| Very little has been written for public consumption | | | | grades to obscure poor performance. So now is |
| about the classroom environment. The description | | | | the time to start analyzing what is taking place in |
| of one substitute teacher's account of student | | | | the schools and its classrooms. |
| behavior in Chicago depicts less than ideal teaching | | | | On the issue of low achievement scores, this |
| and learning conditions. The behavior of the | | | | question must be answered: How can a student |
| students was found to be both alarming and | | | | attend school for ten years or more and read at |
| saddening and perhaps demonstrates why many | | | | a third grade level? It is inconceivable that a |
| public school children's achievement is so poor. | | | | student can be promoted consistently while |
| And, if this behavior is typical at a substantial | | | | functioning at that level. |
| percentage of the schools in the system, then a | | | | In Chicago, the public's attention is now directed |
| cause of poor student performance has been | | | | to education for many reasons. Perhaps, now is |
| identified. Now, there must be a solution. | | | | the time to examine the ramifications of not |
| One must first understand that education has two | | | | providing a positive learning environment at school. |
| sides. One side involves learning in the classroom. | | | | After all, the purpose of going to school is to get |
| However, the other side is financial and this very | | | | an education. There are different types of bad |
| important part enables education to work. There | | | | behavior exhibited in the classroom which range |
| are federal, state and local government dollars | | | | from being impudent to the teacher to fighting |
| that fund education. The federal budget figure for | | | | with classmates according to the substitute |
| education is 127.8 billion dollars, a number which is | | | | teacher referenced here. |
| hard to fathom due to its enormity. One must | | | | The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system is |
| assume that the size of the population determines | | | | experiencing other serious issues. School closings, |
| the amount state governments receive in federal | | | | charter schools, school violence, teacher |
| funding but there may be some other variable(s) | | | | qualifications, enrollment practices, and budget |
| that is considered when allocating funds. The | | | | deficits are all a part of the problems facing the |
| mixture of funding pays for many things like | | | | public schools. Chicago is facing an almost $1billion |
| teacher and administrative salaries and benefits, | | | | deficit this year. |
| books, supplies, contracted services, interest for | | | | There are upwards of 700 substitute teachers at |
| borrowing, etc. Just taking into consideration the | | | | CPS. They are only used when teachers are |
| level of funding for elementary and high schools in | | | | absent and there is a great deal of teacher |
| a large school district, though part of the national | | | | absenteeism. So CPS is paying for two people |
| budget, is another figure that can be hard to | | | | every time a teacher calls in absent. Last school |
| grasp. | | | | year, the cost for substitute teachers was $25M. |
| While there are surely districts that have fine | | | | This overspending must stop. |
| educational systems, some, maybe many, are | | | | For the billions of dollars being spent on education |
| lacking. Teacher credentials and performance are | | | | today, the results should be better. It is time to |
| now at issue. Children are functioning in high school | | | | get serious about education and make changes |
| at a third grade reading level. It has been reported | | | | needed to educate the youth of this country. |
| that teachers are coerced into changing student | | | | |