Status of Education

The education system of today is being challenged more than ever before. Schools are trying to meet needs of a diverse student body that is the most culturally, linguistically and ethnically diverse group yet. The most important goal for our schools today is making sure everyone is achieving the best education they possibly can. Many factors can determine the likelihood of a successful education: learning styles, socio economic status and ethnic background are a few.

According to the article, the United States is one of the most diverse countries in the world. The article also states that 35% of children in elementary or secondary schools are of minority groups and that this rate will increase to almost 51% by the year 2050. Knowing this information, I am of the opinion that we are in need of much reform in order to rise to the level of effectiveness that all of our children deserve. However, it is not as simple as crossing cultural lines to include minority groups; the issue of class also is a part of the big picture. A child in poverty today is a child that can almost expect he or she will have to attend poorer schools with sub par resources along with feeling the weight of burden that financial problems bring.

The article makes it clear that with so many factors such as these, our teachers need to be prepared to meet "the wide range of languages, cultures, exceptionalities, learning styles, talents, and intelligences that in turn requires an equally wide and varied repertoire of teaching strategies". In 2000, within each of the significant areas of teaching prior listed, less than 50% of teachers felt they were prepared to meet student challenges.

I was alarmed that only 32% could meet students' needs from diverse backgrounds and 27% could use technology to educate within the grade or subject they were teaching.

All of these deficiencies are beginning to be dealt with as more and more states are beginning to incorporate academic standards and high stakes assessments to make sure that teachers and schools, as well as students, are held accountable. I agree that universities should develop programs to strengthen the content knowledge of our future teachers. Universities should give future teacher specific ways to assess their students as a check on the adequateness of their teaching.

The part of this article that stuck out the most for me was where it mentioned the effect of preservice