How Can We Make American Students Smarter?

[Phalanx]

How do we make American Students Smarter?

It takes more than a school system, more than a teacher, more than fancy standardized tests. There is an old saying, "It takes an entire town to raise a child". It applies here as well.

It has to done on multiple fronts such as the following (IMHO).

1) Parent accountability and responsibility to ensure their children do attend, do homework, and the parents HELP and participate in the education of their children. Granted that's not always possible, broken homes, etc.. , but lack of parent responsibility and accountability should be the exception, not the norm. Perhaps a "Bad Parent Tax" should be levied.

2) Give Teachers greater ability to enforce greater classroom control and discipline. The teachers hands are tied today. Granted teachers should not be disciplinarians, but at least give them ability to maintain order without fear of reprisal, or child abuse charges,etc.. Too many times have I heard of one or a few disruptive students impeding the teachers ability to teach those that truly want to learn. This disruption must be stopped cold. All parents and students sign a wavier giving teachers this ability.

3) Raise Standards. The standards are far to low today. The passing test results have more to due with "funding" than with actual educational success. It's truly sad that so many that I interview today, even college graduates can't even write a complete sentence, and have even worse verbal skills. Believe me this area is my own personal worst, but what I see today is even poorer than my own.

4) End or Modify NCLB. While concept is worthy the implementation is faulty. Too many students are basically pushed through without being given the proper education in order to simply to fulfill this objective. It is not achieving it's goal, it's have the opposite effect.

Just for the record, I'm not a teacher.