Week 4 Reflection

This is such a heavy question and one that I feel will never have a perfect answer. I think that no matter what, the public education system needs to be fluid and easy to change. Society is constantly evolving, the economy is constantly changing, and our country continues to grow more and more diverse, I believe that the education system needs to be able to reflect this fluidity. Having a "one size fits all" kind of standard is not efficient or fair to students, especially considering the amount of emphasis that the system now wants new teachers to place on individual instruction. In terms of what kinds of standardization is necessary and what kind of course requirements/classes should be available to students, I'm not sure what the best route would be. On the one hand you don't want to rob students of opportunity by not offering enough challenging or enriching courses, and on the other you need to promote high school success as best you can and therefor you must attempt to reach students on a level that encourages them to finish high school and pursue post-secondary forms of education. So do we alter the graduation requirements in districts that have higher drop out rates? Or would that be robbing students of opportunity and coursework that they might apply to post-secondary schooling or other aspects of their lives? It's tough to say, but I believe that above all else we need to decrease the amount of high school dropouts. I can't think of a better way to limit oneself in this country than not getting your high school diploma. If that means removing more elective materials and decreasing the amount of credit hours certain districts require for graduation then so be it. Funding more career center institutions is another option that could make graduating high school more applicable for students who feel that it is not worth their time or not possible for them. Regardless, in my own future practice I aim to promote high school success and post-secondary pursuits above all else.

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