Public education

From ArticleWorld

Public education is funded mostly by the public through taxes. In the United States, minors are required to attend school and will be charges truant if compliance is not followed. In addition, teachers, school administration and curriculum must be certified through state government. Also, the curriculum that has been certified by the state must coincide with national curriculum standards and must meet the requirements of national grouped testing. Testing is mostly grouped by grade or age level of the test taker or student.

United States

The Department of Education mandates national standards for each grade level, which are then broken down by each state into state standards. Each of these is then interpreted by individual school districts throughout the state and district curriculum is written based on this information. Each school district has a head, the superintendent in addition to elected board official known as the Board of Education or School Board. The superintendent and the School Board appoint employees to their positions as well as approve or disapprove new curriculum, usually written by a team of school officials and teachers.

Brown vs. Board of Education

Before 1954, the public schools in America segregated black students from white students. Black students were not allowed to attend any school with white children. In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional and ordered the Board of Education of Topeka to desegregate their public schools and allow black children to be educated along side white students. Though this decision was protested, it held up and has become one of the turning points in Civil Rights history.

Vouchers

School vouchers allow students of under performing schools to attend schools of their choice. The under performance of a school or district is determined by the use of national and state testing. The scores of each school and/or district would determine whether they are performing up to national and/or state standards. If they are not, students of these schools and/or districts would be given government money to attend the school and/or district of their choice. This would give the individual the opportunity for a better education, according to the United States Republican Party.