What's up with Education, anyway?

Futurama

Education is confusing at any school district, State education departments, and Federal over-sight committees.  Questions range all over spectrum, based on political interest levels.

 All the issues in education are based on Politics, and who controls the money.  No, really, it is just about the money.

Call me cynical, but educational needs reflect political hormone swings, a pendulum of sorts. 

Language acquisition

For over a decade, bi-lingual education was the "flag pole to salute" (political term).  Teachers had the option to meet certification 1) take four college classes, or 2) take a test, essay and fill in the bubble.

This all earned the "B.C.L.A.D.**"certification. Not only that, teachers had a deadline of four years to complete this requirement, or face employment death. **Bi-lingual Cross-cultural Academic Development

It is very important here to acknowledge that the goal of every teacher, is to understand the needs of all students and meet them. 

In less than a year, a growing bi-lingual program was dismantled. Teachers were aghast--killing the sacred cash cow? Money moved to other programs.
  

Bubble in

No Child Left Behind--a national test given faithfully and funded by National funds--was part of the GW Bush legacy.  With this Standardized Testing, districts forced "teaching to the test" onto each teacher.  Nearly every day, students took mini-tests which would hopefully lead to successful scores, making school districts showing progress.

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Here is a preface from an 1889 edition of Illinois and the Nation. This book itself is as dry as sand, but it is an interesting view of expectations in teaching:

So many opinions, disputes, and frustration accompany this topic.  What to do?  What to say?  What to believe? What next?

What do you think? Did education in 1905 go the right direction?

What should schools be teaching in this era?  Are students basically the same, or radically different from students way back when? What should be done now?

My posts nearly always contain some sort of graphic or whatever.  It breaks up the solid wall of words.  When a student faces this wall, shut down may happen.  So, throw in some photos appropriate to text and allow readers to process, then read on.