Tell the COE And The BOE What You Think By: Anthony Pellegrino, Part II

12. Which is a more important role for schools–to give students academic skills and other knowledge to prepare them for a job, a career, or college, OR to develop students’ character so that they can make responsible decisions as adults in society about such things as drugs, sex, family and money?

13. As you look back on your elementary and high school education, is it your impression that children today get a better or worse education than you did?

14. In your opinion, how much does the amount of money spent on a public school student’s education affect the quality of his or her education– a great deal, quite a lot, not too much, or not at all?

15. In your opinion, should students with learning problems be placed in the same classes as other students, or should they be placed in separate classes?

16. Here is a short list of changes some people have suggested might improve the public school. Do you favor or oppose making each of the following changes to improve the public schools:

a. Requiring schools to teach values/morality

b. Making students meet adequate academic standards to be promoted

c. holding parents accountable when their children are disruptive

d. Requiring teachers to pass standardized competency test

17. Would you agree to having your taxes increased to pay for better education if you were convinced that would help improve the quality of education?

18. Do you think elementary school students and/or high school students of different ability levels should be grouped in the same classes, or separated into different classes based on their ability?

19. What effect do you think class size has on students’ achievement? For elementary school students and/or high school students, do you think small classes make a great deal of difference, little difference, or no difference’?

20. Do you favor or oppose the government offering parents money or “voucher’ to send their children to private or religious schools, or public schools outside their district?

21. As you may know, the government requires schools to spend extra money to educate children with physical and learning disabilities. Who do you think should be primarily responsible for paying additional costs for these children with disabilities?

22. Do you favor or oppose cutting programs for children with physical and learning disabilities so more money could be spent on the majority of students without special needs?

23. Whether or not young people are sexually active, schools (should) or (should not) give them information about birth control and safer sex.

24. Do you think that high school nurses or health clinics should provide young people with condoms and other forms of birth control if students ask for them, or not?

25. Which student is more likely to succeed– the student from a family where people read a lot but who goes to a poor school, OR the student from a family where people are not reading so much but who goes to a good school? Add additional remarks which you feel the PSS or the government should do to improve the quality of education.

I will collect your replies and publish the results for you to see how everyone is thinking. Remember to mail your feelings to: Dr. Rita lnos, COE, Public School System, P.O. Box 1370 CK Saipan, M.P. 96950. Or fax them to 664-3798. Your replies are vital to helping the PSS improve. Do it now!