Read the following issue about public education. Choose one perspective to take: an honor student’s perspective, a struggling student’s perspective, an educator’s perspective, or a senior citizen’s perspective. In a paragraph of at lest 5 sentences, support your point of view, using specific examples to support your point.
To leave a response, click on “leave a comment” at the bottom of the reading. Make sure to include your name and an email address or your comment will not go through! To be safe, write your response in Microsoft Word first and then copy and paste it into the blog. That way you will not lose your work!
After responding to the blog, respond to one classmate in at least a 3 sentence response. Explain why you agree or disagree with their argument.
Refer to the rubric on page 6 of your syllabus for guidelines for blog entries.
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Summary
Public education provides a free education to all children in America. Children are required to attend school. The age that they are required to attend school varies by state. Some states are looking into changing their laws to require students to remain in school longer. Should students have to stay in school until they are eighteen? How will a law that increases the age that a student must stay in school affect the educational system? What are the issues that surround such a change?
Scenario
The National Center for Education Statistics reported that during the 2003-2004 school year, 1.8 percent of 9th -12th grade students dropped out of high school in New Jersey (Chapman). Currently, New Jersey students are required to stay in school until the age of sixteen. Several states have changed the requirement to eighteen years of age. The legislators in New Jersey are considering a similar change.
Many honors students in New Jersey are annoyed by this proposal. They believe that the resources in high schools should go towards the education of students who will use them for the greater good. By keeping students in school who do not want to be there, time and money are wasted. Many of these students also believe that it is easier to learn when the less serious students remove themselves from school. Without the distraction of students with behavior problems or a lack of motivation, serious students can raise the bar to create a more academic environment. Other honors students believe that the decision to change the age requirement is a positive one. They have learned valuable lessons from their peers and realize that more than just academics are learned in school. They want all of their peers to stay in school.
Struggling students who feel frustrated by academics have differing opinions about this proposal. Many struggling students feel school is a waste of time, and they would be better off learning practical skills on the job. These students believe that the current educational program does not take into consideration students who learn by doing, rather than by listening or writing. Other struggling students recognize that there is a need for all members of a community to have a basic level of knowledge. However, these students believe that once students have achieved a proficient level of reading and math, they should be free to determine whether or not they want to continue their education.
Educators in New Jersey have mixed feelings about the proposal to increase the mandatory age requirement. Some teachers hope that the proposal does not become law because they think that there are fewer discipline problems in the classroom when students can choose whether or not to attend school. These teachers believe they would spend a disproportionate amount of time disciplining students rather than teaching them if the students were forced to remain in school until age eighteen. They want the opportunity to teach the students who truly want to learn. Other teachers hope that this change will positively affect the state, and ultimately, the country. They believe that society will prosper and the country will become stronger if all citizens are better educated. These teachers believe it is the government’s job to make sure that all students are given the opportunity to become educated.
Senior citizens in the state have already been voicing their opinions about the high property taxes used to fund schools in New Jersey. Most of these seniors do not think that their tax money should be wasted on students who are not serious about learning. These seniors believe that those students who do not want to learn should be out in the workforce, contributing to the state taxes. Other seniors are hopeful about the long-term affects of this policy change. They think that keeping kids in school may reduce the crime rate and eventually help create a more educated society that will be better able to handle and solve the problems of the future.
The proposed bill is about to come up at the next meeting of the state government. You have been asked to attend the meeting to express your opinion and help determine what can be done to address the issues that arise.
RDNG 052 Summer 2011 
#1 by edwardpryor on June 7, 2011 - 2:47 pm
i think it should be a law until the student is 18 they should be able to stay in skool until 18 in my opinon
#2 by Courtney Castle on June 7, 2011 - 3:00 pm
This is way to short and you spelled school wrong . Good idea though.
#3 by K.Stokes on June 7, 2011 - 3:06 pm
I AGREE !!
#4 by Courtney Castle on June 7, 2011 - 2:50 pm
I agree with the honor students that it is better forr the students that are not serious about school should leave. First because its a distraction. While honor students could be learning the teacher have to take time out to discipline the students that dont want to learn. Also it’s a waste of money when all the money can go to successful students to help them have a comfortable learning environment.
#5 by Christy Watts on June 7, 2011 - 2:57 pm
It may be a distraction to some students ,but then that makes it more of a challenge for the ones who want to learn which could be a good thing. Also if they make a law for students to stay in school till there 18 then i dont believe you should have to pay for schooling cause you really wouldnt have a choiceif it was the law.
#6 by Raven on June 7, 2011 - 3:02 pm
i agree with you, but at the same time i feel as though the kids who are having the problems and who are not doing so well in school, should at least get some type of help or someone to find out the real problem because you never know whats going on in someones life.
#7 by shanelle taylor on June 7, 2011 - 3:06 pm
this is true, there is so much time and money wasted on students that are not concerned with learning anything at all. also the honor students sometimes become unfocused by the all of the distractions and they start to act out.
#8 by Christy Watts on June 7, 2011 - 2:54 pm
I support the honor students point of view. I believe that there should be a law on the age you have to stay in school. I agree with this because the kids in school today are our future, so lets make sure we have a good one. By keeping kids in school longer this could boost there self esteem so when they do graduate they realize there is more to school then just academics. Also by keeping them in school longer it gives them a little bit more time to decide what they really want to do with there life after graduation what career they want to pursue and how they are going to get there.
#9 by joe on June 7, 2011 - 2:55 pm
i feel as though school is a waste of time. i think that once finish your main subjects you should b able to jus decide whether u want to continue or not. i feel like if when u feal like u dont need school u should be able to make ur own personal choice abought goin to school anymore. the law sayin no matter what kids have to stay in school the education system will b afected because kids will jus stop showin up to school.
#10 by edwardpryor on June 7, 2011 - 2:55 pm
i think if u stay larger u can learn more
#11 by Brian on June 7, 2011 - 3:09 pm
that is not true. if you stay longer you are wasting valuable time.
school should be used as a source to grow.
#12 by Cathy on June 7, 2011 - 2:57 pm
I think a student should stay in school until eighteen and the at least go to collage for two years and take up some kind of trade. I think that because jobs are so hard to get now adays, and maybe it would be better to continue your education,
#13 by Raven on June 7, 2011 - 2:58 pm
I think that keeping students in school till their 18 if they dont want to be there is not a good idea because if they dont want to be there it will only cause a distraction and there will also be alot of behavior problems that are not nesscary.but then again i also feel that alot of kids who dont want to finish school dont want to finish school becuase they are having problem learning. So instead of pushing kids to stay in school till they are 18 why not try to help them and get down to the real problem as to why they dont want to be in school. There maybe alot of reasons to why a kid does not want to be in school it could be because they dont believe they can do it maybe they have negative people in their life that are telling them that they wont make it. One positive person in your life can make all the diffrence, so if a student is noticed by having bad behavior or not doing so well in school, why not pull them aside to try to help instead of letting them give up
#14 by Prema Buschmann on June 7, 2011 - 3:07 pm
I agree with you really. Also, the people that don’t want to be there most of the time either don’t show up or come into class late anyway. So I don’t know why they shouldn’t be allowed to just leave if they aren’t going to bother to show up anyway. It’s a waste of time and effort for everyone when you don’t need to go through any of it.
#15 by Shavon Savage on June 7, 2011 - 3:15 pm
I think a student should stay in school until there18, and then go to college. I believe everyone should receive the same oppurtunitys .But in all it depends on the student some students dont mind furthering there education. I think it should be a choice not a demand.
#16 by shanelle taylor on June 7, 2011 - 2:59 pm
I agree with the honor student.When students are forced to stay in school and they do not want to be there, that is a waste of time and money. I think that the students requirements for graduating now is just fine. The students that are less focused should not be forced to stay in school longer. If the law for graduating requirements were to change, there should be options for students to make decisions about the extra years spent in high school.
#17 by tishia cherry on June 7, 2011 - 3:16 pm
I disagree, only because i fell children generally dont think about the later problems that they may cause for them selves. being 18 is legal but i dont belive that because of your age your fully mature to make a decisn on something so important.
#18 by Prema Buschmann on June 7, 2011 - 3:02 pm
As an honors student I do agree with the honors student section when it says that it should be 16 years of age as where legaly you need to be in school but not beond that. As I sit in high school the people that want to learn and the people that don’t want want to learn stand out. The teens that want to be there are the ones who may or may not have great grades but they are the students that are engaged and asking questions. On the other hand, though the students that do not want to be there are the ones sleeping, texting, or talking and distracting the students that want to learn. So when these disruptive students leave school it’s by their own choice but makes it easier for the educational process to continue for those that do care.
#19 by tishia cherry on June 7, 2011 - 3:05 pm
I belive high school children generally think they know what they want out of life but, they dont think of the possible out comes for some of the bad decisions they make. I fell that leaders such as parents, teachers, etc should be a sort of positive influence to alter some of the bad decison making. Getting them to programs to keep a focus on positive things. i dont think they should be able to make their own decison simply because a decision as such turns into a life time situation that can put them worst off then from what they started from.
#20 by Brian on June 7, 2011 - 3:06 pm
I strongly agree with the struggling students. i myself was a struggling student.
Many students have several personal problems which sometimes distract them from school
work,or come from a background where school is deemed less important than bigger issues
in thier home. Bills are mandatory in some low income homes, which sometimes forces some
students to focus more on employement and less on education. Instead of passing laws that
would prevent a student from recieving a decent education, they should create programs for
students that are struggling and find out what that students problem is and help.
#21 by Cathy on June 7, 2011 - 3:13 pm
I believe they should sit down with someone that has been there and talk to them about all the positive effects and the bad effects also that staying in school would have on there lifes.
#22 by Melanie on June 7, 2011 - 3:17 pm
I agree, they should werry more about helpin stuggling students. Balancing school and a family life is hard, especially while also working. You anwser is well writen.
#23 by Melanie on June 7, 2011 - 3:09 pm
I agree witht the senior citizens stand point. I don’t think tax paying citizens should have to pay for students to be in school if they don’t want to be. When your a teenager you start makin your own decisions based on what they’ve learned over the years. you should train a child in the way he should go. After they’re grown, you can’t make the’re decisions for them. America waste enough money on ridiculious things as is.
#24 by Shavon Savage on June 7, 2011 - 3:12 pm
As an educator of the school system I believe that extending the time frame is a waste of time . I believe that it will increase the school systems drop out rate. I think that they should leave the rules as they are. Alot of people will be affected by this change.Teachers as myself have a hard time maintaining there students as it is. I also don’t think its fair to change the rules for one majority. I believe that all states should have the same rules so that all of them have the same oppurtunitys as eachother. There are so many issues with the school system but I think extending education is the least of our problems. As a teacher I wouldnt mind the change but I would just want to teach children who are actually intrested in learning , otherwise its a waste of the tax payers money.
#25 by K.Stokes on June 7, 2011 - 3:53 pm
I agree that the students that are not horon students (drop-outs) are a distraction to those who want to learn(honor students), but I also think that the school officials should look into the reason why the drop-outs are not coming to school regularly, why they’re a distraction, why they stuggle to learn etc. I think they should get help and find a way to help the stuggling students instead of dropping them off the roll when they turn 18. Because everybody deserve a fair education. If It was up to me I would put the honor student(students who want to learn) all in the same class with the stuggling students because at times they can help the stuggling students. Again all stuggling students are not a distraction some just need
psychology,mentally,physhcailly and emotionally help.