Dear President-Elect Barack Obama: Education Needs Your Help

Dear President-elect Barack Obama,

First of all, I'd like to congratulate and welcome you as the President-elect of the Unites States of America. I am excited to see what changes you will help bring to America. I realize you cannot do it alone. The American people must come together as one. That is why I am writing you this letter. This is one of my efforts toward change.

Many people are posting their opinions throughout the media, both online and off and probably also at your website, Change.gov, for which I applaud you. With the economy in the state it's in, it doesn't surprise me that people are sharing their thoughts everywhere. However, I'm going to talk about another important issue. For one thing, economy is not my specialty and I feel this other issue is also of utmost importance.

As you know, education in America is lacking in many areas. There are many issues that need to be addressed concerning the way schools are currently operated. It is evident to me that you also are passionate about education, so I hope you get the chance to see this.

I read your education plan, and I can tell there was a great deal of thought and research put into it. In fact, I read everything at BarackObama.com/issues/education several times throughout your campaign, including downloading and reading all the available pdf documents. I am a mother to many, so education is a high priority for me.

Even if I weren't a mother, I realize that without good education, the future of our country is at peril. If our children are not learning properly, who will be smart enough to operate all levels of this country in the future? This is part of why my children now receive their education at home.

First, here are some of the many issues of education that I agree with you on:

In your K-12 Education Plan, it is stated that reform of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act is needed. I couldn't agree with you more. When my children attended public school, I noticed that many students who needed help struggled to keep up with the class with little or no help, while gifted students struggled to stay on task, due to boredom. NCLB seems to leave every child behind except those who are exactly median in progress.

Also, in this plan, you mentioned you would make math and science a priority. I agree with this decision because, as I stated in another article on your education plans, it has been proven that 15-year-olds in this country do worse on average in science and math than kids of the same age in 30 different countries.

I also support your efforts toward early childhood education, teacher recruiting initiatives, teacher reward programs, re-evaluation of standardized testing, the focus on the high school dropout issue, the affordability of college and greater parental involvement. I can't tell you how many times I've come across an 8-year-old who still can't read.

I've also witnessed teachers who put forth less effort than others and parents who don't even know what their children are learning in school. I believe most teachers and parents do care and mean well, but some clearly need the type of focus and initiatives you have mentioned. Also needed is a revitalized system of how schools of education are operated.

In your Education Reform Fact Sheet, a focus on technology was mentioned. I completely agree technology should be a big focus. Not only do technological advances allow for unique ways to learn, but they also give children and young adults the education and experience they will need out in the world.

One way I have heard that technology-based education working is through United Streaming, a way for children to view streaming educational videos on demand in the classroom. The extensive video library includes curriculum in all core K-12 education subjects, making a great supplemental resource and an extra way for the children to absorb the required knowledge.

There really is only one problem I had when reviewing your education plan.

I saw that you plan on making all schools of education accredited. Your plan is not specific on stating whether this means public schools, private schools, home schools, a combination thereof or all of the above. Yes, I am a mother who chooses to homeschool her children. However, it may be surprising to some that this is not the main reason accreditation issue concerns me. It would be easy enough for me to get certified and register my homeschool.

Accreditation of all schools might mean that there would be a stricter modicum of standards. This can be good in some instances but not in all. Holding everyone to the same standard can sometimes motivate those who are behind a little bit. With standards, there are many children who will exceed them and there are also many children who will fall behind them. There also are varied methods of teaching, varied curricula and there is no one correct method of learning that works for all students.

Even though it was not my only reason, I do still need to address the homeschool aspect of the accreditation requirement. If all schools are required to be accredited, which I don't believe they should be (if it holds back creativity and innovations from the teachers), then I believe home schools should be left out of that process. This is not because I'm a homeschooling mother, but because of the evidence that home schools are operating just fine as they are with no accreditation.

In fact, one large study posted on the HSLDA shows that, on average, homeschooled students score well above both public and private schools, regardless of whether one or more parents are certified teachers or not. In fact, in that study, teacher certification slightly lowered test scores for homeschoolers. That is not to say that teachers are not respected or that their credentials don't mean anything, just that certification and accreditation are not always indicators of a good school. A good school is one in which learning is evidenced, whether that school is accredited or not.

Sources:

1) Personal Experience

2) BarackObama.com

a. http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education

b. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/education/Fact_Sheet_Education_Reform_Speech_FINAL.pdf

c. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/CollegeAffordabilityFactSheet.pdf

d. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/PreK-12EducationFactSheet.pdf

3) Associated Content

a. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1164223/united_streaming_discovery_education.html

b. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1011774/my_views_on_the_educational_plans_of.html

c. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/602673/does_barack_obama_support_homeschool.html

4) HSLDA

a. http://www.hslda.org/docs/study/rudner1999/Rudner2.asp