Equal Education

Education within the United States has made radical changes over time. From schools originally derived based on populous, to the complex government mandated program that it is today; opportunity that education brings, has shaped the lives of many families. Equal opportunity for education is essential for the nation to provide services and learning opportunities to all students. Every child deserves the right to education.

In the early 50's, schools were segregated by color. Providing African American's an educational platform was a huge step in the right direction for the nation, however, still not a equal. When segregation was deemed unconstitutional and students were intermingled, the students were offered equality for education because they were sharing the same information, teachers, and opportunities of their peers, regardless of color.

In today's society special needs students or at-risk students are perceived amongst a stereotype as individuals that don't need the same opportunities as others. This negative stereotype is false of course, since special needs students are not always individuals that do not have the capacity to care for themselves. Some special needs students have mild autism that still allows them to streamline into a "normal" classroom with the diligence of parents and teachers to help provide these experiences. Every child deserves the chance to have a proper education.

At risk students are often labeled as being too difficult to teach, yet we see true stories adapted into films of how a teacher wants to help others and provides students with opportunities that they'd never seen before, simply because they were labeled at-risk. Sometimes all a student needs is a little love, someone showing them that they care about them and their life -- the progress that they can make in school, and encouragement to do well. Deep down, we all yearn for approval of others and many times the students that are labeled at-risk have had circumstances dished to them that they have absolutely no control over and they just need help to redefine their efforts in education.

Often at-risk groups are coming from homes with a very low income bracket or socio-economical environment. Title I services are available to schools that meet requirements for additional funds that provide resources to assist these students to succeed. The funds help provide extra monies for before and after school care, lunch, books, and other supplies. Funds are also used for adequate materials in the classroom, curriculum, teachers, and guidance. The Title I program has vastly improved the education quality of students that otherwise were lacking these resources and services. The schools that receive Title I funds are also accountable to the government for showing how these funds are utilized in their school to better their educational standards and quality. (Webb)

As our nation has grown, schools were becoming inundated with an influx of students. Many of these students were falling through the cracks due to the fact that every state had their own mandates on compulsory attendance, testing, and curriculum. To make improvements the development of the No Child Left Behind Act started. (Edley). In its fifth year presently, the No Child Left Behind Act has much controversy over topics specifically related to testing and special needs students. However, the program is continually being re-evaluated and adjustments administered to benefit the states. Unfortunately, every state takes into its own hands how they want to implement the requirements of the act, which eliminates any uniformity amongst the states for academic purposes. This can be challenging when students move from one part of the country to another.

Something that I was unaware of that I learned in one of my interviews is that originally the states chose a percentage for the first year that they wanted their schools to improve. In the state of Florida, they chose a high percentage of thirty. While a thirty percent improvement was definitely achievable and possible to do -- this percentage set the standard for how the schools would improve every year the No Child Left Behind Act was in place. So, schools that do not meet the thirty percent goal are considered lacking in a specific area as it relates to the No Child Left Behind Act. Over a five year period, this equates to an increase by 150%, which is significant. While having a high standard is important, having a goal year after year that is hardly attainable is a burden to teachers and schools that do work hard for success.

In conclusion, students have great opportunities in today's society with equal opportunities for education. The nation has paved the way for all individuals the right to an education and accommodates individuals with special needs and students that are at-risk to ensure equality.

References

Webb, Dean. (2010). Foundations of American Education, (Sixth ed), Merrill. Upper Saddle River, NJ.

Woolman, D. (1996). South Asian Leaders Look Forward: The Link between Regional Development and United Nations Sponsored School Reform Programs. Retrieved from ERIC database.

Edley, C., & Harvard Civil Rights Project, C. (2002). Keeping the Promise of "No Child Left Behind": Success or Failure Depends Largely on Implementation by the U.S. Department of Education. Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Oversight Hearing on the Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act. Retrieved from ERIC database.