by Lisa Hopp

Created on: May 18, 2008

It is time we take an honest look at our educational system. Though we are a great country, we are often an arrogant country. We are no longer the wealthiest country in the world, or among the top few wealthiest countries. Dubai is first. But, ask most Americans and they will tell you we are the wealthiest and the strongest and the smartest. Educationally, we are far behind other countries. It is a fact that we must accept and make the changes necessary. Changes long overdue to our educational system.

It is not the length of our school year that matters, but the education itself. What would be the point of lengthening the school year at this point? It is the quality of the education that matters, not the length.

It is time we invest in our teachers. Pay them what they deserve. Fuel their passion for their work. Encourage them to invest in our children.

Under the "No Child Left Behind" debacle, children are boxed into preparing for tests rather than concentrating on real learning. The classroom should be a place of exploring, stretching, challenging and celebrating the gifts of our children. Expanding those gifts. Encouraging their brilliance. No child is made alike.

Instead, our classrooms are about the next regulated test, preparing for those tests, and learning only what is necessary for those tests. With this mentality, the children ARE left behind, because all emphasis is on the school passing the grade, not the children.

The key is for parents and society as a whole to be informed and to see their power to make the changes necessary. The educational changes necessary can only be implemented with enforcement from this country's citizens, not by any government regulations.

Many parents are opting for homeschooling, and not because of safety issues, but because of discontentment with the educational system. Perhaps, instead of opting out, we should protest and insist that our country's standards match the standards of the world. When this happens, then our country will truly be once again firmly in the place of the world's greatest super power. It is within our power to do this, and is our constitutional right.

Once our educational system is refurbished and our children are learning in a setting that pays attention to their strengths and seeks to truly overcome their weaknesses, then and only then can we embark on a discussion about lengthening our school year. As things stand today, can we really debate our children's enthusiasm over that last day of school? It is time we take up their cause and fight for their futures, invoking an educational system that competes with the educational systems of the world and allows our children to compete fully in the worldwide job market.

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