For+or+Against+(do+here)

Use this space to explain why you are for or against, which ever you have been assigned || Topic How to do Help || I am for voucher plans due to the fact that all individuals should be able to decide where they want to go to school, despite the cost. Voucher plans allow parents the money to assist in sending their child to school where they please. Some students needs may not be met in a certain school system so having the right to choose the best option for their child without the burden of the financial cost is beneficial to families. Allowing voucher plans would also step up the competition for schools in providing the best education to students. Having the opportunity for parents to send their child to potentially any school, will make each school want to provide a 'top notch' education. Voucher plans also allow students/families who may not be able to afford an education a better chance at succeeding in education and help the financial burden it may bring. Those who send their children to a private school are paying twice; once for the education through taxes and also paying the tuition through the school - so voucher plans would also be beneficial in this instance. Overall, there are several benefits to voucher plans that could help families out financially and also help provide the best education for students. || Voucher Plans: ====a plan in which each school-age child receives a publicly funded entitlement worth afixed amount of money with which his or her parents can select a participating public or private school. ==== || I'm against voucher plans because I think it would cause parents to send their kids to a certain school based on other reasons than education. Having voucher plans will cause parents to send their kids to a certain school because of religious, sports and social preference other than educational reasons.
 * First || Last || for/ against
 * Amy || Acheson || [|For:]
 * Spencer || Adams || ===== Against =====

||^  || As we saw in the movie "Waiting for Superman," charter schools are heavily sought after by parents, especially in urban areas. Charter schools offer a more competitive edge because they are not under the same rule as traditional public schools. There is more flexibility with these schools, such as longer days, more or advanced material, and teacher control of the classroom and teachings. Charter schools also offer teacher pay raises based on performance, which we know the teacher's union is in opposition to and in general oppose charter schools. For these two reasons, as a future teacher, I would really like to work in a charter school. || Charter Schools: Charter schools are publicly funded, independently operated schools that are allowed to operate with more autonomy than traditional public schools in exchange for increased accountability. ||
 * Justin || Barnett || For:
 * Kathryn || Brock || ====== [|Against] ======

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There are several arguments against Charter Schools. One of the major issues is that the small size of most Charter Schools allows them to teach only a small number of students. Additionally, since the Charter School style of education has been successful, it would make sense to implement these techniques in traditional schools, rather than opening new Charter Schools. Opponents state that since Charter Schools have few regulations, it is unfair to compare them to traditional public schools. Another concern is the idea of continuity of education, if a Charter School would close it would be difficult for a student to adjust to a traditional public school. ====== ||^  || Open-enrollment allows students the choice of what school they want to go to. This system basically makes sure students can choose the school that best suits their needs. Open-enrollment can help students that want to go to schools that are outside of their living area. Many schools have restrictions on how students can go to the school they choose; however, these are not very hard to overcome. || Open-Enrollment : System for anyone that can get into any school of their choice. || As far as the disadvantages of open-enrollment, the only thing that I could really find was the information in the textbook. Basically, it claims that parents may find selfish reasons to enroll their children in certain schools, such as the proximity of the school to the home or workplace. In my own opinion, the reasoning behind open-enrollment is the freedom of choice, and some parents will make poor choices for their children regardless, so I believe it's difficult to argue against. Others may also argue that lower-income families and those in rural areas may not be receiving the same benefits as those in middle- and high-income families or those in urban areas, but it would again seem as though the choices of the parents are more the determining factor than the simple ability to choose a variety of schools. ||^  || Because Magnet schools focus on specific programs, they have the potential of providing added motivation for students who have an interest in the area the magnet specializes. They attract staff and administration that have an ideological bent for customized programs. Hence, the chance for personality matches and common interest bonds are heightened. Because the schools accept children from all over the district, social/ethnic diversity may be increased in this environment. Some of the statistics that I had found in this article are, the educational effects of magnet schools, comprehensive schools, and Catholic schools, found that for the average student magnet schools appear to produce higher achievement in reading and social studies. In addition, a national study of magnet schools by Blank, Dentler, Baltzell, and Chabotar (1983) showed that 80% of the magnet schools had average reading and math achievement scores that were above their district's average. These were studies of many different kinds of magnet schools, not just academic career magnets with random selection procedures. || Magnet Schools-
 * Abigail || Bulock || [|For:]
 * Timothy || Furness || Against:
 * Ashley || Geditz || For :

|| ==== The term magnet comes from the fact that school boards set it up in a way that it is a school that feeds out of another school. Magnet schools are schools that focus on only certain programs such as applied technology, finance, or math and science. After reading what they are about, I feel that this this gives some students a disadvantage because if that school is in their area and is not of their expertise or they are not admitted, then they can not attend. On the flip side of that, if the magnet school is located in an area that has higher costs of living but it is a school that a student wants to attend, they are unable to have to choice of attending that school. That is why I think that all basic public schools should invite anyone is, however offer different electives based on student interest. If there is enough student interest in one course, why can't they offer that specific course that a magnet school would focus on, to classes at a regular public school. ====
 * Amanda || Gilbertson || [|Against]

||^  || is the measurement of "intellectual accomplishments that are worthwhile, significant, and meaningful," as compared to multiple choice standardized tests. Authentic assessment can be devised by the teacher, or in collaboration with the student by engaging student voice. When applying authentic assessment to student learning and achievement, a teacher applies criteria related to “construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and the value of achievement beyond the school || Most standardized tests use multiple choice, matching, and true or false questions which do not invoke a level of higher thinking. When taking a multiple choice tests you can usually eliminate an answer even if you don't know anything about the question. Also, not all schools have the same amount of resources which can put schools at a disadvantage for these tests. Teachers may also spend to much time on just teaching the test and less time on other important educational subjects. The tests only show you the performance on that day and time of the test and do not show you how the student has done the rest of the year. ||^  || The main goal should be to prepare students to function in everyday situations and succeed in everyday life no matter what they choose. These programs cost more money and if the number of students who decide to take advantage of this program is low, it wastes money. The last 2 years of high school is still fairly early for students to make the decision of what they plan on doing for their career; it would be hard for them to make a decision right away if they want to take advantage of the program or not. If they do then decide they do not want to be apart of the program anymore after they have started, it also wastes money. ||^  || School choice programs have the potential to motivate positive change in the public education system by introducing competition, thus forcing public schools to increase student achievement or risk closure. Depending on how school choice programs are designed, they can level the playing field by giving low-income and/or minority students access to a high-quality education otherwise unobtainable. Allows parents to choose where to send their children to school from a greater array of alternatives, even if they are outside of their assigned school district, thus allowing them to take a more active role in shaping their child's education. || ==== School Choice: ====
 * Lilian || Harmer || ==== [|For] : " All, regardless of race or class or economic status, are entitled to a fair chance and to the tools for developing their individual powers of mind and spirit to the utmost. This promise means that all children by virtue of their own efforts, competently guided, can hope to attain the mature and informed judgement needed to secure gainful employment, and to manage their own lives, thereby serving not only their own interests but also the progress of society itself." ( The National Commission on Excellence in education) Educational Reform is always necessary in a society that believes that the future of our Country depends on Education. Having a better educational system will give us better doctors, engineers, teachers, politicians, and a better society. ==== || A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform (1983) ||
 * Tyler || Hennagir || Against: I read through most of the article and it all seamed as if it was based on opinion rather than facts and statistics. I agree that if there are changes that need to be done than i am all in favor of reform but they need to be based on scores and statistics rather than what the board see or feels needs to be changed. Having the best education system for children is the number one goal of reform but if the goal is to educate students to become the best they can be in fields of their choices than maybe the focus should be shifted on teaching those skills. I think that part of the reform could be that vocational skills are more prevalent and general technology skills be abundent. Most jobs in todays society require employees to have such skills so if reform is to take place change the system to the best quality practical life skill setting instead of some of the useless knowledge taught in most schools today. ||^  ||
 * Stacey || Hopf || [|For]: In the work force, success or achievement is often rewarded. Teaching should be no different. The teaching position is often turned away by a number people because of the pay. It is a hard and demanding job and should be treated that way.Teachers should not only be rewarded for their longevity, but also for their success with students in their classroom year after year. Just like teachers reward students for a job well done in order to recreate the behavior, teachers that are given an incentive for their hard work and dedication will often work harder to inspire their students to achieve those results again. Rewarding high level achieving teachers will often keep them in the profession longer. Merit pay also shows to others that good teachers are valued in this society. || ====== Merritt Pay Teacher Compensation: a teacher compensation plan based on the achievement or performance of the students they teach. ====== ||
 * Mary || Kohler || Against ||^  ||
 * Kayla || Kost || For: Full-service schools assist students and their families beyond the child's education. Many families, especially those with low incomes and/or education levels, find it difficult to obtain needed social services, so full-service school provide an opportunity for these families to take advantage of all these services in one convenient, accessible location. These schools emphasize the family's importance in their child's education, improving students' livelihoods oftentimes without any extra cost to the school. || Full Service Schools: schools that provide extra services such as after-school care, medical examinations, adult education, and counseling ||
 * Jennifer || Lease || Against: I feel that full-service schools create an unequality in the level of care provided for that school versus non full-service schools. While it is true that the areas where full-service schools might have more of a need for outside intervention, there are students in all schools who need this type of help but their families are not able to obtain it for them. I think it's unfair for medical and dental care to be provided to students in these schools, because I know there are students across our country who are missing this much needed service due to family finances. It seems that it should be all or none; either all schools are full service, or all school focus on the traditional school services and leave the rest outside their doors. ||^  ||
 * Melissa || Ledeboer || __For:__ I am for No Child Left behind. This is so important for kids who don't learn as fast as other kids. It allows them to get the extra help that they need without being on an IEP. It also allows parents to know exactly where their child is as in school. || No Child Left Behind Act - 2001 ||
 * Eric || Liles || Against ||^  ||
 * Alyssa || Masie || For: I am for Authentic Assessments because I feel that it is more personalized for the students, who knows students better than their teachers? Standardized test are just to generalized and I feel students don't take the test seriously and that they just fill out random bubbles just to get the test over with. Authentic Assessment is better for the students and gives education as a whole a better name to the public. || Authentic Assessment-
 * Derek || Mertz || Against ||^  ||
 * Chelsea || Meyer || For: I am for high-stakes testing. High-stakes tests will help the public compare schools and school districts, and this increased competition will improve all schools. High-stake testing will also hold teachers and administrators accountable and, therefore, will improve teaching. It will also help school districts and administrators focus resources in areas of need. Lastly, high-stake tests help to identify teachers who need help. || High-stakes tests: A term used to describe tests with significant consequences. The consequences may be related to students and their graduation or promotion or related to teachers and their evaluation or pay. ||
 * Neal || Petersen || Against: I am against high-stakes testing.
 * Kayla || Plimpton || [|For:] I am for School Business Partnership Programs. "Schools and businesses are working together to benefit students, teachers, and entire communities. Successful partnerships can be found across the grades, in schools large and small. Included: Education World's "Principal Files" principals offer ideas, tips for successful school-business partnerships." Partnership can benefit all the people surrounding the local school. || School Business Partnership Programs: The relationship between a school and a business for the purposes of enhancing the quality of educational programs. ||
 * Kahryn || Ragsdale || Against:
 * Dawn || Ruhlman || [|For:] I am for School Choice.

A policy that allows parents and guardians to choose the school their child will attend regardless of the location of their residence.
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 * Connor || Ruppert || Against ||^  ||
 * Ashley || Ruud || For || Mandatory Pre-School ||
 * Sijing || Tian || Against

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In my opinion, the preschoolers should not be forced to go to school unless they really want to. It is not mandatory for preschool. In fact, preschool is a way of getting kids use to being away from the parents, and gives them a chance to interact with other kids. But children are different, not all children are adapt into preschool, and have a good performance. Some parents have free time to take care and teach their children, and then children can have home-schools, like teach them how to remember alphabet, and calculate to ten...that should be good for children as well. That is still can give children a good preparation before they go to kindergarten. So preschool is not needed as a mandatory first step in a child's education.===== ||^  || Federal law prohitbits government from creating or supervising curriculm in any way however, to me, this seem exactly what they are doing. When government ties millions of dollars in school funding to adopting specifc standards and curriculum it essentially mandates them. Parents, teachers, etc have no say. National curriculum, criteria, and tests will crush innovation and limit options for the nation's widely diverse families and students. ||^  || Although the general concept of the Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act is a good idea how do we know that it is right for every child? How do we know that each child is satisfied during school? Recently, many students have voiced that they are not getting enough to eat at school because the portion sizes have been cut and other things have been cut from their diet, such as a slice of bread. There has to be a compromise to allow satisfaction for all students that will also give them proper nutrition. ||^  ||
 * Yusuf || Vinson || For || Common Core Curriculum- State Standards Initiative, supported and created by the National Governors Association and Council of Chief State School Officers, sets grade by grade content requirements for K-12 in English language arts and math. The association is also developing science and history/social studies standards. ||
 * Angela || Wagner || [|Against] This "one size fits all curriculum" not only takes away educational freedom, creativity, and innovation of teachers in America it is also moving us closer to federalizing education.
 * Christina || Warnke || [|For] -- I am for HHFK because I think it is criticial that children are getting the nutrition that they need -- if they eat better, they tend to feel better and in return it may give them a positive attitude while in school. I also think that this act is important because it also provides breakfast and summer programs which will help out the kids who belong to families who may not have the money to give their children food with the proper nutrients that they need for every meal. || the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFK) -- This Act authorizes funding and sets policies for child nutrition programs, including the school lunch program, school breakfast program, summer food service, and others to improve nutrition and hunger safety for children. ||
 * Brianna || Wingen || Against