It is that time of year when some parents "shop" for a school for the upcoming year. This is especially the case for families who are about to transition to junior high or high school. School shopping can be daunting for both parents and students.
Everyone wants the best for their children and with a parent-friendly open enrollment policy in Arizona, parents have a great deal of control as to where their children attend school. Some parents believe that the best schools are the ones with the highest test scores and are willing to drive a considerable distance so their child can attend a certain school, when in fact the best school and best fit for their child may be in their own backyard.
As an educator of 40 years, a parent and grandparent, I recommend to parents shopping for schools to look at more than just test scores. You want a school that can address your child's academic needs regardless if he or she is an average student, an excelling student or one who may have a slight learning disability.
You want a school where your children are safe. They are safe physically but they also feel safe in their learning. Some teachers and schools place so much emphasis on covering the curriculum and the student getting the correct answer quickly that the student is reluctant to take a risk in their learning, which can lead to unnecessary stress and lack of enjoyment that should come with learning.
Oftentimes we place the attainment of the student's grade above student learning and the student's ability to demonstrate true knowledge and understanding of the curriculum. At Andersen Junior High School in Chandler we are able to address our students' academic needs, regardless of their ability level, and provide them with a safe environment where they feel safe physically as well as intellectually.
It is important to choose a school that has a curriculum and instruction focused on the critical elements of the state standards, and to compare students' achievement among teachers of the same curriculum thus ensuring quality instruction regardless of who your child's teacher may be. It is important that teachers' grade books are standard referenced, which enables instruction geared toward state standards, and that all homework, class work and assessments lead to students demonstrating knowledge and understanding of the standards. Most neighborhood public schools have developed programs to attract families and to ensure student success. For example, at Andersen Junior High we are the only public school in Arizona to offer both single-gender and mixed-gender classes.
We know that boys and girls learn differently and there is research to support it. In 2006, AJHS began implementation of single-gender classes and after six years has evidence that many students perform better, have less discipline issues and have better test scores when placed in single-gender classes. Fifty percent of the student body is enrolled in single-gender classes and the program has been the resource for two doctoral dissertations. Single gender classes do not work for all students and all teachers, but they are an option, an option that has proven to be very successful for a number of students.
Your neighborhood school reflects the social and ethnic diversity of the community and is an asset rather than a liability. The shrinking of the global community has required people of different cultures to be more understanding of one another. Because our schools are a microcosm of our state and nation we must teach young people tolerance and intercultural awareness. Programs like the International Baccalaureate educate and equip our youth with the intellectual and social skills they will need to be successful and compete in our ever shrinking world. Schools that are predominantly composed of only one ethnic social grouping have a difficult time preparing students for the multicultural world they will live in and work.
Your neighborhood public school has a lot more to offer than you may realize and I strongly encourage all parents to visit their local school, talk with the principal and let him or her explain why they can better educate and prepare your child for the next level, be it junior high, high school or college.
Jim Anderson is principal of Andersen Junior High School and can be reached at (480) 883-5300 or via email at Anderson.Jim@chandler.k12.az.us.
Arizona Willie posted at 11:02 am on Tue, Feb 14, 2012.
The only thing this article lacks is a disclaimer " this is a paid advertisement " [beam]
If the school didn't pay the paper for the space it should have.
If I was a parent of a school age child and considering his school, his statement in the 4th paragraph " Some teachers and schools place so much emphasis on covering the curriculum and the student getting the correct answer quickly that the student is reluctant to take a risk in their learning, which can lead to unnecessary stress and lack of enjoyment that should come with learning. " would give me pause.
I certainly WOULD want my kids going where the teacher put emphasis on covering the curriculum. Learning can be enjoyable, but, the kids need to learn the material whether they " enjoy " it or not.
School is NOT supposed to be a party or ego stroking experience.
School is SUPPOSED to have a certain level of stress. The kids should be pushed to achieve.
School is a training ground not only for them to learn certain academic subjects, but also to teach them how to achieve and handle stress.
Because real life will give them plenty of stress and if they don't achieve they won't get a trophy just for attending.
Teachers SHOULD focus on the curriculum ... NOT on seeing to it that the kids ENJOY being in their class.
This guy should be working in a water park where he can help kids enjoy themselves... get him the heck out of education.
chuckles3 posted at 4:26 pm on Tue, Feb 14, 2012.
Can I look forward to an similar article from the principal of a local charter school? Single-gender classes? How un-PC! Perhaps there should be an experiment with Single-Race classes? You know, separate but equal and all that? Oh, wait.....its only discriminatory when a protected class says it is. And what about the poor transgender kids? The single gender classes must confuse and discourage them even more. For shame! How non-inclusive and un-diverse!
Suelee posted at 6:08 am on Wed, Feb 15, 2012.
"You want a school where your children are safe." My younger daughter transferred from a safe charter school to a local, neighborhood East Valley high school in 9th grade for wider diversity of curriculum. It was not safe. A 14 year old classmate brought a loaded semiautomatic gun to school (it made the front page of the AZ Republic). Additionally, a senior male student repeatedly physically assaulted her in class (hitting, kicking, etc) when she was a freshman. When she would tell the boy to stop it, the teacher would yell at my daughter and tell her to "shut up." When we reported this to the principal, the boy was "talked to." No other consequence. My older daughter NEVER had this kind of experience at her East Valley Christian high school. So much for feeling safe at the neighborhood school.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 9:59 pm on Wed, Feb 15, 2012.
The others have said it so well.....
Teachers nowadays are expected by their principals to be what...."Classroom Clowns", "Dr. Phils" or Jay Leno's........so that their charges "ENJOY" their School Day...are you kidding me (I would use an old Army expression here but this is after all a family newspaper).
If the students aren't there to pass tests (knowledge qualification) and "cover the curriculum"...then what are they in this school for ???
The opposite of "LEARNING" is.......IGNORANCE AND ILLITERACY. Is that what Arizona's hard working ("working" is the operative word here Folks..."working") tax payer are sacrificing for ???
Hundreds of millions of Arizona Tax-Payer dollars to give our students a "HAPPY TIME"......instead of a "LEARNING EXPERIENCE".
When you and I (60+ years old) went to school we didn't have stress...we had "EXPECTATIONS" from our Families. Expectations to study, learn the curriculum and pass the tests to enable us to go foward with our Education.
The Guest Columnist need to realize that he is not a "Circus Ringleader" hired to put a smile on his students' faces but an "EDUCATOR" hired to make sure that his students, every one of them, "LEARN" the required curriculum so that when they matriculated to High School that they knew the subjects and felt competent to go on with their Education.
As for "SINGLE GENDER" classes....is smacks of "restricted" clubs, housing and employment back in the 1950's used to exclude (contamination) association with other...........RACES...and...ETHNICITIES.
What next.....SINGLE GENDER WATER FAUCETS.......[sad]
In_God_We_Trust posted at 3:48 pm on Fri, Feb 17, 2012.
HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2010
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2010 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it .
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The family gets extra money (SSI) from the government because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse, Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock .
2010 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents - and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again. ;
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee . He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 – In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2010 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
mesadog posted at 12:14 pm on Tue, Feb 21, 2012.
First, If you do not have kids in school these days or ever had you will have a hard time getting what is really going on. It may not seem like it but we have two sets of classes going on. One that produces the general population of shlubs to flip burgers and then the other set of classes turning out our future performers. What those kids are learning today is way beyond anything from the 80's or earlier and they start much sooner with the hard stuff too. Most of those kids have great parent involvement.
The article fails to mention parent involvement in their child's education. This should be a concern to everyone. The quality of a child's education is almost always related to the parents level of involvement. Not overbearing and running their life but know what is happening. Talking to their kids and teachers on their progress and how to help improve their education and make good choices. This must be done K-12. Do NOT turn your kids over to the government you will not like what you get back and get back what you deserve.
If we took the funding for charter schools and these experimental schools and gave it back to the public schools; then required performance from the teachers to keep their jobs and kids to be promoted with parent(s) involved we would not have many problems at all.
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