Selecting a Public High School Based Upon Their Graduates’ Success

While the Montessori Method has been quite popular in early education, more and more public charter schools from kindergarten through middle school are adopting Maria Montessori’s philosophies as well. In fact, there are more than 300 public schools in the United States that currently utilize the Montessori Method, and specifically, there are 150 Montessori charter schools. In an age of standardized tests and intense academic pressure, it seems that a growing group of parents and children are turning towards the Montessori Method.

What is the Montessori Method?

In a stark contrast to our traditional education model, the Montessori philosophy is a more holistic, individualized approach that places an emphasis on “following the child.” One-age classrooms are replaced by multi-age environments, and the prevalence of paper and textbooks is traded for multi-sensory educational tools. Instead of adhering to strict lesson plans, children are allowed to select their curriculum, spending as much time as needed in mastering the subject matter.

In addition, unlike traditional schools, Montessori schools do not believe in issuing report cards with numbers or grades, as outlined by the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA). Progress is not measured through quantified numbers, but rather through a “reporting and record keeping system” that details observations made throughout the quarter. Rather than seeing an “A” grade for math or a “B” for science, parents of Montessori students will see qualitative evaluations on the report cards for variables including attitude, sense of order,

During his time in office, President Barack Obama unveiled his proposal for overhauling the No Child Left Behind Act. This is a move of tremendous importance to public education. The NCLB Act was supported by both Democrats and Republicans in Congress when George W. Bush introduced it in 2001, but many education policy workers and politicians have become critical of the law in the years since its passage.

The law has come under attack for several reasons:

• Encourages Teachers to “Teach to the Test.” Critics say that the law has demoralized teachers and forced them to “teach to the test” rather than making instructional decisions based on the best interests of students.

• Encourages States to Dumb Down Standards. Because the standardized tests which are so important to NCLB are based on state standards, the law created what Secretary of Education Arne Duncan calls a “perverse incentive” for states to make their standards as low as possible, ensuring that a maximum number of students achieve passing scores.

• “Utopian” Goals. The Obama administration, according to the New York Times, has called NCLB’s goal that 100% of public school students will achieve proficiency in reading and math “utopian.”

This video looks at some of the issues with No Child Left Behind.

President Obama’s Proposed Changes

To fix the weaknesses of the No Child Left Behind Act, the Obama administration is proposing several changes:

Focus

Bake sales are a longstanding tradition at public schools. Parents and students use them to raise money for special field trips, sports equipment, and other luxuries that tight school budgets cannot afford. However, a new rule in New York City’s public schools is attempting to reduce the number of bake sales, prompting outrage from fans of this American tradition.

This video describes how to "fail" childhood obesity; schools nationwide are banning bake sales. And they're taking away not only the sweet treats but fundraising money.

New Rule Limits Sales of Homemade Baked Goods in Schools

As the New York Times reports, New York City’s public schools have adopted a new rule that allows PTAs to hold fundraisers that include homemade baked goods only “once a month or weekdays after 6 p.m.”

PTAs and other school organizations can still hold fundraisers at different times, but they cannot sell homemade baked goods at these fundraisers. Instead, they may sell fresh fruits and vegetables or items selected from 27 packaged foods that meet the New York City Health Department’s calorie, fat, and sodium standards.

The new rule is part of a more significant effort by New York City’s Department of Education to reduce obesity among public school students. Eric Goldstein, chief executive of School Food and Transportation for the New York City Department of Education, tells the New York Times that 40 percent of

Forget Adam and Eve or sex education. The latest curriculum controversy surrounds global warming. In fact, South Dakota’s legislature recently passed a resolution that called for the “balanced teaching of global warming.” Global warming, the resolution states, is “a scientific theory rather than a proven fact.”

Some States Mandate That “Both Sides” of Global Warming be Addressed

According to the New York Times, South Dakota is not the only state to have introduced legislation addressing the question of how global warming should be taught in schools. Among the other states that have taken or are considering such steps include:

• Texas - The Texas Board of Education declared in 2009 that public school teachers must present both sides when discussing global warming and evolution.
• Kentucky – A bill recently introduced in the Kentucky legislature encourages teachers to discuss “the advantages and disadvantages of scientific theories,” as the Times reports, including “evolution, the origins of life, global warming and human cloning.”
• Louisiana – Louisiana’s state legislature passed a law in 2008 that says that the state board of education “may assist teachers in promoting ‘critical thinking’” on subjects such as evolution and global warming, according to the Times.

This video from PBS looks at attempts to rein in climate change education.

Why Global Warming and Evolution Are Linked Together

Legislators may be using the question of whether global warming should be taught as a