* Home * Rebecca Newburn * Contact * Resources Making Educated Changes to Further Education

There is a no greater gift that we can give our children than quality education. Education knocks down the barriers erected between the rich and the poor, it’s the catalyst that’s needed for the reaction that combines hard work and determination and converts it to success, and it’s wealth that we can never lose once we’ve gained it. With over 90 percent of American children being educated at public schools, improving the quality of education a student receives translates to improving the quality of these schools. To do this, city administrative officials must focus on:



· Hiring and retaining qualified teachers who are dedicated to the profession.

· Improving the standards at preschools so that kids enter K12 schools ready to learn. The potential in each child must be developed.

· Improving safety at schools, especially those in poor neighborhoods where the crime rate is high.

· Involving parents in the education process, with teachers providing regular feedback on how their children are performing at school and opening up channels of communication between parents, teachers and the school authorities.

· Improving facilities and infrastructure at schools.

· Putting funds to good use to further the development of the school, and hence its students.

· Holding quality after-school programs to help weaker kids with homework, assignments and lessons.

· Decreasing the number of drop outs.

· Taking a career-oriented approach with seniors or providing guidance and counseling to choose the right colleges and majors.

· Performance-based incentives for teachers to motivate them. An amount of accountability must also be factored in to ensure that they don’t help students cheat by leaking test papers or helping them with answers.

· Improving not just academic test scores at schools, but providing students with an all-round educational experience that will prepare them to face the life ahead.