The State of Secondary Education in the United States

Education in America is underfunded, that much we know. Teachers are paid a slave's wages in some cases, and are expected to basically "raise" their students as if they were their own. And what do they get for their efforts? I not-so-satisfactory approval from the general public.

As a former middle school and high school teacher, I know first hand how much pressure a teacher can be under. Given the task of being a part-time mother to 200+ students throughout the course of a school day can really take it's toll. Some days you just don't know if you'll make it to the end.

The truth is that today's high school aged youth are far better prepared for life after high school than in recent years. Sure, we can say that technology and the Internet are partly responsible, but it goes beyond that. Teachers are far better prepared to not only teach their lesson, but to also manage time as well as their classrooms. It seems every year the state is making in harder and harder to become a teacher. There are way more certification tests and hoops to jump through than ever before.

There have been many articles written saying that public education is going down the tubes and our children's education is suffering as a result. I disagree with general statements that bash public education. Now, I don't work in the inner city schools, nor do I work with a large population of underprivileged children. So, I am not necessarily exposed to that facet of public education. I work in a large suburban high school of nearly 4000 students. What I see on a regular basis is nothing short of outstanding. The vast majority of our students are being properly prepared for post-high school life and excel in their studies. There are, however, students that don't take education seriously and give a bad image to what we try and do at our school.

Now, let's take a look at another reason why I believe U.S. public education as a whole is getting better. Not a year goes by that I don't hear about state colleges and universities raising their freshman admission standards. I've seen schools raise their minimum ACT composite score from a 20 to a 22 in a period of 3 years. Folks, 2 points on a composite score is a huge difference. Just ask anyone that scores in the 30's! Not only that, but many schools are getting a much better pool of applicants that have great ACT scores, GPA's and class ranks. This type of influx in credentials from applicants allows a school to raise their standards from what they once were. Then, the school helps themselves out by raising their graduation rate, making it easier to reel in some of those prospective students that would've looked elsewhere for a what they considered a more "academic" college.

Additionally, some of the top tier schools have been denying students who, in the past, could have gotten in without a problem. These "trickle down" students are now turning to other colleges that will accept them, thus making it harder for the average to above average student to get into the "middle of the road" school. As a whole, we've seen things get really competitive in college admissions in a relatively short period of time. I think we can give public education some credit here.

These are just a few reasons why I think that our teachers in this country do a tremendous job. It's not the most lucrative job, and it isn't for the faint of heart. But, before we go bashing our education system, let's try and take a walk in a teacher's shoes before we pass judgment.