Myths That Threaten American Public Schools - 904 Words

Myths That Threaten American Public Schools Just like in any other profession or aspect of life, there are many myths that threaten education in public schools. Many people believe that teachers are the most important influence in a student’s academic achievement. In reality, educators have a very little influence in student achievement compared to other influences in the students’ lives that is out of the teachers control. It has been proposed that teachers don’t need to go to school to learn how to educate, they just need knowledge of the subject matter. This could be extremely destructive to student learning because they would not have the proper skills to instruct a classroom. Another common misconception is that instructors in†¦show more content†¦Outside-of-school factors have at least twice as much influence in student achievement than inside-of-school factors. By believing that instructors are the most important influence in a child’s education, teachers are given an unrealistic responsibility. Many policymakers believe that holding educators accountable for student success is the best way to improve public education. This asks educators to overcome these outside variables that are far outside of teachers’ control. Policymakers suggested linking teacher evaluations to student achievement, measured by standardized tests. This is not a beneficial way to hold teachers accountable because of the many outside factors that affect student achievement. A better way to hold teachers accountable is to stem out of a realistic perspective on what teachers can and should do for their students. Each part of society holds an important responsibility in increasing student achievement. Teachers should not be asked to be responsible for more than they can handle. One thing that educators must have is subject matter knowledge. Effective teacher s must also have good classroom management, a variety of instructional skills, and the ability to motivate students in order to help their students learn. If all the instructor knows is subject matter, students will be less interested, focused, and motivated. The Governor of Arizona, Fife Symington, proposed that all a good teacher needs is a clean