Please Fix the K-12 Education System

Emily working on her homework. Photo Credit / Brandi Lynn Emily working on her homework. Photo Credit / Brandi Lynn
Emily working on her homework. Photo Credit / Brandi Lynn
Emily working on her homework.
Photo Credit / Brandi Lynn

Richard MacTough
Staff Writer

Many parents live by the idea of “you can be whatever you want to be, as long as you set your mind to it.”

The transition from high school to college can be difficult.

The K-12 education system is flawed when students are not very skilled with writing, math and effective study skills.

Can the mind really be set without the proper tools and guidance by the United States education system?

According to Nationsreportcard.gov, only 27 percent of students fell in a proficient or higher level in the skill of writing back in 2011. Schools lose more funding each year, as we spend trillions of dollars on the military.

In high school, teachers were more concerned with the budget and keeping their jobs. Writing assignments should be a daily assessment guided by instructors to improve a student’s style, grammar and spelling.

The No Child Left Behind Act continues to fail. The government has standardized tests every year, taking the focus away from actually learning.

We have former governor Tom Corbett to thank for making our education system a poverty asylum.

He is responsible for enacting a law that would force students to fail high school if they didn’t pass the math, reading or biology exams.

What good does this do for the children? What kind of job will they get without a high school degree?

Currently, Tom Wolf, our current governor, has the law paused understanding the kind of damage it can to do our country.

College is a place for free thought, to succeed and earn a degree to get a good career. Professors are left with students who cannot understand math, science or writing.

Because essays are required to be written in formats such as MLA, APA and more, college freshmen come to college confused. We also have students who study hard, but still receive poor grades because they do not know how to study effectively.

High school counselors play an essential role in transitioning students to college.

I remember setting up an appointment to get my own high school transcript and mailing it myself to East Stroudsburg University because my counselor didn’t have money for post stamps. It was after graduation and many students failed to complete the college process because of it.

The government must improve their role in education with funding, tools and resources that are needed.

Email Richard at:
rmactough@live.esu.edu