TeachersFirst Special Edition Questions of the Week


.	Open Ended Responses to TeachersFirst Special Edition Questions of the Week- Election Edition 2008	If we have not listed all of your TOP THREE priorities for education change, please tell us what priorities should be included. feel free to make any other comments you wish.
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.		Keep supporting the growth and expansion of the Arts in the school curriculum. As we influence our future employees and citizens we have an obligation to foster creativity,alternative thinking inventiveness and cultural appreaciation and awareness in our students. The Arts are being cut in most schools in order to increase test prep. A generation of test bubble fillers will have no knowledge of Van Gogh, Keith Haring, Georgia O'Keefe, Henry Oswawa Tanner, Classical , Jazz, Blues. Monuments to cultures such as the Great Egyptian and Inca Pyramids, Stone Henge , Cave Art of Lescaux , Falling water, Chrysler Building, Eiffel Tower. Inventors will cease to think in their wonderful far reaching ways. How blank our future will be if the Arts continue to be cut each year.
.		Keep supporting the growth and expansion of the Arts in the school curriculum. As we influence our future employees and citizens we have an obligation to foster creativity,alternative thinking inventiveness and cultural appreaciation and awareness in our students. The Arts are being cut in most schools in order to increase test prep. A generation of test bubble fillers will have no knowledge of Van Gogh, Keith Haring, Georgia O'Keefe, Henry Oswawa Tanner, Classical , Jazz, Blues. Monuments to cultures such as the Great Egyptian and Inca Pyramids, Stone Henge , Cave Art of Lescaux , Falling water, Chrysler Building, Eiffel Tower. Inventors will cease to think in their wonderful far reaching ways. How blank our future will be if the Arts continue to be cut each year.
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.		The topic of school Vouchers would be a great addition to your list of questions.
.		To much emphasis is put on the standardized testing . Schools teach to the test. Missing out on many other things because our school funding is tied to that test. I hear to many kids say they just blow the test off just because, and others are so nervous about it they can't concentrate properly . There has to be another way. I also agree that all schools should have the same amount of funding for the technology . Our school has one computer lab and only one class at a time can use it and if you are a student without and MANY! are without computers at home you are screwed. S.Dobbelaere
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.		This is a TOP THREE "must" for change. 21st Century Learning: Place more emphasis on the Arts: "Investment in the arts is an investment in our creativity and cultural heritage, in our diversity, in our communities, and in our humanity." (2008 Democratic National Platform)
.		Fund the arts
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.		All of the above are desirable components of education reform. However, from the inside looking out (and having taught every grade from prefirst to 12th--in several school districts and multiple school), one of the first things I would do to look at the current number of instructional minutes that are actually misused daily. For example, often I have seen instruction stopped five or ten minutes or more each day to stand in line in the halls waiting for a bell to ring to change classes. That time multiplied over the course of the school year could equate to increased instruction in the classroom versus the proposal to extend the day and impose more rigorous unnecessary demands on the instructional plans in place now. Let's do a better job of what we are doing now before adding more demands. I must add that I don't see these "wasted minutes" as much in high schools as I do in middle, junior high, intermediate, and elementary schools. A loss of five minutes daily can translate into approximately 15 hours of solid instruction in an average school year. I feel that the only videos that should been allowed as shown in classes should be instructional and should be totally relevant to the lesson objectives. I feel that too often "Disney" movies are left for substitute teachers to show in classes when teachers are absent. Personally, in the school where I work, this practice is not allowed. Our faculty is against the practice of using videos as a substitute for quality teaching. However, that's not the case in all schools across the state and country.


.		We must teach students to be lifelong learners, how to synthesis the barage of media in our super-saturated information market. With this much access to information, we need that much more ability to decipher it in a meaningful and useful way. So I guess I am saying we need classes in Learner Strategies: Savvy and Synthesis.
.		We must teach students to be lifelong learners, how to synthesis the barage of media in our super-saturated information market. With this much access to information, we need that much more ability to decipher it in a meaningful and useful way. So I guess I am saying we need classes in Learner Strategies: Savvy and Synthesis.
.		Even though I've already listed four "must" as my top three (Equity in facilities, Stronger Teacher Preparation, More Time in School, and Early Childhood Education) - I'll still add another important element. We need to put the magic back in education and give our young people a reason to be in school. By magic, I mean the arts: visual art, music, drama, dance, etc. Way too often we drop or side line the programs which give meaning to life. Why learn to read, write and compute if you are looking forward to a bland future. Why even stay in school if the days are filled with a constant drumming of lifeless facts. Give our young people a balance so they can experience creativity and beauty. They will pay us back with a beautiful life worth living.
.		In California, there are too many "hoops" that a aspiring teacher must jump through to achieve their dream of becoming a teacher. Politicians "must" make it easier to become a credentialed teacher. All of the requirements that come before you get your clear credential can be placed after a teacher gets their clear credential. Instead of having 6 hour exams for a CTEL, teachers can have 1 day seminars on practical EL teaching skills once a quarter for 2 years. Teachers would get more out of it and be less stressed and frustrated. Teachers pay and job security must go up across the board. It is really sad when a teacher cannot afford a new car. My wife and I are having a baby in November. We currently have a 2 door Honda Civic and we need a 4 door. We cannot afford to buy a new or used car because prices are way too high and my income is way too low. We are also concerned about whether the school is going to go through another round of RIFs (reduction in force). Last year, our distract had to let 40 or 50 teachers go due the state governments inept ability to put a solid budget together. Good teachers lose their jobs because of inept politicians. You say you want to reward good teachers and weed out bad ones. Politicians must be held to the same standard. If they fail to do their job, they must be fired.
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.		Even though I've already listed four "must" as my top three (Equity in facilities, Stronger Teacher Preparation, More Time in School, and Early Childhood Education) - I'll still add another important element. We need to put the magic back in education and give our young people a reason to be in school. By magic, I mean the arts: visual art, music, drama, dance, etc. Way too often we drop or side line the programs which give meaning to life. Why learn to read, write and compute if you are looking forward to a bland future. Why even stay in school if the days are filled with a constant drumming of lifeless facts. Give our young people a balance so they can experience creativity and beauty. They will pay us back with a beautiful life worth living. PS: I altered my selection to only 3 so it would be counted.
.		The Arts need to be taught by certified Arts teachers, not outside providers in NYC.
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.		GET RID OF NCLB.
.		This is a TOP THREE "must" for change! Require smaller class sizes - in all areas - It has been proven that individual attention helps students learn. (twelve!) Focus on the school day and improve what is already in place - don't just pile on additional programs.
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.		More right brain learning---The Arts
.		More right brain learning---The Arts
.		May I ask who proposed your questions? They are very out of touch with the real educational challenges we face today. My priorities would be: 1. Make education in America a priority, over all else! 2. Provide support for families who have to worry where their next meal will come from or who are living in their cars so that the children can focus on learning instead of their families falling apart! 3. Insure that class sizes and supprot aree a reality so teachers can spend more time with the children for whom they are accountable! 4. Put leadership in schools who value educators and support their input! Please read Daniel Pink's book, " A Whole New Mind".
.		One of the choices you did not provide was to provide more time in learning during the actual school day. Currently, classes are often interrupted, children are pulled for other things like band, sports, etc, assemblies are held, and the like. What we need perhaps IS an extended day, with the mornings where learning time is held "sacred" with NO interruptions. Then plan the remainder of the day with related arts, band, other extracurricular options, and extra time help for those in need. The basic learning time would occur regularly with NO interruptions, yet all children would have equal access to the enrichment side of education that is needed, but not at the cost of academic time.
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.		KEEP THE ARTS IN SCHOOLS AS A CORE SUBJECT!!!!!!!!!!! ART, MUSIC, PHYS. ED.


.		One of the choices you did not provide was to provide more time in learning during the actual school day. Currently, classes are often interrupted, children are pulled for other things like band, sports, etc, assemblies are held, and the like. What we need perhaps IS an extended day, with the mornings where learning time is held "sacred" with NO interruptions. Then plan the remainder of the day with related arts, band, other extracurricular options, and extra time help for those in need. The basic learning time would occur regularly with NO interruptions, yet all children would have equal access to the enrichment side of education that is needed, but not at the cost of academic time.
.		One of the choices you did not provide was to provide more time in learning during the actual school day. What we need perhaps IS an extended day, with the mornings where learning time is held "sacred" with NO interruptions. Then plan the remainder of the day with related arts, band, other extracurricular options, and extra time help for those in need. The basic learning time would occur regularly with NO interruptions, yet all children would have equal access to the enrichment side of education that is needed, but not at the cost of academic time.
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.		Change or abolish NCLB and require individual states to do the same. This bill and it's resulting ramifications have been negative and NOT what's best for students and teachers.
.		Reach "at-risk" students and students of poverty.
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.		***I would like to see a mandatory requirement that all children learn the HISTORY of their country throughout their schooling years. Teachers today do not teach HISTORY because they "do not have time." This will undermine our country because students will not know why we developed as a country or the importance of continuing that cause. Also, in learning about the HISTORY of other countries, students will better understand why the choices our fore fathers made were so great.
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.		Fund the arts! Too many schools are cutting their visual arts programs. Children who are exposed to the arts (all the arts) are better problems solvers.
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.		I chose Parent support, technology for all, and accountability as my top choices to improve the quality of public school education. If we can't get parents involved in their child's education we will continue to have children that fall between the cracks and who will not meet standards. We need to make parents understand that they HAVE to be involved and that they are part of a team. We can do that by making sure our parents feel welcomed in our schools and we provide training to give them the tools to be a strong support system. Families also need affordable access to technology. Computers are the future. Some much can be accomplished on computers and our low income families are missing out. We can accomplish this by getting big businesses to donate their computers they no longer use, or by encouraging businesses to partner with schools to help raise funds to buy computers for our families who are low income. Accountability in teaching needs to be there, but it needs to be realistic. One test does not solve all of the problems, nor does NCLB legislation. Instead of punishing schools with sanctions if the school does not meet AYP standards, our government should offer support that is proactive, and helps to find the root causes; parental support, building support, etc. Our public schools are not failing, it is our government for wanting to use strong arm tactics instead of implementing ways that will have a more positive impact on our schools; parents, teachers, students. When our government becaomes a partnership instead of a bully then more positive change will take place. Trust will be at the forefront and once failing schools will begin to thrive. There are thousands upon thousands of great teachers out there doing great things with their students that no test, nor no NCLB legislation can measure.
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.		Stop legislating every minute of the school day. We are the professional educators, not you. Give ALL OF US the quality facilities, tools, equipment, materials, and compensation we need so that we can provide the 21st century education everyone wants ALL American students to have. We don't need you to tell us how to do our jobs; we need you to give us what we need and get out of the way. You are making it worse, not better.
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.		Maintain and increase opportunities for students to learn through the arts. For many students this may be the only thing that interests them and keeps them in school. We need to develop independent, creative thinkers - not test takers to compete in the 21st century.


.		I believe the major issue are the standards! There is a tendency to teach a lot of concepts in lower grades which will never give the students a chance to master a skill and they are passed on year after year being exposed to many things without processing or learning it!! Let students master reading skills in lower grades. Teach them number concepts before teaching them algebra! Put teachers in class rooms instead of long term substitute teachers. Give teaching the prestige it deserves by training teachers well and paying them what they deserve to receive for such a hard job. Reduce the class sizes and enforce learning instead of social promotion in early grades. Use technology as a tool in classrooms. I believe correcting the standards is the top priority since if we teach something and hold the kid accountable in lower grades to learn, then students learn what is meant by learning! Later on, they follow the same path. The problem is from day one, there is no logical cause and effect to be practiced. Reading is a man made process that teaches a student the way human mind logically follows a path to learn an already establlished skill. If they don't get a chance to learn that, they had been eliminated from having a key that would logically open the door to learning. In early school years, teach them and give them time to learn how to read, write, and follow the human kind's logical way of thinking in math too, then they can explore the world with the use of technology themselves later. That one of one teaching/learning experience can not be done by teachers, that should be done by parents! Teach parents what is expected from them. They have to sit next to their child in early ages and help them at home to find the key to reading and writing. What about each parent has to mandatory take a course for this matter! It is doable. You can't replace parents' job by school and teachers. Paying more attention to families and improving parenting as an active partnership with schooling is investing in a healthier society.
.		Technology, Rigor and accountablity are my top 3 although, all are really important
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.		Funding for mandated curriculum so that school districts have enough money to pay teachers fair salaries.
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.		All schools should develop alternative education for those students who really cannot cope with traditional learning even with the new technological aids.
.		Attendance: Find ways to assure that all students who are not sick attend school regularly.
.		Stop wasting tax dollars and ask teachers what they really need by being specific. Each district or school has unique individual needs. It's not "one shoe size fits all" in teaching. In the efforts of rigor, people have forgotten that children need time to be children. Creativity comes from time to relax and think. Today, our children aren't allowed to relax for a few minutes. If there is a second of "down time" it is perceived as a lax curriculum not as time for pondering what has just been taught. Using testing to determine the success of a school gives kids a lot of power. If they decide not to perform, they know they can control the adults/educators in high positions. I think we need another way to evaluate our educational system.
.		Restructure the day!!!! Why would you add length to the day when we can't get kids to come now???? Make three sessions.. session 1 goes from 8 to 12: session 2 goes from 8 to 3: session 3 goes from 12 o 4. Sessions are chosen by kids and parents. We have kids coming to school who hate it and we make them take courses like art, music, etc., and why?? Lazy teachers, principals, and school boards who are also clueless. Grades are inflated and changed to make everyone happy.
.		Not all students intend to go to college. We need more technical/business vocational classes to prepare them for the world of work.
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.		Too much money is thrown at afterschool programs now that are not effective. Lengthen the school day and school year. Make parents accountable.
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.		Encourage schools to provide more planning time for teachers to implement ideas that are already out there and professional development to explore those ideas. We have great teachers and some great ideas to make instruction better and help students learn. What we do not have is enough time to learn about these ideas and enough time to plan for implementation. Treat teachers like professionals and not like employees on an industrial assembly line.
.		SMALLER CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! imagine a teacher can have the time to get to the students!!!! FIRST PRIORITY!!! NOT TEACHER ASSISTANTS!!! TEACHERS!!! IN SMALLER CLASSES!!! thanks for listening...


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.		Support the whole child as learners. Creative solutions, understanding and appreciating different view-points, and ability to process the visual language of our modern culture are valuable tools for our young learners.
.		Support the best students more by acceleration and enrichment so their time in classes is not wasted waiting for those who are not yet ready to advance. Please value ingenuity by rewarding creativity. The United States must develop divergent thinkers in this educaitonal world of standardization.
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.		We need to move beyond an emphasis solely on equity and focus on excellence for all students. We can have both equity and excellence; we need to raise our expectations for struggling students and we need to provide an appropriately challenging education for high-ability students (whose needs are increasingly being left behind as we become concerned only with students achieving proficiency).
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.		Rural schools need to receive enough funding for adequate staff and updated curriculum materials regardless of the per student cost.
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.		Provide free Continuing Education for Teachers to support their engagement with new information, trends and techniques for teaching.
.		integrate and support arts in the schools
.		More emphasis and funding for the arts starting at pre K thru 12 !
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.		Teach MORE real life issues 1) Teach ALL students how to manage personal finances including investments, household budgets, the ins and outs of securing a loan, buying a house, etc. 2) Teach ALL students medical and legal terms so they can understand their personal medical or legal issues. 3) Bring LATIN back into the schools as it is the foundation of the English language. Much of the medical and legal terminology is also derived from this language.
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.		Schools should increase their offerings to gifted students. Gifted students should not have to be bored in classrooms covering material they have already mastered.
.		More funding and options for our brightest students. These students are the ones that will lead the future and we should give them the best options now, so they can do so for our future later.
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.		In reality all of the ideas above should not be a priority but a part of how the school is supported and teachers are supported. Every time a new program is initiated by either administration acting to meet new laws (NCLB)or new programs begun in the school district, teachers are not given enough time for training. We pay for testing too often instead of the same amount of time being spent teaching. In reality testing does not test for important skills for 21st century citizens such as: the four traints of character counts, teaming, life skills, etc.
.		1) develop nationwide access to college and other post-secondary education.....some states have excellent opportunities paid through such things as lottery funds. This should be nationwide, not just limited to the lucky residents of those states. 2) have vocational high schools like those in Europe where students earn certifications in carpentry, plumbing, auto mechanics, etc.
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.		Our colleges are not graduating enough secondary math education majors. Elementary teachers need more math in college and a requirement for a math methods course.
.		Our colleges are not graduating enough secondary math education majors. Elementary teachers need more math in college and a requirement for a math methods course.
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.		Safety of teachers should be a top priority...Perhaps special needs students that are "dangerous" should have an aid with them. we spend so much time refiguring our class time with the special needs students that the rest of the students are getting NOTHING. What about their needs?
.		Fine arts education for all students as a support of other content areas- not as an extra curricular activity
.		Continued support for arts education to improve creativity and acceptance of cultural diversity.
.		1) We are focusing on "higher level thinking" too much in the early years. Our elementary teachers are no longer allowed to teach grammar or spelling. They are not supposed to make the children memorize their multiplication facts. Students are encouraged to "investigate" to learn math on their own. This is ridiculous. Some facts have to be memorized or learned by practice and repetition. High school students feel inadequate because they are expected to know how to write essays without even knowing how to write a complete sentence correctly, and they are expected to solve math problems in algegra, geometry, and calculus when they can't even multiply. Higher level thinking is wonderful, but a student must have a complete grasp of the basics first. 2) Students need to be held accountable for their actions. One school I know of is requiring their teachers to stay after school (for no extra pay) to allow students who did not turn in work during the week to finish their work and turn it in. These students chose not to do their work, but the school district does not want them to receive an F. In reality people are not paid for work they do not do. In reality, you are held accountable for your actions. We build up their self-esteem by giving them false praise and requiring the schools to bend over backwards to make sure they are successful no matter what. What ever happened to EARNING praise and rewards? Students know false praise when they hear it. 3) We need to stop trying to force every student to go to college. Our high schools are full of students who have no intention of going to college. They cause trouble all day long, keeping other students from learning. Some of these students would be very successful in classes training them for an actual job that they could enjoy and earn a good living. We will always need plumbers, electricians, and carpenters (most of these people earn more than teachers with masters degrees). The reason colleges are having to remediate so many students now is not that high schools are not doing their jobs. It is because we are sending many students to college that probably shouldn't be there. Once again, we are dealing with the accountability issue. If you want to go to college, you should work hard enough in school to be prepared for it.


.		We must deal with two issues that are robbing our youth of fulfilling their potential. First is the influence and effects of drug usage and the second is motivation. Many of the students with whom I work have no desire to do anything. They make relatively very little effort to learn or participate in life. This behavior pattern will eventually be a serious drain on our society.
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.		Ensure that all the arts are supported in schools. Creative thinking is imperative for the future generations.
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.		No Child Left Behind and Reading First programs have some good qualities. These programs should not be dumped. They should be tweaked so that the good things that they have accomplished are not lost, but continue to be used. They should have more realistic goals. Their funding should be made available to all schools.
.		Equitable pay for equitable work would be a nice addition as well. Closing the gap would be a top priority as well.
.		Complete funding for IDEA and NCLB. IDEA has been in place as Public Law 94-141 since the mid-seventies and has yet to be fully funded. This is a great tragedy and indicates further neglect of the disabled student population. It should be obvious that if we are to integrate students with disabilities into the general curriculum that we need more teachers, special materials, and time for regular education and special education teachers to plan meaningful differianted instruction. I work at a state school for the blind and whether students who are blind/vi are educated at a state school or in their LEAs the materials required are extremely expensive. (A Braille literature book for a high school student may cost upwards of $1100!) Techniques of instruction are also different and often best carried out in a school for the blind. Often the school for the blind is the least restrictive environment for students who are blind/vi! NCLB's goals may be great, but the testing is flawed and this progam has also not been funded. The state tests too often require memorization of facts and manipulation of data that does not teach the students to use higher order thinking - definitely not what we want in 20th century education.
.		there needs to be a change to cut the wastefulness in schools. streamline them to become more cost efficient, with teachers not teaching for a paycheck, but teaching for the students. better teaching brings better results and less waste.
.		Get rid of NCLB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.		I think that parents need to be held accountable as well as school. Children miss too many days of school and don't do their home work. Especially struggling learners, need the support of parents at home. Parents need to realize they are their child's first teacher. They should teach manners and social skills at Home. We spend a lot of time teaching that in school. Parents should read to their children and help them understand that school is a priviledge not a punishment. Teachers can't force kids to learn. We only offer the opportunity. It is the kids job and take advantage of the opportunity to learn.
.		MUST have smaller schools and smaller classes
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.		Schools need to serve students (at-risk) who will not enter a "career" that will involve math, science, and language arts. We need to prepare all students to be responsible workers who do the best they can do at any job.
.		Loan forgiveness that is more available for teachers who work in poverty districts and have a large amount of student loans to pay off.
.		The way school funding is handled in a farce. The federal and state government should be funding the schools, not the property owner or local income tax. If the state lottery is for schools, where is the money? There should be a cap on how much a school lottery winner gets and the surplus goes back to the schools. Classroom size in one of the biggest issues. Teacher salaries are ridiculous, especially since we are the mentor, father, mother, teacher, preacher, you get the idea. Fund the schools correctly or a lot of good teachers will be forced to find a different career.
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.		Class size needs to be reduced (K-3: max of 20) teachers need to make a decent salary
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.		Make sure that the Arts are front and center, that they are core! These are central to educating the whole child. Our future needs individuals who are creative thinkers, problem solvers, innovators.....these are the things that are learned through the Arts.
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.		Top Three - On site professional development for all teachers. Sometimes in the form of lab schools where time for research and trial of methods and materials can be analyzed and used to promote teaching and learning.
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.		I believe that we need to have less testing and more " learning". Students and teachers are being "burnt -out " by the tests. We are placing too much emphasis on this and less on the individual child. What happened to having some "fun " times in school . Even in elementary, the students are not even allowed to have a snack.. unless it is government approved. There needs to be less governmental controls. These decisions should be left to the teachers, parents and individual school districts. I promise to to the best that I can . I'm not sure if many teachers will be left if our hands are tied, You'll have to educate them yourself. You may be leaving more children behind. Sincerely Regina A. Howard , Art educator , 17 years.
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.		Support the arts programs in public schools. The arts are where children learn life long values,such as the importance of practice and hard work to achieve success. The arts help teach creativity and divergent thinking.
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.		Visual Arts preK-12, the visual arts spans all curriculum along with using the whole brain to develop creative thinking. If we are to prepare children for future society, we need to make this a top priority to continue our development both as a society and as a nation!
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.		I think that our main concern definitely needs to be addressing school funding. It is adequately apparent that Ohio MUST find a better way to get money into our school systems. The cuts that have been made are not helping any student to receive a better education. As the cuts have been state wide, and Presidents continue to throw unfunded mandates at us, we struggle just to keep teachers. Tutors have been cut. Don't it seem unjust that doctors and lawyers make more than the teachers who train them to do such professions? Seems a bit backwards if you ask me.
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.		Arts Education for all students is my #1 priority for educating for the 21st century. Well rounded, creative problem solvers will be the most prepared for our careers of the future.
.		Better pay and benefits for teachers to retain the best and brightest.
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.		Quality Arts Education Programs for all students. Creative skills will never become obsolete. The study of the creative Arts advance thinking, decision making, communication and learning.
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.		I would like to see more options for our students and parents. As a teacher and as a parent I have learned one way of learning and teaching does not suit all students, and the aim is for ALL of our children to be successful. I would like to be able to use many options to help all of our students no matter if they are squares, triangles, or etc. Options could be traditional schooling, homeschool, charter schools etc. with help and support from the educational communties. Carolyn Lugan
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.		Parents must be encouraged to make the top priority in their lives the well being of their children.
.		While we need to keep our eyes on goals for education, we need to provide ways to support parents and early learning for all of our students. A child cannot come to school ready to learn if home and lifestyle issues are a primary concern. Too many young children come to school worrying about adult problems.
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.		I am really tired of politicians telling educators how to do their job when they can't do their own. I am really tired of commercials that say the United States ranks 29th in the world for academics. How many counbtries educate students that are from another country that don't speak the language, that have parents that refuse to learn the language, that have parents that are not attentive to their children, that think the schools should raise their child, that have parents that are addicted to drugs and alcohol and are dead beats? Just tell me how many other countries would put up with all of this???
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.		Students more getting psychological support. I have seen many students who are either depressed or anxiety ridden who obviously are not getting the help they need. This makes it impossible for them to live up to their potentials academically or socially. Parents should have more insentives to get involved in their children's work. Materials: Schools should not be penalized financially when they are having a difficult time achieving high test scores. These schools need even more financial support because they are usually from poverty stricken areas. The current system is totally unfair. I have to buy about $1000 worth of art supplies yearly.


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.		Foreign languages, particularly those of the Middle East, China, and Russia......international education, exchange programs, and the like..... to create borderless education.
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.		Funding for technology. The schools have the worst computers and are the most behind because of lack of funding. A computer lab with 10 year old computers is ridiculous. Technology to reach the students is the most important priority. It is more important than merit pay, more important than incentives for parents, and more important than state mandated tests. Technology can differentiate better than any other method and needs to be a top priority in funding.
.		All these suggestions are Top Priorities, however if we wish to compete with schools in other countries, we must do as they have learned to do. We must stop trying to reach the end of the book by school-year end and instead teach depth of the subject area. When we are striving for academic excellence, this seems to be the only way to accomplish this task. We are living in a time of specialization, but our education system still comforms to the same standards of teaching as when I was in school (1962-1973). We are skimming information for the sake of standardized testing, and NCLB and our children are being harmed in the process.
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.		No Child Life Behind has change the curriculum to be like Cliff notes. Only teach what is going to be tested are the directions. In the long run the students will suffer. For example, years ago each system of the body was a separate chapter in a health book, but now the the systems of the body are listed in the same chapter, two systems to a page. No depth. Also, textbooks do NOT have to be purchased so often. That is a waste of money.
.		No Child Life Behind has change the curriculum to be like Cliff notes. Only teach what is going to be tested are the directions. In the long run the students will suffer. For example, years ago each system of the body was a separate chapter in a health book, but now the the systems of the body are listed in the same chapter, two systems to a page. No depth. Also, textbooks do NOT have to be purchased so often. That is a waste of money.
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.		The teacher to student ratio must be adjusted so students can be successful. We need more people in the classroom and less administrators thinking of ways to make us work harder with no time to breathe. If you don't believe me, spend one week in my classroom.


.		There has become too much emphasis put on how fast and how much information can be 'crammed' into the children, and not enough time spent on making sure the children can actually learn and comphrend the material. Most schools in my state have completely cut out a true recess and break time for the kids in the elementary schools. The children are stressed put, cannot function appropriately and are not actually learning true concepts that are needed in society.
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.		Allow schools to hold students accountable for their own actions and choices. Allow teachers to hold students accountable for their own success or failure, ie. homework, class participation, quality of work.
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.		As will all other teachers I am most concerned with NCLB and how it has shattered our schools with negative consequences for the students. We MUST fix the problem.
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.		Supporting gifted learners: Develop elementary school programming to find and challenge gifted and high-achieving learners.
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.		Smaller class sizes to meet individual differences. No more than 15 in a class.
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.		Students need more accountability for their grades and their work. More and more is required of teachers and yet more and more excuses are given to students to prevent them from succeeding. Examples are passing them on even if they do not have the skills. Fixing grades so that not matter what they earn, the student gets 50%. Why try? What is the consequence for consistently not doing assignments? Failing grades and you can still participate in athletics. They purposely do not take ITBS tests seriously and score low. Virutally nothing happens to the student. Another thing is that parents complain and many school districts bend over backwards to accomodate whatever demand the parent may have. This includes high number of absences and tardies, complaining about too much homework, teachers not being fair to their student when receiving false reports etc. Then there is full inclusion of SPED and BD kids in the class and no one but the main teacher in the class to handle the insuing problems and accomodations. When you have kids that daily and even hourly demand 100% of your attention that leaves little time to work with the majority of the others. Yet due to lack of funds for extra personnel in the classroom and the demand for general education with the bright as well as the slow to be included in the same class it is impossible to meet the demands that are naturally there and rarely feel like you are doing a good job. The suggestions given above are a bandaid approach to the real issues of class size, no help for the full inclusion kids, the majority of parents who do not care, and general attitudes of GIVE the kid the grade and do not make them EARN it. Today's workers in society reflect these very issues: need to get something for nothing and when the going gets tough, quit and go home. Somebody will take care of you.
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.		I work in a very progressive school and still teachers are not making full use of technology to support their lessons. The students are so techie literate that I think it scares the vast majority of adults and teachers. Additional training in technology for teachers esp. how to include technology into their curriculums would greatly benefit not only the adult population but put our kids further ahead of where they are today compared with other countries!
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.		We need to stop looking at business models as solutions for education. Federal and state policy should be grounded in solid research around what REALLY works to improve student learning including the most recent brain research. We also need to leverage emerging technologies in order to provide more differentiated options for all students (read "Disrupting Class"), and we need let go of out-dated, industrial-era ideas of what schools should look like and how they should function. No more factory-model systems!
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.		It is important for noneducators to understand that the needs of students are all different. NOT all kids need college preparation. High schools need to prepare students for the skills they need to be success in whatever area they choose.
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.		Show parents how they can show interest, support, stimulate, and encourage their children to do better in school.