Well, as you may or may not know, I’m taking an Arizona Constitution/Government class. Exciting, I know. But I thought I’d post one of my assignments. I feel sort of silly posting my school work here (boring & lame!) but I haven’t really blogged in who knows how long & I feel a bit of a hypocrite. 
Click on the link below to read it…
21st Century Edu in AZ
The US federal deficit topped one trillion dollars on July 13, 2009, reflecting a history of unprecedented borrowing and spending. And it’s no secret most states are in a budget crunch as well. With a current shortfall somewhere between $1 and $2 billion, Arizona is having to make tough choices regarding budget cuts and taxation. Yet in such dire economic times, the people of Arizona need to hold onto both essential values and relevancy when it comes to budget appropriations. I believe that building a relevant education system by incorporating emerging technologies and evidence-based practices will help build a strong future for Arizonians.
Arizona believes in education. Close to 50% of Arizona’s budget is reserved for kindergarten through high school education. But compared to other states, Arizona students rank near the bottom for performance. It’s likely that that giving this broken system even more money would create more of the same problem, namely students under-prepared for college, work and life. I whole-heartedly believe that teacher’s salaries ought to be increased and more money could be used on purchasing technology, etc., however, I believe that there needs to be drastic reforms in the approach we take to education. The state ought to invest in relevant research of best practices for education as well as the quick implementation of such research.
We need to prepare children for a 21st century, first world economy and this is not happening. Why are we encouraging teaching methods that were fashioned during the industrial revolution? Tomorrow’s workplace will focus on “collaboration over competition, participation over observation, and people over personalities.”** Revise the standards to include more technology-based, collaborative opportunities. Train teachers to not be afraid of incorporating fresh, research-based, intuitive methods that really work. Quit boring teachers with “in-service” days and make them create solutions for their students that they can implement. Give teachers a say in the budget! Heck, gives students a say. Creating community and having each individual take responsibility for an incredible school system would only build a skilled and happy workforce in Arizona’s future.
What revenue sources should be used for reinventing the school system? Raising taxes in tourism (if we still have that industry during this economic crunch!) would certainly be pleasing to Arizonians since it doesn’t affect the majority of us. Raising property taxes, even by a marginal percentage, could sting a little but is a viable option. However, if Arizonians understood that this money was going into a healthy, evidence-based, technology-supported system, then it may not be such a bad idea. Of course, reorganizing some of the government’s infrastructure and reducing needless spending is of the utmost importance. The bottom line… hard-earned money should be invested into a hard-earned, rewarding school system. It will be a long road to convince the “old guard” to hand over education to the reformers, but it is desperately needed and will be well worth the effort.
(**See “Manifesto” at www.gangplankhq.com)
{ 3 comments }
Hey Michelle! Quick question for ya. I am looking into publishing some poetry. Do you have any contacts at ASU still, say, in the English department perhaps? Or do you have any “peeps” any where else who might be able to help? Just wondering cuz I know you are smart and cool like that. Let me know. Thanx : )
- John
Hello John! I just put in an email to my cousin Jane. She’s a professor of English at Wheaton in Illinois & is a total “rockstar” when it comes to poetry. In fact, she’s published two books of poetry among her work. I’ll let you know what she says! In the meantime, here’s her website: http://sanctuarypoet.net.
-MS
P.S. I think she self-published her most recent book of poetry through Lulu.com. I don’t know too much about it, but check them out… ALSO, have you put up your work somewhere online? Do tell!
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