Focus on Education A Change in Attitude Is Vital By: Anthony Pellegrino

Each year since 1989 the PSS has been receiving an annual increase in its budget. Additional teachers were hired to accommodate an increase in student enrollment. The central office staff accordingly increased to handle the extra administration work. Yet to many critics it appears that the level of education remains the same. The constant criticism is that the students cannot read, write, compute, nor speak any better than previous years regardless of the increase in money, personnel and more technology. What’s the answer?

In fy1989, the PSS received a total of $12,235,400 for its budget. Total student enrollment was 5,829. In 1997, nine year later, the budget skyrocketed to $47,976,850 while the enrollment continued to climb to 8,853 students. On PSS’s payroll were over 1,000 employees composed of teachers and administration staff. Yet the educational level did not increase accordingly.

In FY 1998, the budget dropped to $37,700,000 but the enrollment climbed to 8,972. Meanwhile to adjust to the drop in the budget, the PSS created about 250 vacancies. However the PSS continues to keep the schools going and will educate students regardless of the dilemma it finds itself in. Does this mean that the quality of education will go further down now that less money and fewer personnel are available?

Is there an ideal amount of money and an ideal number of employees that the PSS needs to graduate students who will have achieved a good education with a majority of the graduates opting to continue their education? Does the PSS need $100,000,000 or more and 3000 employees to achieve its purpose? Somehow I don’t feel that this is the right solution because for students to improve, something more than larger budgets and more personnel must happen

Unless a change in attitude about and purpose of education occurs, the solution will always elude us. Parents must demand better quality education from their schools. They must become part of the solution.They must stop dropping off their children at the classroom door and leaving. The parents must become a part of the learning process They must become activitely involved. A change in attitude is vital. No excuses allowed.

Students must be motivated and encouraged to study. But they must be held responsible for not studying. They must be made to realize the consequences of a poor education. No mores social promotions. A change in attitude is vital. No excuses allowed.

The teacher must focus on reading, writing, listening, speaking, and math. He/she must stop being lax in classroom discipline and demand performance. The material to be taught should follow a prescribed syllabus. However the techniques for teaching should be left to the teacher. The teacher must be held accountable for the quality of learning that goes on in the classroom. A change in attitude is vital. No excuses allowed.

The principal must become a mentor to teachers and less of an administrator. He/she must motivate the staff to higher levels of achievement. The principal must also become a monitor in assessing what the teacher is teaching, how is it being taught, and how is learning evaluated. A change in attitude is vital. No excuses allowed.

The entire community must become involved in the entire learning process. Legislators must stop throwing only money at the system. They must become an active part of it . Instead of lip service from much of the community, a new spirit of cooperation must emerge. A successful system requires participation tl1mugh actual involvement. A change in attitude is vital. No excuses allowed.

More money, more personnel is not the solution, but a change in attitude is closer to the solution. No excuses allowed!