Phlog #4 What is an American Education?

What is an American education? A National System of Education, Defined by Decentralization

An American education is full of opportunities, from Head Start programs for low income families to elite college preparatory private schools. Financially, America is committed to education—mostly through property taxes—although debate remains with regard to teacher pay.  Now, an American education in regards to decentralization is the fact that locals are trying to determine what is best for our students in our state.  Although, we are not the ones creating the standards for NM, how can we even think of moving away from decentralization to centralization and try to compare our state that is pretty large in size, to a smaller or even bigger state?  There are various factors to consider with decentralization that include the financial aspect, the curriculum design of our classrooms, as well as the type of state we live in whether it’s rural or urban.   It would be nice to have a centralized education system where we could see where we really stand in our education system from state to state, but then again the factors that I listed above make it seem like it’s not such a good idea either.  Just like each teacher is going to teach the material in their classroom different from other teachers, each state is going to have different needs in order for their state to be considered proficient.  I was unaware of the standards for education here in NM and across the US.  I always assumed that we had a centralized education system.  I thought that our standards were like the standardized ACT or SAT exams taken for college.  It has been an interesting eye opener for me learning about our education system.  I am also starting to ask my husband many questions about education as he is the Chair of the Public Education Commission here in NM.

Phlog #3 Who is education for?

Who is Education for, and what is the ends of that education?

Education is for everyone: the young, old, rich, poor, special needs, individuals and groups. The basic argument that everyone is entitled to an education is true only to the extent that formal public education is accessible and equitable.  Many formal higher education systems discriminate against those who cannot afford it, but education is unending in regard to its unique existence: it lives in everyday life experiences and can happen anywhere, anyplace, anytime.

Everyday life and everyday function require education. For example, my everyday life events are, generally, the same events that occur over and over. Wake up, feed my daughter, get ready for work, go to work, domestic evening duties, phlog and sleep. While my “everyday” is generally the same, the small things I commit to in order to improve my world are different. For example, I attend school on Wednesday, but my weekly preparations, homework and interactions with other students will change the way I view education (it already has). This will lead me down a positive path of action through the application of my new information. My change in everyday action will yield improved results for me. The changes I make through education, and my new results, are the ends of education in my life.

Education is one’s life long journey.  Whether it happens in an APS school, charter school or some other type of school it is the beginning of the journey.  I am glad I have not stopped my journey of education and have continued life by returning to school to do what I love to do, educate our youth and prepare them for that journey.

Phlog #2 State of Education

The current state of education in New Mexico is viewed negatively by the media and others.  Although we are facing various challenges in our education system with budget cuts, teachers not getting paid what their worth and so forth we need to redirect our focus on the creative and innovative students that we are losing along the way. In New Mexico there are many schools failing but there are just as many who are graduating students with the accurate proficiency to attend college and move forward with their education.  We just don’t hear the positive side of education very often. There are exceptional teachers who are teaching in a failing school who are giving their students the education and skills they need to succeed.  I feel that teachers need more support and career development that relates to their specific classrooms.  The teacher’s effectiveness will improve and help her class achieve all the standardized testing that is required for each student.  One of the comments in the documentary that was viewed in class stayed in my mind.  The comment was “If students aren’t learning in your classroom then you’re not a good teacher, you’re a good person”. I believe that education should not only be measured by all the standardized testing and requirements by the state, but by the student’s intellectual development as well.  There may be a student who comes into a class room at the beginning of the year that is immature and not on the right track academically, but because of his “great” teacher, he changes his behavior and education path by the end of the year.  This is a perfect example of how a teacher can do what is required by the state, education wise, but also help a student grow.  So in my opinion she is a “great” teacher as well as a good person and that’s what it takes to be an educator.

Blog assignment #1

Reflecting on my personal educational experiences, the central themes that defined me as a student were the commitment and dedication I spent working on achieving a passing grade in class.  School was difficult for me and it took a lot of sacrifice to make that “B” in my math class.  I spent many lunch breaks in tutoring sessions but I knew what I had to do in order to succeed.  I was very involved with the cheer and dance teams in high school and had to maintain the G.P.A. requirements to participate. I was also very lucky to have a few influential teachers who helped me fulfill my dream of college. 

During my first two years of college at the University of New Mexico, general education courses and G.P.A. were again a means to keep my Lottery scholarship and stay involved as a Lobo cheerleader and the Chaparral dance group. My commitment changed when I began my specific course work for my family studies degree. I became very interested in learning about child development, family dynamics, socio-economic status, and the link between education level and job earnings. Education was still a means to an end but, instead of eligibility, it became a personal need to fill my “toolbox” with the skills to be an important part of the lives of the adolescents I worked with in my job.

I have been employed with the Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation Department since I was 15 years old as a part-time summer employee. My work began with seasonal recreation programs and grew into a teen dance program. My experiences have taught me to listen, be compassionate, and to speak at a level young people understand. I have developed a sense of how unique each individual’s view of the world is as they grow. My passion for dance and young people, combined with my with my education in family studies, has again inspired me to commit and dedicate myself to expand my knowledge. 

My work experience has developed my soft skills: compassion, communication and hard work. Earning my teacher’s license is also a means to an end—to further link my passion for youth to measurable education outcomes.