5.3: School Systems
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Introduction
March 2020 was a month we will never forget. Schools and the educational system physically closed their doors for a particular time and went to remote learning platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Canvas and other electronic-learning tools. All children regardless of where they lived were being home-skilled to some degree by there families, siblings and neighborhoods. The digital divide was displayed by the lack of access children had to computers, laptops and even tablets. Schools would be forever changed and the country would realize how valued these settings were for children's learning and social-emotional development. Let's take an opportunity to identify and define the different types of schools, educational practices, partnerships and resources to serve children and families.
Types of Schooling
Public Schools are required to follow certain guidelines and maintain mandates via the state's local rules of curriculum, policies, and governance. Educators are required to have certain certifications and this may differ from state to state. For example, in California teachers have credentials to teach specific age groups and must maintain professional learning as part of their certification. The U.S. Department of Education provides guidance to states and requests state plans to be submitted based on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Charter Schools is defined by the California department of education as "public schools providing instruction in any of grades TK–12 created or organized by teachers, parents, community leaders, or a community-based organization.
Private Schools differ from state to state and predominately charge tuition. The misconception is that private schools don't maintain the same standards or abide by the same laws and policies of public schools.
Home Schooling has its roots in the 1960s though the 1970s when educational reform became an issue on the national forefront (Dobson, 2000, paragraph 5). Actually, until 1852, public school attendance was not mandatory. It was only in 1852 that the state of Massachusetts made the first compulsory attendance law and eventually all other states followed suit. (All About Parenting). This issue has become increasingly debated because the number of students enrolled in home school has been increasing 15 to 20% each year for the last fifteen years (Dobson, 2000, paragraph 9). Families were faced with the option to send their children to public or private schools or to keep their children at home to educate the children themselves. Families considered many aspects of education to make this decision including their educational aptitude as teachers, the possible social effect on the children, the production of good citizens, the attention the children need to learn, and the external pressures of the school systems placed on the children. While public education uses a set curriculum to teach all children in a given classroom. The classroom is filled with a variety of learning styles, interests, and abilities. For the families who have chosen to educate their child at home, the curriculum can be catered to meet each child's individual needs, interests, and learning style. There is also the element of time. More personalized time is given to the child at home and there is not the wasted time standing in line for lunch, recess, others to finish their work, etc. and therefore much of the schoolwork is completed much earlier in the day, leaving time for real-life learning experiences. (All About Parenting).
Home Schooling and the Federal Government
Once an isolated practice with little support, homeschooling “has now reached a level of unprecedented visibility, politicization, and publicization” (Cooper, p. 111). Parents and advocates have gained significant legal, political, and social ground, substantially raising public awareness. Subsequently, the increase in home schooling’s power and popularity has caused state and local educational leaders to adjust some of their policies. This has brought considerable criticism from supporters of the “democratic, public control of education” (Cooper, pg 112). They claim homeschooling “denies democratic accountability” (Cooper, pg. 112) and is “detrimental to the common good” (Cooper, pg. 115).
This section on homeschooling was captured from "What are the benefits and drawbacks of homeschooling?" by Jennfer Kidd, Jamie Kaufman, Peter Baker, Patrick O'Shea, Dwight Allen, & Old Dominion U students, LibreTexts is licensed under CC BY-SA .
Educational Practices and Models
Schools may utilize different pedagogical frameworks and models to support learning. The list below is not exhausted of all practices and models.
Montessori Approach (Dr. Maria Montessori)
The Montessori Approach refers to children’s activity as work (not play); children are given long periods of time to work and a strong emphasis on individual learning and individual pace is valued. Central to Montessori’s method of education is the dynamic triad of child, teacher and environment. One of the teacher’s roles is to guide the child through what Montessori termed the 'prepared environment, i.e., a classroom and a way of learning that are designed to support the child’s intellectual, physical, emotional and social development through active exploration, choice and independent learning.
The educational materials have a self-correcting focus and areas of the curriculum consist of art, music, movement, practical life (example; pouring, dressing, cleaning). In the Montessori method, the goal of education is to allow the child’s optimal development (intellectual, physical, emotional and social) to unfold.
A typical Montessori program will have mixed-age grouping. Children are given the freedom to choose what they work on, where they work, with whom they work, and for how long they work on any particular activity, all within the limits of the class rules. No competition is set up between children, and there is no system of extrinsic rewards or punishments.
Other Approaches and Models of Curriculum
Common Core Standards are skills and knowledge for K-12 grade. View the video below for additional information about common core.
School and Family Partnerships
Programs and schools that serve children and families may have formal committees such as Parent Teacher Association (PTA), advisory boards, and other ways to create space and build community. The PTA is one of the oldest national organizations with local chapters at school sites that advocate for children and promote family engagement . In what ways do you think schools changed how they engage families as the virtual platform has increased?