extra opportunities for them. In other words, the government is not able to create the clear and beneficial image of education that will be able to attract young people. Additionally, along with the weak image education comes the absence of the guaranty of the prosperous life for educated persons.

With this in mind, it is possible to state the fact that the current state of the sphere of education and society is not taken as attractive by potential students (Keeping kids in school: What research tells us about preventing dropouts, n.d.). Combination of various political and economic factors leads to the deterioration of the whole idea of education and its necessity. Moreover, high education cost and necessity to work to survive also repel young people from education.

Thus, resting on these facts, it is possible to make a conclusion. It should be said that the nowadays, the rate of dropouts from high schools remains high and there is the tendency towards its increase. However, the reasons that make students leave high school becomes more complicated. More and more young people realize the fact that education could not be the guaranty of a good job and prosperous life and decide to involve in some other kind of activity. That is why, it is possible to state the fact that nowadays, the combination of economic and political factors lead to the appearance of a great number of various problems in the sphere of education which could result in the further worsening of the situation. That is why, some steps to improve the image and prestige value of education should be made.

References

Chung, D. (n.d.). Drop Out rates. Web.

Dillon, S. (2009). Large Urban-Suburban Gap Seen in Graduation Rates. New York Times. Web.

Doll, J., Eslami, Z., & Walter, L. (2013). Understanding Why Students Drop Out of High School, According to Their Own Reports. Sage Open, 3(4). Web.

Keeping kids in school: What research tells us about preventing dropouts. (n.d.). Web.

Lund, C. (2009). Why are students dropping out of school? Web.

Rumberger, R. (2001). Why Students Drop Out of School and What Can be Done. Web.

Rumberger, R. (2011). Dropping out. Web.

Applying theoretical knowledge to practice is an important condition for developing the necessary skills for future careers. It is very important for students who enroll in business studies. Course in business help developing knowledge and skills in accounting, economy, marketing, management, and finance. Students who are provided with the opportunity to train their skills practically perform better in their future careers.

Meinders School of Business offers its students participate in one of the best Business Simulation Strategy Games that place them in the virtual business environment, and let them apply their knowledge in a simulated real-life business situation.

The coursework I have taken during the Meinders School of Business (MSB) program, as well as other experiences, provided me with a great opportunity to get sufficient and effective professional training in financial principles and practices, as well as other fields to work in the area of financial control. The course aims to educate socially responsible leaders who can work efficiently in the global economy.

The advantage of the course that I have taken is that it provides students to engage with the business community. We were able to be involved in work with the local government. An essential part of the teaching-learning process was an engagement with different regulatory agencies. During the course, I participated in the GLOBUS simulation game that helped me manage an online company in the camera industry. The focus of the game is on a competitive business strategy.

Participating in the game through team involvement allowed me to enhance my business performance, practicing in strategic decision making, develop skills of strategic thinking about the company and its performance; I also practiced to deal with labor, product, and financial markets. GLOBUS simulation experience gave me the possibility to learn more about the challenges, strategies, and realities of the corporate strategy. Thus, I was able to develop the necessary knowledge and skills, as well as abilities to make effective management decisions and regulate the work of the company from a perspective of the global environment.

Experience, knowledge, and skills that I have developed during the MSB program coursework and participating in the GLOBUS simulation game was very valuable for my future career and influenced the choice of my specific career goals and objectives. As my major is finance, I would like to work in the bank as a bank manager, or investment analyst. These jobs presuppose working with customers and business companies.

To succeed in these fields, I should develop analysis and numeracy skills, as well as know all the aspects of the management of companies. Thus, my career goals and objectives are: enhance my knowledge and resources in the field of finance to grow as a professional, be satisfied with my job and perform well to get a considerable promotion in my career within 5 years or so; get a second career in management or economics, gain experience to be highly professional in the field of finance and be employed as a consultant by some other company.

The course and participation in the simulation game helped me understand the components and mechanics of working in the field of business and finance. As we were engaged with teamwork, I managed the ability to of teamwork which is very important for my future career. It also helped me define my future career goals and objectives.

Introduction

Over the years, the disengagement of the Aboriginal students with school education has been a matter of serious concern. In fact, various studies reveal that &majority of Aboriginal students are attending school but it is their level of engagement in schooling that is the critical issue (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 96).

However, a number of initiatives have been taken in the form of policies, programs and services to address the critical issue.

Recent initiatives designed to redress aboriginal disadvantage through schooling

Some of policies formulated in the recent past to improve the learning outcomes of Aboriginal students at all levels is discussed below.

The first New South Wales Aboriginal Education Policy (AEP) was formulated in the year 1982 by the Aboriginal Education Unit of the New South Wales Department of Education. The primary intentions were imparting education to the Aboriginal students, encouraging the participation of the communities in various decision-making processes and providing culturally aligned teaching. This policy underwent further modification in 1996 to incorporate the importance of assessing student learning outcomes at all levels (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 35).

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy of 1990 emphasized on the concerted effort of all Australian governments & towards educational equity for Aboriginal Australians (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 35). This policy was revised in the year 1995 to formulate the National Strategy for the Education of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1996-2002 with 21 long-term goals and objectives (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 35).

Apart from government policies, a number of initiatives, services and programs have been undertaken which have created a great impact on the school education imparted to the Aboriginal students. These have been supported by various funding programs monitored by the Aboriginal Programs Unit like Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Program (IESIP), National Indigenous Literacy and Numeric Strategy (NIELNS), Vocational Education Guidance for Aboriginals Scheme (VEGAS) and Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS) (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 37).

Some of the programs undertaken with the help of IESIP funds include:

1. Aboriginal Targeted Funding Program aimed at providing funds to the School Education Areas from IESIP funds (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 40).
2. Cultural funds of $5000 imparted to all School Education Areas to facilitate Aboriginal cultural experiences (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 40).
3. Aboriginal Student leadership Programs with the aim of facilitating the growth of leadership qualities in Aboriginal students (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 40).

Some of the programs undertaken with the help of NIELNS funds include:

1. Otitis Media Strategy to facilitate an understanding of the usefulness of Otitis Media and services among teachers and parents (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 41).
2. Home to School Transition Program designed for Aboriginal students with no access to pre-school (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 41).
3. Bidialectal Approach to Teaching Standard Australian English aimed at helping the teachers understand Aboriginal English and improve students understanding of the language (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 41).
4. Numeric Strategy to enhance the numeric skills of Aboriginal students.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be stated that, Our Story, Telling IT program aims at helping the Aboriginal students, teachers and Aboriginal Education Assistants in curriculum development. Additionally, Employment and Career Development Programs is developed as a priority employment and transfer program for Aboriginal teachers (NSW DET & AECG 2004, 41).

Reference

NSW DET., & AECG., 2004. Support for Aboriginal education. Sydney: NIELNS.

The success of the various initiatives taken to deal with the subject of student disengagement with schools is dependent on a number of factors. Some of the factors that work both for and against the Aboriginal Policies are as follows:

1. Encouraging the community members in the decision-making regarding Aboriginal education. Although, the community members can provide valuable inputs regarding the community, they may lack the necessary experience and expertise in administrative, educational and pedagogical issues to help in the effective decision-making process (Sara 2003, 2).
2. Employing indigenous teachers and indigenous staff in the schools. Involving indigenous teachers and teacher aides in the school proceedings is important as they have a better understanding of the children and the community at large. However, it has been seen that in most of the cases, they have little or no say in the functioning or strategic directions of the school (Sara 2003, 10).
3. Creating a positive school culture. This is important in developing the self-identity of Aboriginal children and eradicating any negative perceptions they have about themselves. However, for the Aboriginal children, there is no continuity between the culture at school and the culture they have at home or in the community. The challenge lies in deciding whether the culture of the school should be aligned with that of the community (Sara 2003, 7).
4. Selecting the appropriate medium of instruction. This gives rise to a possible dilemma. The various policies emphasize on the need of using both the Aboriginal language as well as English as mediums of instruction. In case of using an Aboriginal language as the medium of instruction, the challenge lies in finding Aboriginal teachers who have a strong command over the language (Sara 2003, 10).
5. Incorporating relevant and stimulating curriculum content. Most of the instruction materials used in Aboriginal schools are a reflection of mainstream culture and language as they come from mainstream publishers. If culturally relevant instruction materials are to be incorporated into the school curriculum, they need to be designed by relevant experts. The problem lies in the fact that the number of suitably trained Aboriginal teachers is pretty less (Sara 2003, 10).
6. Training provided to Aboriginal teachers. Firstly, most of the Aboriginal teachers may not fulfill the essential requirements for university entry. Moreover, different communities have different ways of life which may influence the manner in which training is imparted to them. The challenge lies in ensuring uniformity in the teaching standards of Aboriginal teachers (Sara 2003, 10).
7. Enabling the student access indigenous role models with the aim of developing their self-confidence. It is always nice to have a visit from the big-time flash role models and get the children glowing (Sara 2003, 9). However, the problem lies in the fact that there are very few indigenous role models to be emulated. Moreover, selection of the role models is dependent on the impact it creates on the students.

The overall scenario on the issue is improving over the years and it looks that it would continue to improve. However, there must be constant monitoring of the developments and timely interventions are required when needed.

Reference

Sarra, C., 2003. Schools and Diversity: Education for All. Deakin West, ACT: Australian College of Educators.

Introduction

After-school programs are prearranged course of study which request the participation or presence of the students to be involved in an occurring, encountered, experienced and observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure outside the classroom programs. However, such programs are implemented by tertiary institutions while some are outwardly financed by non-profit or an organization relating to commercialism.

Consequently, the after-school programs take place in either the school premises or within the community, for example the community hall, recreational park, playing ground etc.

Nevertheless, the activities are the fundamental assumptions from which the program is begun, developed, calculated or explained in a parental approach which is patent by the effort of the parents to cultivate the youths talents through pre-arranged free time activities, thereby affording the youths with knowledge of the ability to lead and the act of transacting within or between adults (Mahoney, Larson, and Eccles 45). However, to so extreme degree the children are thought by advocates to be more productive and fortunate later in life. On the other hand others believe excessive activities to give evidence of over parenting.

This research paper substantiates and proposes that the board of education with the town of Cheshire CT should offer more after-school programs free of charge to kids from 1st grade  8th grades due to the benefit which the program has on the children positively and how it helps out the parents.

The research carried out in Connecticut showed that, of the 622,445 school-age children in the state, 172,417 children are responsible for taking care of themselves, while the other 112,663 children in the state participate in the after-school program and the last batch of 168,228 children would like to participate in the program if only there was a free program of such (Afterschool alliance, America After 3pm, 2009).

Further research on why the children do not involve in after-school programs in the state shows that due to the parents financial instability and the high rate being charged by most of the profit-making organisations.

In line with this, Christopher Dodd, a member of the U.S. Senate quoted that the average parents misses eight work days in a year because of the absence of after-school program&therefore developing after-school program is not just a good investment, but a smart investment.

However, with such quotes from a notable citizen the educational board is urged to implement a free after-school program in the community for the benefit of the children, parents and community as well.

On the other hand, Children, parents and the community gain in quantifiable ways from the afterschool program. As opposed to the children spending time unaccompanied or in unsupervised activities, the program offers a protected haven where children can discover and construct strong, optimistic relationships.

Accordingly, with the recent research carried out, on the performance standard and testing of the children in the low grade class, it has proven that with the attendance of after-school programs for the kids in the 1^st grade  8^th grades, leads to the development of their academic and social skills.

However, since the children are the future of every nation and the determinant of the reshaping of a nation, there is much necessity in the acquiring of a better and purposeful academic and moral life which are some of the benefits of the after-school program or activities, therefore this is a medium of urging the board of education within the town of Cheshire CT to offer a free of charge after-school programs to kids from 1st grade  8th grades. Consequently, with the exorbitant fee being charged by most after-school program coordinators, and the willingness of the educational board with the town of Cheshire CT on the implementation of a free program or process on the debated issue, the less fortunate or low class youth will have the advantage of benefitting from the program, because research has established or strengthen as with new evidence or facts on educators anxiety that children who are not supervised or under constant observation during the after-school hours can experience an array of unenthusiastic developmental results, particularly when the children come from non financially safe or secure circumstances.

Importantly, attending after-school program affords children from low-income families with right of entry to the kind of enhancement activities that middle-class children naturally experience (Hofferth & Jankuniene, 58).

Typical activities of the program

Significantly, in company of the influence of classroom programs on the kids academic change, after-school programs differ in accordance with their beliefs, objectives, and programming. Many programs carry on an institution of providing protected environment for the children to have fun. Though, such leisure programs have a tendency or disposition to draw attention to sports activities. Furthermore, other programs centre on academics by helping in tutoring of school subjects and by supporting with completion of assignments. Hence, the provision of the opportunity to build up talents and interests in activities such as music, arts, dancing, sciences and crafts works. Moreover, most of the after-school programs take place between the hours of 3pm and 6pm immediately after-school hours, thereby helping working parents with the taking care of their children before the closure from work.

In addition to this, the incentive for children partaking in an after-school program is because the parents are working and very busy to supervise their children and wish that the children are supervised (Mahoney, Larson, and Eccles 45).

Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report noted that advocates believe that if the children are not supervised, they tend to partake in criminal or detrimental activities such as smoking, taking of drugs, smoking and illicit sexual activities. Accordingly, the increase in violent crimes takes places between the peak hours of 3 and 5pm, immediately after-school hour, hence the avoidance of such danger.

Conclusion

The children in the 1st grade  8th grades have a radically distinctive and without equal set of communal, academic and emotional wants, and after-school interlaces all these together in a successful manner, by the effectuation of educational and attractive activities to support the children. Additionally, after-school program proffers several benefits to the young children, but only if any condition that makes it difficult to make progress or to achieve an objective to participation are separated, and giving the children the opportunity to involve their selves significantly.

Furthermore, after-school program gives the children the opportunity of choosing or selecting a wide range of activities, thereby attracting or delighting them in activities which will enhance their knowledge, and supporting the act of meeting for social purposes with their mates. Consequently, such programs also offer the possibility of enhancing the childrens ability towards learning (Alexander, 2000) inclusive of impacting the knowledge of music, computers, art, reading for joy, and writing (Hynes, OConnor, & Chung, 2000; Vandell & Shumow, 1999).

Works cited

Afterschool Alliance America After 3 PM. (2009). Web.

Alexander, David. The learning that lies between play and academics in after-school programs. Wellesley, MA: National Institute on Out-of-School Time. (2000). Web. Web.

Hofferth, Sandra. L., & Jankuniene, Zita. Life after-school. Educational Leadership. Champaign IL. : ERIC Clearinghouse. 2001. Print.

Hynes, Kathryn, OConnor, Susan, & Chung, An-Me. Literacy: Exploring strategies to enhance learning in after-school programs. Wellesley, MA: National Institute on Out-of-School Time. 1999. Web. Web.

Mahoney, Joseph L., Larson, Reed W., & Eccles, Jacquelynne S. Organized activities as contexts of development: extracurricular activities, after-school and community programs. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2005. Print.

Vandell, Deborah.L. & Shumow, Lee., After-School Child Care Programs, The Future of Children: When School is Out. Vol. 9, Num. 2. David and Lucile Packard. 1999.

A classroom is generally a structure erected to shelter students and/or teachers who are in the process of learning or teaching. A group of these structures coupled with students and teachers constitutes a school. Mapleton is such a school, whose beauty surpasses words. This school is miles ahead of the rest in terms of nurturing a class environment that appears conducive for studies. This has been realized following the pattern employed by the students in the process of tackling their assignments; the content of materials pinned on the glass walls and ceilings, and the study equipment present, among others.

Mapleton High School bears an informal climate of the rooms. This is according to Mapleton Local Schools (2010), where the students share their views regarding a certain subject or topic. It has been observed that the students in this school cooperate with their teachers. This is illustrated through the English teacher, who allows the students to participate in the process of answering the question she raises. It turns out that, the students do most of the talking since they are allowed to discuss their views before they present them before their teacher. Based on these descriptions, the climate is nurturing because allowing students to participate induces an atmosphere that captures the attention of the students. However, the students performance in the single subject given; English, is subject to clarification. It is not clear whether the prevailing classroom climate favors all the subjects or it favors the English subject alone.

Projects, discussions, lectures, among other methods, validate Mapleton High School as a center of excellence through the way they dominate in the various classes. For instance, Ms. Valko begins her class by allowing students to present their assignments before the class, which they had previously done in groups. This gives the students a chance to research their assignments so that they can understand and apply what they have been taught in class. Therefore, Mapleton High School students do not copy from each other because all of them are equipped with knowledge from their researches. Other methods can also boost the schools performance like the method of interview, where the teacher poses questions relating to his/her previous teachings. This can be done either to an individual or a group of students. The teacher then identifies the necessary adjustments he/she need to make in boosting the understanding of the students. Finally, the description of Mapleton School pictures all the attributes of a performing school. It is big and clean to the point as the overall climate suggests.

In conclusion, Mapleton High School is an excellent, good enough school. The evidence for this appears, not only in its beautiful and visually appealing environment (Mapleton Local School, 2010) but also through its performance. For instance, Ms. Valkos class performance in English is quite commendable. I have learned a lot from this elementary school that I did not know before. For instance, I have learned that a variety of methods of teaching like discussions, projects, and presentations need to be introduced to students if any school wishes to excel like Mapleton High School. Mapleton School is different from the rest in that, it bears unique clean buildings and a good environment unlike other schools, whose appearance is scary. Moreover, its good performance separates it from the rest. Given an opportunity as either a teacher or a student, I would feel extremely in a world-class school, where students cooperate, are willing to perform well, and whose interaction with their teacher induces the urge for success, not only for the students but also for the teachers. Mapleton School is a school that all would wish to be.

Reference

Mapleton Local School. (2010). Web.

Introduction

The trivialization of school in the present educational organization for teens has been posited in the public; however, it is one vital issue that is being debated on lately.

Is it really right for schools to be abolished from the teens system of education? This question has been a vital issue in the present age educational structure. According to research carried out by many educational researchers lately, it was discovered that the two-year schooling scheme is irrelevant and obsolete in the educational structure for teens, and should be abolished from their system of education or scheme of learning.

Under contemporary rules of the management of public affairs and human capital formation, limitless faith in mass schooling has swept across the earth. But at times families do not share this religious feeling of great warmth and intensity for education, or other demands, such as for the labour power of their children, impinge on demand for schooling. This, consecutively, results in difference in educational success, reinforcing inequalities across ethnic groups and social classes (Fuller, 2006).

Botstein once argued in his book Jeffersons Children that the American schools are obsolete. In detail, the dissemination that the current method of education has entirely strangled the scheme is an important issue which has to be scrutinized critically.

The public analysis on this matter is far-off from the mainstream. Besides this, the suggestion of eradicating this scheme in education has emancipated teachers recession, thereby, rises of unemployment in the teaching industry. Nevertheless, the recent innovation is due to the archaic system being practiced in the dissemination of knowledge into the teens. In addition to these points, the public has to understand that teacher cannot be everything to all simultaneously. Additionally, anyone who decides to take teaching as a profession should understand that they have embarked on a psychologically treacherous profession. Nonetheless, the public should comprehend that personal success depends on whatever is disseminated by the teachers into the young minds, because teens absorb whatever is being propagated into their minds, hence reverberating these metaphors across the ages.

The teachers conversely are the models of creativity in the flexible minds of future leaders.

Responsibilities of a teacher

In the first chapter of the book on being a teacher titled why are we here? What is the job that we are being asked to do? By Jonathan Kozol, he expatiated that painstaking teachers who have researched the foundation of open education is confronted with choice making (Kozol, 2009, p.3).

He further stated that with all sincerity in themselves and colleagues, public school is now regarded as outmoded and barbarous. This thought, according to him is both observable to students and the teachers alike, but the students inhabit in it for a short period, while the teachers are condemned to it. Pursuant to teachers condemnation, they live and work as intellectual guerrillas strong-minded to stimulate students, ignite their inquisitiveness, and to open their minds, yet reluctant to stay behind in their profession. Together with this, teachers put their personal obligation in mind (Kozol, 2009, p. 3).

Apparently, Kozol stated some of the measures guessed by teachers in freeing from inability and disinterest. Consequently, the logical step taken is to deconsecrate schools into outwardly irreversible place of esteemed value of social order. He further noted many ways of opening the issue in complete observation of the class, which he believed can be attained by the quotation of many respected peoples word, such as Horace Mann who was diffident in articulating the real utility of public schools. Nonetheless, he also provided some other ways of embarking on this which he conscientiously noted that has exposed their assumption of public schools as adults. Additionally, the best way of achieving this is by disseminating the purpose to students through dialogue as recommended by Doris Lessing (Kozol, 2009, p.4). Finally, there is no deceit of learning to be a responsive, affectionate or sympathetic person.

Furthermore, Kozol, stated that, students are to be taught to speak in a polite and understandable approach, and if in any way the word comes out as rude or impatient, the teacher is at liberty to correct the student (Kozol, 2009, p.10). Additionally, it is inaccurate to epitomize a students intolerable conduct, since they impact more ideas into a dormant brain.

Consequently, we are made to understand that teachers are also human beings with feelings and wishes. They too are free to articulate their expressions freely as they wish to. They are allowed to express amusement, weep, show anger, hurting, nervousness or fear openly when there is the need to (Kozol, 2009, p.13).

In as much as teachers are to keep and support their professional standards and behaviour, one wonders if they are allowed to weep or even sigh before the students, like in a situation where a teacher knocks his knee at the edge of table and starts bleeding, is he not human enough to stop whatever, he was doing and attend to himself? This tells us that the teachers are also human and needs to be attended to where the need be. As a result of this, students learn to express themselves by depending on what they learn from their teachers (Kozol, 2009, p.13).

This should be done often and freely, with much love to enable the students learn how to struggle individually either in the future or at any point of their life.

Nevertheless, in the third chapter of his book, Kozol talked about conflict resolution. He noted that the teachers rarely openly state the truth when their students mode of expression is wrong. Additionally, he asserted that confrontation is perceived as a result in every case. He advised that we need to know both how to learn, listen and understand children to avoid unnecessary confrontations. Kozol further stated that an extreme reaction to an extreme ordeal is not only healthy and intelligent at times, but also very often the sole ethical response of honourable people in the face of human pain (Kozol, 2009, p. 17)

Extremism is said to be a deceptive phrase, as it convinces students on believing that one should just be in the middle (Kozol, 2009, p.16).

Why Schools must be abolished

Epstein in his interview with Leon Botstein on why high school must go emphasized on the disadvantages of culture on the teens, somewhat that it crafts some irresponsibility in them (Epstein, 2007). According to him, he said that the public believes the teen years are a time of storm and stress. To supplement this, he said people are of the view that the teens are naturally unskilled and irresponsible, hence, the compulsion in urging them to learn because without education, their future will be jeopardised in that they will only indulge in menial jobs. They insisted that they need protection and training at all cost, hence, confining them to some socialization and basic amenities (marrying, drinking of alcohol, smoking of cigarettes) still, they are not allowed to establish their own businesses and bidding for tenders or contracts (Bhatti, 1999, p.205; Epstein, 2007).

Interestingly Botstein in his own perspective contradicted all these assumptions about teens and gave his view on why schools should be abolished. Botstein is of the view that children are as competent as adults and talented to learn exciting things. Additionally, he said that schools should be abolished because it degrades the teens, thereby exposing them to the empty world and making them unprofitable with their time.

According to Botstein, he said, the survey research that was conducted by him on the competence of adults with teens proved somewhat, comparable in many ways, because the teens are more dynamic than adults.

He further argued that high school is an infantilizing arrangement, because it fails to nurture the youths when they have the ability of learning, hence failure in meeting their enthusiasm towards learning. Moreover, children should be able to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate authority, therefore enhancing their ability to give relevant answers when questioned.

Additionally, Botstein perspective is that the youths should be taught not to dissipate much of their lives because they are an extension of adulthood. Undoubted of the fact that the teens are naturally competent and that childhood is a time of learning, shaping up morally and developing of self-assurance and quality. However, he emphasized about his view against the institutionalization and segregation of youth by so-called adults.

References

Bhatti, G. (1999). Asian Children at Home and at School: An Ethnographic Study. New York, NY: Routledge.

Epstein, R. (Interviewer) & Botstein, L. (Interviewee). (2007). Why High School must go.

Fuller, B. (2006). Childrens Lives and schooling Across Societies. Research in Sociology of Education, Volume 15, 231-237.

Kozol, J. (2009). On being a teacher. Oxford, England: One world Publications.