A Nation At Risk, Pt. 2

TEACHER QUALITY - In 1983, nearly half of all Math, Science, and English teachers were not qualified to teach those subjects. Teachers at 12 years of experience made only $17,000 per year. In 2001, NCLB added a highly-qualified provision, improving this flaw over that span. In 2010, teachers have professional development hours they must attain and starting salaries are approximately $50,000 per year in the state of New Jersey. The struggles to find highly-qualified Math and Science teachers remain. Another key component is tenure. Tenure allows for job security in education unlike many other unions in the working world. Today many parents and politicians many want to remove tenure enabling administration to get rid of the poor teachers and rewarding the good teachers for the job they do, young or old.
My grade: A (I believe with professional development and solid salaries, teachers are much more qualified and well-prepared for their classroom)
LEADERSHIP/FISCAL SUPPORT - Today’s leaders are multi-tasking like never before. They must bring the school, parent, and community together as one. They must collaborate within their schools to ensure a safe and productive environment for each student. To do this successfully, schools need MONEY. In 1983, total spending on public education in the U.S. was $118.4 billion dollars. In 2005, that figure grew to $499 billion, despite the fact that if spending grew at the rate of inflation, it should have totaled $246 billion that year. The average amount spent per pupil was also a major concern. In 1983, there was a per pupil average cost of $5,691, compared to $9,266 in 2005. As we saw in The Cartel, many classrooms (when you combine teacher salary, per pupil spending, health care, supplies and materials) cost a district over $300,000 per classroom!
My grade: C - In closing, I definitely think A Nation at Risk was imperative and eye-opening. For the past 25 years, I think some areas have improved within our country. But overall, I have major concerns about where our students will be in the next 25 years.