Everyday Leaders

A Good Teacher is Hard to Find

Gone are the days when teachers get into the field because they have a passion for teaching students because there seem to be so many negatives in the education field in general. Teachers are receiving low pay for the jobs they do, and job security is a big issue as well as so many school districts are forced to fire teachers due to constant budget cuts. Additionally, most schools are packing too many students into classes with not enough resources, which leaves those students that need the most attention in the dust, while the other students are learning just enough to get by.

A good teacher is a precious commodity, and should be treated as such. They should not have to go to work every day worrying if they will have a job from one school year to the next, and they also should be able to teach a class that has just enough students so that every student can receive equal attention.

As they say, “The children are the future”, but what happens when teachers are no longer motivated to do their jobs properly… the students suffer, which does not make for a bright future for any country if students are not learning basic fundamentals which they will need to succeed in life.

Although being a teacher seems to be more stress than it is worth, there are still many teachers that go to work everyday loving what they do. They try to make the best of the situation, and give 100% all of the time. These teachers should be rewarded and praised, because our children’s futures are in their hands.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Education, Student, Teacher

Why You Should Aspire To Be A Great Teacher

Some people are born teachers while others take years to the get the hang of teaching and what it requires. A teacher is essentially a third parent for a child and school a second home for part of the year. You have to love children and understand them in order to become a great teacher. As a teacher you have the power to influence children and make their future scholastic endeavors more positive. The child in turn will remember this for the rest of their lives. And you as a teacher have been memorialized.

When you love the subject you are teaching your enthusiasm for that subject will flow through to your students. This will make them just as eager to learn that subject as you are about teaching it. When a teacher hates a subject, know that your students will pick up on that and that is where you will have the hardest time teaching students. Also be aware that not every child learns on the same level and as a teacher you should embrace all learning levels and not be discouraged by those who may not be getting it.

Recognize your student’s victories, no matter how big or small, but especially the small ones. The student will want to attain a larger victory in order to please not only you but their selves. If you find you have some students struggling, set aside time just for those students to help them better understand. The child will remember your extra help and so will the parents.

Always make yourself available to students and parents. It does not matter if it is phone calls or conferences you should always be there to help your students.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Education, Student, Teacher

The Benefits of Charter Schools

Cities and states are always searching for ways to increase the effectiveness of their education systems. It’s generally accepted that better school systems lead to better cities and states because residents will be better educated and the population will increase as more families move to the area so their kids can attend those schools.

One increasingly popular solution for improving education is the charter school concept. Like traditional schools, they receive public funding, but they’re exempt from some state regulations. Instead, they’re tied to performance mandates, or charters, that they must meet. This goal-oriented approach provides many benefits to the surrounding area’s education system and promotes academic equality for more students.

Choice

Unlike traditional schools that are managed in districts, charter schools are open to all. Using a lottery system, prospective students have a chance of attending the school. Thus, students from poor areas can be educated in more affluent areas.

Diversity

Since students from all areas can attend a charter school, these schools promote diversity. Minorities in impoverished areas have the opportunity to attend better managed schools in wealthier neighborhoods that traditionally may be white.

Specialization

Some charter schools are dedicated to one specific subject such as the arts or technology. Students can improve their knowledge at charter schools that have a special emphasis.

Less Bureaucracy

With less stringent rules placed on the school from the state, charter schools are exempt from the muddled bureaucracy of most public schools.

More Planning

Since charter schools have performance goals that they’re required to meet, they must plan accordingly. That includes planning property management for the school and surrounding environment since a school can only be as good as the area in which it’s located. In a large state like California, municipalities can take a page from Long Beach property management and coordinate school properties like a business instead of government.

Successful education requires choice and proper management, which is what charter schools provide.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Charter school, Charter Schools, Education, Student

Committee for Education Funding

Today in the United States, funding is one of the biggest problems related to education. It’s the root cause of teacher shortages and the bad repetition that the teacher profession holds. The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that works toward the goal of an achieving adequate federal funding for the country’s education system.

Founded in 1969, the Committee for Education Funding is the oldest and largest associations, comprised of a coalition, which exists for the welfare of education. Its purpose is to provide the public and state and federal government officials with the necessary information to enable them to assess the pressing needs of funding for educational programs. The CEF sides on issues regarding federal education and represents the consensus of its membership, communicating that consensus to political officials and Washington.

As a coalition, the committee is voluntary. Members include a wide variety of representatives from educational institutions and associations to preschool agencies and postgraduate organizations. Both the public and private educational systems are included.

The idea is to promote the social welfare of the nation’s school systems and to broaden the awareness of the funding issue. Lack of funds for education in the United States has become more than a social issue, it has become a civil rights issue. The CEF conducts and coordinates research opportunities to collect information to find solutions to the problem. Members of the CEF are provided with valuable information that will help them make more effective presentations to Congress and other government officials.

CEF holds weekly meetings and provides a forum for open discussion regarding policies and problems. It publishes regular updates and sponsors seminars to educate the public on recent policy issues. Congressional and administration staff are briefed throughout the year, and CEF annually honors advocates of federal education investment. To find out more, visit their website at www.cef.org.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Education

NCLB: Giving Parents a Choice in Education

The No Child Left Behind Act opened a world of opportunities for parents and their children. The law gives parents a choice when it comes to public schools. If they are sending their child to a school they fear is unsafe, by law, they have the right to choose another school. In schools where the number of low-income students is high, any parent can take advantage of free tutoring to further improve their child’s academic performance.

Along with a parent’s choice of school, NCLB also supports independent charter schools (schools that blend aspects of public and private education) and, in some cases, funds certain services for children attending private school. For home schooling parents, NCLB provides certain protections. The law assists school districts at local and state levels provide information to parents to better make informed educational choices.

Districts must inform parents if their child is eligible to transfer to another public school. They must give parents all transfer options if more than one exists and they must pay for transportation costs. Low-income families are entitled to supplemental educational services if their child attends a Title I school. These services provide extra help in the form of tutoring or remedial assistance in all subjects.

Another choice under NCLB is the magnet school. Magnet schools attract students from diverse backgrounds and focus on a specific subject and theme. Some require students to take an entrance exam. A similar option is the private school. Many of these are affiliated with religious faiths or, in the case of nonreligious private schools, are geared toward college preparations.

A parent who chooses the home schooling option can gain access to tutors or online educational programs.

Under No Child Left Behind, low-income students living in the District of Columbia may be eligible for up to $7,500 in scholarships to attend private schools.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Parent

NCLB Teacher Qualifications

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), more popularly known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), requires that only qualified teachers be employed by school systems. In order to comply with the law, every local education agency must ensure that teachers in elementary, middle, and high school positions meet specific NCLB requirements.

Teachers must hold at the very least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. They must hold and maintain full state certification and demonstrate competence in the subject they are teaching. No Child Left Behind consists of core academic subjects that must be fully understood by teachers before they can be employed.

Core academic subjects may vary by state, but generally consist of mathematics, biological sciences (chemistry, geosciences, and physics), social studies (history, government, economics, and geography), foreign languages, arts (drama, music, and visual arts), and English, language arts, and reading. Elementary school teachers must individually prove competence in the basic elementary school curriculum.

Local education agencies must give priority to Title I funds combined with any other federal, state, or local funds in the upgrading of teaching staff and educational programs. After the 2006/2007 school year, any teacher hired must have met NCLB requirements or had a plan to become NCLB-compliant by the end of that year.

NCLB classifies teachers into two types: elementary school teachers and middle/high school teachers. Demonstrating competency of subject matter differs in each classification and options for demonstrating competency vary by state.

The No Child Left Behind Act represents a massive overhaul of the nation’s educational system. Its focus is to improve student performance and achievement and bring more accountability to public schools. While teachers are now required to be highly qualified, salaries have generally stayed at a standstill making it difficult to attract and retain well-qualified educators. States can utilize program funds to develop performance-based compensation systems to help alleviate teacher shortages.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Teacher

Military Schools For All

Some parents are making a difficult decision for their difficult to educate children. Many parents are finding that the local public school simply does not offer the curriculum their child needs to be successful. Whether searching for a tougher academic standard or more rigid discipline, military schools are becoming their alternative school of choice for some parents.

Military schools are different from traditional public schools in several critical ways. The primary difference, the military aspect, often scares away some parents and students. It is, the cornerstone upon which military schools are built. They believe that only through strict adherence of rules and regulations can students ever hope to achieve their full potential.

In many instances, military schools also offer more strident academic standards. Like other private schools, they are not bound by the same rules and regulations as public schools. This often means smaller classes, more rigorous standards and a focus on total education instead of teaching to the test. Military schools also typically attract teachers who are dedicated to this educational format, giving students other leg up.

Still, there are some parents who disagree with the rigid formality of military schools. Perhaps there is a compromise, a way to bring the structure and formality of a military school into the public school setting. Finding a way to blend the best of the military schools with the standard public school format may offer students an opportunity to further their education in the most effective way.

In the end, parents and educators, and even government officials, are interested in the same thing: finding the best way to educate our children. Military schools may not be the answer for all of our children but perhaps some of the underlying principles of these alternative institutions could be applied to our public system for the betterment of our students.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Child, Education, Military academy, Parent, Private school, State school, Student, United States

Going Back to School

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Going back to school can mean a better life for you and your family. Not only can you earn more lifetime money than someone who doesn’t have a degree, but you will have more pride in yourself. Your family will also have more pride in you. However, going back to school can be intimidating. There is a lot to consider when making this life-changing decision.

For starters, you must have an idea of what you want to study and then do your research. If it is a business degree you seek then a good place to start is with onlinembarankings.com to see which schools are ranked the best. If you are considering a career in law enforcement, you will want to research pay scales, types of careers and requirements. Like everything else in life, going back to school takes time, commitment and hard work.

Time is a factor also when considering a new college career. Most people have to work full time to make ends meet. In fact, many people work more than one job; especially if they have a family to support. College can take up a lot of your time and money and those are two things to consider before embarking on your college journey. Did you know that some college degrees do not even allow you to hold a job during your final semesters? If you choose law school, it is highly suggested that you focus on your studies and not hold a job during your final semesters. This can be a burden on many people. There are ways to ease the financial burder such as scholarships, grants and loans, but keep in mind that it can still hinder your ability to work due to class schedules, stress and fatigue. The good news is thousands of people go back to college each year and make it work successfully; you can too!

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Back to School, Business school, College Life, Colleges and Universities, Education, Family, Law, United States

Parents and Education

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Parents are the key component of a child’s educational success. Many things contribute to the final outcome of each student’s school record but the most important factor is parental involvement. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act has outlined in detail the requirements that must be met by schools. School standards include annual testing of elementary school students with results that continue to trend positively. Teachers are required to obtain degrees and certifications as outlined by the state and must be considered competent in the subjects they teach. Parental involvement is also addressed in NCLB along with the offer of many resources that parents can use to evaluate the education their children are receiving.

It is important for parents to become active participants in the educational process of their child’s life. Review of the progress report for a child’s school district will provide the statistics of both positive and negative trends within the district. Parents have access to this information and also have the right to request the qualifications of teachers within the district. It is up to each and every parent to take the proactive step of reviewing all information available to them and to create an educational plan for their child based on the schools available and the child’s need.

A parents duties include knowing what a school has to offer. In addition they should establish a good relationship with the teachers that are involved in their childrens education. Providing an education for your child is a process that begins at birth and continues throughout the school years both in the home and outside of it. The educational duties of parents do not end when their kindergarten students attend the first day of school. That day is just the begining of many years of growth that needs the full attention of every parent.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Academic term, Education, Elementary school, No Child Left Behind Act, Parent, School district, Student, Teacher

Education and the Teacher

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Studies have revealed that effective teachers can have a direct impact on the testing scores of their students. This highlights the direct connection of the successful teacher creating a student body that excels in the educational process. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB)act recognizes the connection that effective teacher’s have on the education of our children. Because of the fact that good teachers help to create strong programs, NCLB has included provisions within the act regarding qualifications of teachers. Teacher’s employed in Title I schools must be considered highly qualified. A Title I schools are part of a federal funding program that provides services to schools based on economic need.

To be considered a highly qualified teacher an individual must have obtained a bachelor’s degree, received certification as outlined by the state they are employed in and be competent in the subjects they teach. A student aide involved in the educational process of a Title I school must have an associates degree or two years of college. There are provisions within the act that allow the state to work with experienced teacher who have not yet met the qualifications required. Rural school district teachers who instruct multiple subjects can be competent in one core subject and work toward competency in other subjects.

Each state is required to publish a report card that outlines the current condition of their school districts. These report cards should reflect the qualifications of their teachers including the percentage of teachers that do not meet the “highly qualified” standard and the percentage of those who are teaching under emergency provisional credentials. Substitute teachers are also a part of the reporting process under NCLB. Notification is required when a substitute teacher who is not considered highly qualifed is responsible for a classroom for four weeks or more. The requirements outlined in NCLB make it important for future teachers to become proactive in their career search.

Filed Under: Everyday Leaders Tagged With: Bachelor's degree, Education, Educators, Elementary and Secondary Education Act, NCLB, No Child Left Behind Act, School district, Teacher