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Topic: can anyone please give me websites that contain an article about any controversial issue on education? thanks

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1

bazooka91

can anyone please give me websites that contain an article about any controversial issue on education? thanks

2

speamerfam

There are so many controversial issues in education today that it is difficult to know how to choose an issue.  Here are some possibilities for you:

Charter Schools

Accountability for teachers

No Child Left Behind

If you simply put key words into the Google search engine, you will find thousands of articles on these issues.  The Washington Post and the New York Times have search engines on their websites, as well.  Your school is likely to have an EBSCO subscription, and you should talk to someone at the school library to find out how to access this amazing and wonderful database.  A specific database for education is ERIC, which you should be able to access through your school, too. 

Now, the issues I suggested are about politics and education.  If you need a more pedagogical focus and peer-reviewed articles, EBSCO is the database you should be using.  For example, you will find articles about constructivism or rote learning, still a controversial topic in some circles, or articles about whether ESL students should be completely immersed in English at all times.

3

You might also search "merit pay" in any search engine of your choice.  This is the controversial issue about teachers getting paid according to how their students perform on standardized or state tests.  It is a form of accountability, but most teachers do not support it due to the belief that there are some students who would sabotage the results on purpose for whatever reason.

Good Luck!

4

Similar to the previous posts, the issue of tenure for public school teachers is one that, like others, is being revisited.  School boards are making it increasingly tougher for teachers to be tenured and some are moving for it to be eliminated entirely.  Some sites below might assist you:

http://neighbors.denverpost.com/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=13148633&p=976432

http://www.merrow.org/ed_advice/2008/11/teachers-involved-in-policy-and-eliminate-tenure/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1S1-9199507120615095.html

Another very pressing issue is the notion of professional development and the form it will take.  The fact that there are so many methods to engage in professional development creates controversy.  I would discuss this, also.

5

I would suggest that you investigate school funding.  I know that these days in my state, Arizona, funding is a major issue.  Local communities are being asked to assume more and more of the funding that used to be handled by the state, and there is wide discussion about whether or not citizens want to pay for band, art, and some athletic programs in our local school districts.  We will vote on a budget override that will fund some of these, but there is widespread opposition by citizens who feel that the money they are paying now is not being used well.

 

Another issue that you might find interesting is the possibility of funding all public and private schools through vouchers.  Parents would get a voucher that they could use at the school of their choice; no more just going to school in your neighborhood, and no more having to attend under-performing schools.  It's not as common a topic as some of the others,  but I think it's something that is on the horizon ... merit pay for schools :)

http://www.adl.org/vouchers/vouchers_main.asp
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/11/martin.vouchers/index.html

6

melissa-ragan

Check out edweek.org. They always have information on all the latest controversial topics in education.

One topic you might want to consider: Educating children of illegal immigrants.  Some good discussion questions are:

Who should pay for it?

Should kids be punished for their parent's actions?

 

7

In addition to the suggestions above, I would look into the issue of testing.  The question of whether we are testing our students too much is a hot topic.  In PA, we give our students the PSSA exams in Reading, Writing, Math, and Science.  History will soon be added.  This year, students will be taking these tests 3 1/2 weeks in April.  Think about it, there will be little teaching, if any, in the month of April for PA juniors.  In addition, our district takes class time to practice for these exams using the 4Sight program.  Oh, and don't forget the PSAT, ACT, SAT, AP exams, and classroom exams.  I look for education in PA to soon be testing 180 days of the school year!!! Enough is enough already!

Some websites you might want to look into are:

http://www.balancedpolitics.org/school_testing.htm

http://usliberals.about.com/od/education/i/NCLBProsCon.htm

http://findarticles.com/p/article/mi_qn4176/is_20060726/ai_n16635831/

http://www.vahomeschoolers.org/law/pro_and_cons.asp

 

8

I'm not sure if you teach or where you teach, but I teach in a small, rural school district--400 tops k-12. I see issues everyday that occur as a result of boys and/or girls interacting in the classroom, and while I don't know if I would like a single gender classroom, I do know it would be controversial in my neck of the woods.

 

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr215.shtml

http://schotlinepress.wordpress.com/2008/01/17/students-say-single-gender-classrooms-boost-self-confidence-ability-to-succeed/

http://badgerherald.com/oped/2009/02/03/single-gender_classr.php

9

thewritingteacher

And then, of course, there's the school choice/voucher arguments---add into that home school, charter school, private school, and magnet school----now THERE's a hot button issue! Where would vouchers be allowed? Who would receive them? Would they work to improve underperforming schools or would they just make the problems worse? There are a million ways to take the discussion. For balance, add home school and charter school sites to your research...

10

My father has solved the whole "public education" crisis--vouchers. Then "good" schools would get the "good" students, schools would have to be more competitive in order to draw in the good students, and etc. This is after substiting just a few days. No telling what we do with or where we'll put the students who are going to to school in order to be  good students.

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