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Running head: DEVELOPING THE BIG PICTURE Developing the Big Picture Developing the Big Picture Education in one form or another, is an important part of our society. Because the United States is a melting pot of different cultures, education has been impacted by the different cultures of its students and teachers. These diverse cultures have a direct socioeconomic and demographic effect on schooling today. As school enrollment increases, the need for funding increases. From early on in our country’s inception, education has been mandatory.
As we progressed as a country, many schools were created to provide children of many races a free, equal education. Millions of children passed through the public schools in the United States every year. Educating our children usually begins at ages 5 or 6, and continues for 12 years. The U. S. education system is made up of different types of schools that teach in a variety of styles; some are public, some are private, some are charter schools, and some are home schooled. All of these different types of schools give a diverse education to millions of students. Approximately 50 million children received their education through public schools. ? About 5. 9 million children received their education through private schools. ? About 1. 4 million children are enrolled in charter schools. ? Homeschooling has become very popular, and has been increasing steadily for the last ten years. The current numbers reflect that 1. 5 million children in the U. S are being homeschooled. (Gundle-Krieg 2009) With an ever increasing population, school districts need more teachers who are able to teach in a class full of culturally diverse students.
Socioeconomics and demographics are very important in figuring out what each community’s student looks like. A typical child in the United States performs as well as its school performs. In larger cities surrounded by suburbs, urban children experience over crowding and low budgeting, and thus do not perform as well; while schools in the suburbs are predominately middle class, with some over crowding, and richer budgets. I do not believe that you can break down and describe one typical student.
The United States has been enforcing integration policies for decades. Because of such policies, poor students are now going to school with the wealthy. The class room has become a melting pot of diverse cultures. UNC Center for Civil Rights states, “because of higher poverty levels among students of color, socioeconomic integration in multiracial school districts often creates more racially and culturally diverse classrooms as well- benefitting all students as they prepare for futures in our increasingly multiracial society (UNC Center for Civil Rights 2005). Therefore, because the diversity school districts create different types of students, there cannot be one typical student for which you can base a country’s entire educational system on. Education in the United States is typically funded by the federal, state, and local levels. “In Texas, K-12 grade public education will cost 51. 5 billion dollars (Legislative Budget Board Staff 2001). ” In Texas, the funding for schools is shouldered by the local school districts, the state of Texas, and the federal government. In Louisiana, the state budget is 29. 7 billion dollars, which is made up of monies received from the federal government, the state, local districts, and federal recovery funds (Louisiana Department of Education 2010). ” Meanwhile, in Mississippi, funding education comes from the federal, the state, and local levels, with a total budget of 61 million dollars. Many states are finding it harder and harder to fund public education and are looking for new and inventive ways to cut the costs to educate our children. Some school districts look to the ocal community for help, while states are seeking grants from large corporations to help fund specific programs. Schools of higher learning play an integral part in preparing the country’s future educators. Universities prepare educators by providing a well rounded education in specific areas such as the sciences, technology, and the arts. In Texas, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. As part of your credentials, you must finish an approved teacher training program, because “Texas institutions do not offer a degree in education” (Texas Education Agency 2010).
Finally, you must complete the teacher certification test that encompasses the subject and grade level you wish to teach. In conclusion, school districts and states are finding new ways to fund public education in the United States. In an ever-changing world of diverse backgrounds, education must keep up with the rest of the world in order to be successful in a global community. Many states have mandatory certifications for teachers, in order to improve the quality of education in America today. References Gundle-Krieg, D. (2009, December 14). How many Children are educated in the United States?
Houston Examiner, D4. Texas education agency, . Texas Department of Education, Office of Education. (2010). Educator certification (no document number). Austin, Texas: government Printing. Retrieved from http://www. tea. state. tx. us/index2. aspx? id=5830&menu_id=865&menu_id2=794 UNC Center for Civil Rights, . (2005). The Socioeconomic composition of the public schools: a crucial consideration in student assignment policy. Unpublished manuscript, School of Law, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapal Hill, North Carolina. Retrieved from www. law. unc. edu/civilrights