Time for Radical Change in our Public Schools!

Public schools have been the fundamental key to a quality education in the United States of America. Throughout the years, public schools have educated many students and prepared them to be productive citizens in the American society. In some cases, the public schools have also failed many of our students and given them no other alternatives to succeed in this society. However, the transformation of public schools is in need of a radical change. Many reasons can be accounted for as to why these schools fail and continue to fail our students, particularly minority students. For instance, inequality of funding, low standardized test scores, unqualified teachers, and tracking of students are often the result as to why public schools are in a crisis. In addition, fifty percent of minority students have failed to reach grade level proficiency in history, math, reading, and science (NAEP, 1998; 2000). More importantly, public schools have taken a tremendous fall in the achievement of all students, specifically minority students. Public schools are not held accountable, nor do they take the responsibility for the problems that continue to exist within the educational system. The goal of public schools should be for all students to receive a quality education. However, minority students are the most affected by the public school system because they are plagued by low expectations from teachers and administrators. Gay (1990) suggests that minority students fail to reach their full potential in the traditional American school because the educational environment is not only unresponsive to their needs, but also opposes their learning styles. The public schools are in need of a radical change to ensure that all students receive a quality education, particularly minority students.

The transformation of public schools is in need of a radical change. No one wants to take the responsibility as to why public schools are in a crisis. Everyone wants to blame teachers, teachers want to blame parents, parents want to blame administration, and administration wants to blame the school board. Everyone must be held accountable if public schools are to continue educating students, specifically minority students. Public schools are becoming more and more detrimental to minority students because many of them attend these schools in urban areas. The expectation of public schools has not met its standard and is in need of a radical change. Public schools were founded on the principle that they would educate all students and prepare them for the American society. For some reason, public schools are not preparing students for the American society; public schools are not meeting its goals in educating all students and ensuring that all students receive a quality education.

The radical change in public schools must include an examination of the school systems, restructuring the schools to help all students succeed academically. First, all public schools must be committed to education. High standards must be set from the district office to the schools within the district in order for public schools to reach its goal in educating all students to achieve success and become productive citizens in American society. Somewhere and somehow, educating all students has gotten lost and the solution to solving this problem has been forgotten. To begin transformation of public schools, everyone must be held accountable including all entities involved in preparing all students for higher education, trade jobs, or the military. Everyone has a responsibility to uphold in public schools. It is time for a radical change in our public schools more so now than ever before because the public schools are failing our students, particularly African Americans. A radical change in our public schools is evident and the need for everyone to be held accountable is pertinent if public schools are to succeed in the American society.