How do politics affect education

Similarly, corporations and their representatives have become involved in influencing education policy at local, state, and federal levels, in their pursuit of employees who possess the skills and knowledge needed by a productive workforce. Individually and through organizations such as the Business Roundtable, businesses offer advice to elected officials regarding educational policies. Educational concerns may motivate professional organizations, parents, and others to work toward particular goals.

For example, education and professional associations and their government relations representatives lobby federal and state lawmakers regarding policy decisions, including financial allocations. Teachers and administrators may use information from national associations to encourage local school officials to limit the sizes of classes assigned to laboratory rooms, select particular textbooks or curricular programs, or increase funding for instructional technology.

In particular, concerns regarding equity, stemming from efforts of organized groups, federal legislation, and court orders, may affect decisions about resource allocations, testing accommodations, and curricular offerings. Civil rights groups may lobby state legislators for changes in education funding to ensure that all children have access to high-quality teachers and learning opportunities.

Education-related decisions of officeholders and other policy makers are also influenced by media that convey information and shape public perceptions. Widespread U. Those messages played a role in spurring new actions intended to improve U. At the local level, news stories and editorials centering on the lack of textbooks and laboratory facilities in urban schools may heighten public awareness of inequities in the U.

In addition to exerting influence through the political system, some businesses, education and professional organizations, and others have acted to influence the education system directly.

Major chemical, pharmaceutical, technology, and aerospace firms have invested in science education reform for many years—for example, some corporate officials work with educators to help school districts develop and implement local strategic plans to provide inquiry-centered science programs for all students National Science Resources Center, Organizations supported by corporations have also intervened directly.

National associations of science, mathematics, and technology. Some informal educational institutions, such as science centers and museums, and some professional societies, such as the American Chemical Society, also create and publish curriculum materials and provide elementary and secondary teachers with professional development opportunities.

If the standards are influencing individuals and groups external to the education system as intended, decisions enacted by elected officials and policy makers would show support for standards-based reforms. Professional associations in the forefront of the development of national standards for mathematics, science, and technology would lead national and local efforts to implement the standards, as well as work with elected officials and leaders to build a consensus in support of institutionalizing standards-based reforms.

Professional associations would join together and collaborate with decision makers in establishing assessment and accountability programs that draw on multiple measures and address the full range of standards-based content and skills. The public would be informed of standards-based progress and supportive of continuing efforts.

Attempts to weaken or dismantle standards-based education—whether to de-emphasize the place of mathematics, science, or technology in the curriculum; to limit assessment solely to skill development; or to reduce funding for professional development focused on standards-based instruction—would be met with vocal public criticism and opposed by policy makers.

On the other hand, standards may generate resistance and opposition by individuals and groups outside the system. Such groups would work to influence views of policy makers or the public at large, affecting decisions and actions within the education system. Opponents would encourage funding or programmatic decisions regarding curriculum, professional development, and accountability practices that inhibit implementation of the nationally developed standards, working to convince legislators, governors, and school boards that the fiscal, resource, or political costs associated with changes urged by the standards are inappropriate.

How have politicians, policy makers, the electorate, parents, business and industry, education organizations, and others responded to the introduction of nationally developed standards? How are the standards being received and interpreted by those outside forces? Most believe that such shootings resulting from political differences in ideologies aim to pass messages from one side to the other. Therefore, students are caught in the middle-ground, and their safety is jeopardized.

Possible student safety suggestions have been offered, and some prefer arming some school staff with concealed weapons or get proficient volunteers.

However, the ideas have been debated as increasing more guns, resulting in worse accidents and violence. The common core set by the State Standards is designed to provide some level of standards to both math and language arts.

It specifies what students in public schools should learn every year, starting with kindergarten to the 12th grade. A developed in , these standards are created to spearhead equity in public k schools because every student will undergo a standardized test at the end of the year. The issue is to instill an education system that standardizes all schools to one level to help students in their careers and college life readiness.

However, it received opposition as an unwelcomed federal intrusion to control the education system. Most teachers argued that these standards offer inflexible course plans and rigidity in creating creative means of learning. All the same, many states in the U. In some parts, the standards are still practically similar but given other names while writers are providing quick essay help term it otherwise. Government funding for projects in schools, high schools, and universities ranks highly as a political issue facing most people in the academic sector.

Parents also go to great lengths to get their children into good schools, paying exorbitantly to live in pricey communities with good schools or to enroll their kids in expensive private schools. Urban parents jockey furiously to get their kids into gifted, magnet or charter schools, often miles away from their home.

The failure to hold elected officials responsible for school quality trickles down to the entire system. Few schools or educators face consequences for low performance. Meanwhile, about 1 in 5 students never graduates from high school; 2 out of 3 who do graduate are not ready for college ; among those who go to college, 1 in 4 needs to retake high school classes at their own expense; and 40 percent of college students do not finish within six years , costing parents, students and taxpayers billions.

Education is arguably the most important investment society makes. Every problem we face, from joblessness and crime to racism and even obesity, can be better addressed through education. Successful graduates contribute to society. Unsuccessful students carry costs.

So, is politics the problem or the solution? Is politics the problem in education or the solution? Comments are moderated to facilitate an open, honest and respectful conversation. While we never censor based on political or ideological viewpoints, we do not publish comments that are off-topic, offensive, or include personal attacks.

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