I’m now beginning the last semester for my Master’s degree. It’s been a long haul to take classes, work on a thesis based on a need of my current students, and teach fourth grade full time.
public elementary school in the bay area
Last week I watched the State of the Union message and was caught by the section that school districts should be helping students so they don’t drop out and instead graduate from high school. I had a hard time, thinking about my school district that was not in the least concerned when I didn’t finish high school as long as I had already completed the basic courses I needed. The district just took me off their records. I wasn’t counted as a “dropout.” I took Adult Ed classes to finish. It was only my family that forced them to let me be part of the graduation exercises.
My students this year are strong and willing to pursue their education. Let’s see what happens when they get to high school. Are they like me who went on to community college, then a four year college, and am now finishing a Master’s degree- in spite of the fact that I hated high school? Or are the high schools changing? Right now, I’m doing my best to make what is on the state standards relevant and interesting to fourth graders.
Then I saw an article in Tuesday’s New York Times that told about exaggerating SAT scores at one well-regarded private college to improve its ratings in the US News annual College Bound manual. Am I supposed to resolve this latest revelation?
Stop worrying about me, the teacher.
Start worrying about the money needed to run the institution of public education. Worry about those kids who aren’t upper or middle class and whose parents are just glad they are going to school much less their SAT score since the parents did not have any education. It’s going to take a long time to change their status.