Federal Involvement on Public Education
The Elementary and Secondary School Act, designed by Commissioner of Education was passed on April 9, 1965, less than three months after it was introduced. "The ESEA is [the] government's single largest investment in elementary and secondary education" ( 2002) – provides financial support k – 12 schools and school districts based on the number of students receiving free and reduced lunch, also called the title 1. This piece of legislation comprise the central educational component of the 'War on Poverty' launched by President .
"In recognition of the special educational needs of low-income families and the impact that concentrations of low-income families have on the ability of local educational agencies to support adequate educational programs, the Congress hereby declares it to be the policy of the United States to provide financial assistance... to local educational agencies serving areas with concentrations of children from low-income families to expand and improve their educational programs by various means (including preschool programs) which contribute to meeting the special educational needs of educationally deprived children" (Section 201, Elementary and Secondary School Act, 1965).
These programs cover a wide range of the education spectrum including: (1) title 1 - this legislation targeted those low – income generating families in the hope of giving them a brighter future that is by giving them assistance in educational programs. Whereas, in affluent families who could manage to pay for their children’s education. This was the beginning of Head Start (a preschool program for disadvantaged children aiming at equalizing equality of opportunity based on 'readiness' for the first grade) (2002). (2) The Eisenhower Professional Development program has been replaced with the ESEA Title II Higher Education Professional Development Program. This is a competitive grants program for increasing student achievement in the arts, civic and government, economics, English, foreign languages, geography, history, mathematics or language arts, and science, by improving the teaching and principal quality at the K-12 level in Wisconsin's public and private schools. ( 2002). (3) Education Technology, (4) Class size reduction, (5) Safe and Drug – Free schools which is administered by the Office of Safe and Drug – Free schools which at the same time coordinates and recommends policy for improving quality and excellence of programs and activities that are designed to: (a) provide financial assistance for drug and violence prevention activities and activities that promote the health and well being of students in elementary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education. Activities may be carried out by State and local educational agencies and by other public and private nonprofit organizations. (b) Participate with other Federal agencies in the development of a national research agenda for drug and violence prevention. (c) Administer the Department's programs relating to character and civics education. (d) Provide national leadership on issues and programs in correctional education (2005). (6) Bilingual Education (7) Native American Education, (8) Charter Schools - are nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools. Charter schools increases opportunities for learning and access to quality education for all students wherein teachers are encourage in innovating teaching practices that’s the reason why most parents and students choose charter schools within the public school system. (9) Head Start is a preschool program for disadvantage children aiming at equalizing equality of opportunity based on 'readiness' for the first grade, Follow-Through (to complement the gains made by children who participated in the Head Start Program) (2002). Head Start was originally started by the Office of Economic Opportunity as an eight-week summer program, and quickly expanded to a full-year program. Lastly, the (10) Community Learning Centers.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 has paved way to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Bilingual Education Act and the Goals 2000: Educate America Act.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 were signed into law on June 4, 1997. This act bridges the gap of children with disabilities and what is required in the regular curriculum in the schools.
The Elementary and Secondary School Act of 1965 was amended in 1968 with Title VII, resulting in the Bilingual Education Act, which offered federal aid to local schools districts to aid them to concentrate on the needs of children with limited English-speaking ability. However, in the article written by , he states that Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act expired quietly on January 8, 2002. The law was 34 years old. This lead to New Title III (Programs for English Language Learners) as one of the options of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLBA) to serve the needs of limited – English – Proficient (LEP) students.
The Goals 2000: Educate America Act was signed into law on March 31, 1994. The act provides a national framework for education reform that ensures that all students reach their maximum potential when more is expected from them.
As President stated the ESEA offers "new hope to tens of thousands of youngsters" since it provides students with trained professionals and resources that are required for an appropriate education (2002).
Today, the ESEA is now called as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that was signed and renamed by President on January 8, 2002. The No Child Left Behind Act are based on four principles: (1) stronger accountability for students and teachers, (2) increased flexibility and local control, (3) expanded options for parents, and (4) an emphasis on effective delivery of teaching basing on scientific proven methods (2003).
The accountability provisions require states to set clear timelines for improving student achievement and bridging the gap especially with students who came from low – income generating families and the minority students. However, in this area if a school for 2 consecutive years has not meet the standards for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on proficiency level in reading and math, they will be provided help. Under the provision of more local freedom allows states and school districts to use the federal grant funds depending on what they really need.
In the expanding choices for parents, the federal government allows the parents to choose whatever school their child needs to give an excellent education; one choice would be charter schools. Moreover, parental involvement is a factor that resulted to significant achievement of the students. According to Family Involvement in children’s Education: successful Local Approaches, an Idea Book (1997), a publication sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, students whose parents are actively involved in their education have better grades, test scores and long-term academic achievement. Students also attend school more regularly, complete more homework and demonstrate more positive attitudes and behaviors than those with less involved parents. Parents and teachers typically agree that increased parental involvement can make a significant difference in student performance. A 1999 study done by Public Agenda, a nonpartisan, nonprofit public opinion research group through surveying parents and public school teachers to find out what they think parents should be doing in the public schools. It seems like a simple question, yet public opinion on this issue turned out to be as complex and subtle as any area we've examined. The result of the survey yield to 69 percent of teachers surveyed believe that most parents need to get more involved in their children's education, and 71 percent of parents wish they could be doing more. In addition, the federal government as evidenced by the Improving America’s Schools Act (IASA) that was passed in Congress in 1994, which authorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), has encouraged the idea of parental involvement in education.
“To set Standards, and enforce Standards, and raise Standards, and raise them ever more, was nearly the whole duty of teachers, principals, and presidents…. It was a real and salutary gospel in its day. For American education in the Nineties was a variegated hodgepodge of uncoordinated practices, which had never undergone any scrutiny from anyone, ad many of which were shoddy, futile, and absurd… and the Age of Standards, as the period from 1890 to 1915 may come to be called… brought some order out of that chaos (1936).
Teacher quality improvement – this is the responsibility of the state in identifying “highly qualified” teachers, means to say that teachers must be knowledgeable in whatever profession he/she is in, and passing the state certification licensure requirements. One way in training teachers to be highly qualified is through workshops, a press release on performance reports done by the U. S. Department of Education as they organized 14 free teacher – to – teacher workshops on the summer of April 17, 2006. A number of workshops will focus on enhancing teaching skills in math, science and critical foreign languages, subjects central to President American Competitiveness Initiative. The American Competitiveness Initiative is designed to strengthen education as a gateway to opportunity and the key to a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy.
In facing the greater challenge of Education, mayoral leader and involvement in education is not new. However, in some instances wherein, cities such as Louisville, Indianapolis, Long Beach, Nashville, San Jose, Akron, Columbus, St. Louis, St. Petersburg and Denver – there Mayors have become more involved in education in variety of ways without changing their formal role in school governance (2006). Mayors can always face the great challenge over education by exercising their leadership in formal and informal ways. They can always use their authority in the advantage of the public most especially with regards to children’s education. The federal No Child Left Behind act (NCLB) has heightened the need for mayors to become more involved in public education. It is known that this legislation would require and demand for higher standards and accountability, standardized testing, and measurable results; this in return would become a challenged for mayors as how to implement and supervise such acts to meet the standards, mayors governance includes school districts whose regulations are directly or indirectly affected by the federal government. Increasingly, mayors are the key actors in formulating policies and programs that have a direct impact on children’s lives, and have a unique ability to foster collaboration between school, health and social service.
The reputation of a city’s public education system affects the city’s own reputation and prestige. The quality of a city’s school system also influences many other indicia of a city’s viability – or lack thereof – including crime rates, health issues, foster care involvement, gang problems, housing needs, employment and unemployment rates, business and investment development, construction, tax revenues, the arts and population trends. All mayors now realize that education is a critical part of their cities’ social and economic vitality ( 2006). It is always the mayor’s capacity to include education issues as one of their top priorities that will suggest the type of leadership he would want to engage in. His capacity to change policies that needed improvement to the better– it is by creating an environment that will drive each individual’s capacity to a massive reorganization that shall support the improvement of the school systems. How can this be done? The mayor must stay in touch with the education community through quarterly meetings with the board members of the school that shall discuss on current issues and solutions. This can be carried out through policies that shall support significant changes in learning and teaching.
In summary, the paper talks about the interventions that have changed dramatically the face of education in the United States. It all started from the idea of , the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 that made things happen for the betterment of the Education system. The children’s future acted as the major indictor of the education system that it is free to learn. It gives the children of tomorrow a brighter future that they too, in return can serve their country well. The education system has not only served those children who are from the underprivileged families but also those children who have disabilities, to shine and make their dreams come true. The federal government has realized that in order to help their people to rise above poverty is to give everyone the opportunity and the benefit of education, which ensures that every student realized their maximum potential that they may use for their own advantage and this has been a challenge and well-defined policies were formed.
The parents and teachers became ideal tandems in guiding and shaping the children. It has been proven through various reports and studies that they are influential enough to fuel children’s mind. They not only boost and approve the education system but they too help in providing solutions to problems that needs definite answers. In maintaining the quality of education to its standards, teachers are given free workshops that amplify their knowledge and skills that they too can achieve their maximum potential in teaching.
The mayors in each district are called to be part of changing the education system. They not only ensure federal policies on education were implemented but also, checks and supervise institutions that need further improvement. They have been working with the school system through meeting with the school directors to develop an array of opportunities to provide program that help improve student achievement, such as out – of school programs, monitoring and tutoring, and links to social services – this can be done by qualified teachers who are determined enough to make an impact on their students lives. Mayors too can help, teachers who are inexperienced. As in the words of , San Jose Mayor, “A mayor’ leadership means the entire community can work together t help schools and families are more effective and successful, “(2006).
In my words, education has become part of my life. I am grateful that I have been given the opportunity to see things in the wider perspective. Important issues such as these, gives us the opportunity to look back and see what it has brought us now.
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