School Districts Essay -- Education, Teachers

Every school district aims for high achievement; some consistently exceed expectations while others fail. With close to 3.2 million teachers employed nationwide (Fast Facts, 2011), school districts are often categorized into three groups: urban, suburban and rural. Within these categories, lower socioeconomic status is prevalent in the rural and urban areas. However, the students in urban districts are the most culturally diverse. Many people would assume a teacher in a rural school would use similar to identical teaching strategies as one in an urban school. However, this assumption is incorrect for several reasons. Students in urban schools endure many hardships unique to its location and the social issues that exist. This research expository will serve as a guideline for success for administrators and teachers in urban schools and teachers. In this unique environment, it’s critical that teachers build off the most important resource they have: the student body. Urban distr icts have many disadvantages and face my tribulations in its quest to become a successful school (meeting standards). The teachers in urban districts have typically been very unhappy compared to those who teach in rural and suburban districts. Many teachers claim they are dissatisfied because they feel their role is minimal in deciding important educational decisions such as curriculum. In these urban districts, a top-down approach is commonly used and teachers have claimed to feel as though the wrong people are making the most important decisions. Many administrators feel it is necessary in today’s urban educational environment because of the amount of first year teachers hired every year. Another reason district administrators create curriculum is b... ...tion needed to succeed in the school. In experimental studies, urban schools that use service learning as a curriculum guideline have seen attendance and test scores rise while behavior issues subside. Laws, such as No Child Left Behind, that threaten failing schools with punitive penalties if test scores do not meet a standard are fueling the growing pandemic that is the failing urban schools of the United States. It must be understood that education in the public school system cannot be solved with an old fashioned cookie cutter approach; not all schools should be treated the same. The fact is all schools are unique because they are filled with individuals stemming from their own unique cultural background. Motivation and personalization is key; by tapping into their interests and lifestyle, teachers can bridge the gap between success and repeated failure.