About Public Schools

Public schools enjoy a long and illustrious history in the United States, with the first schools in the country dating almost as far back as the arrival of the Puritans on U.S. shores. Since that time, the purpose, philosophy, and goals of public education have been examined and debated, up to the development of the public school system still in existence today. How we got to the current point in public education warrants a look back centuries at the very first schools dedicated to educating American youth.

Puritans Recognize Need for Public Education

As early as the 17^th century, the need for public education was recognized by the Puritans living on American shores at the time. This population determined education was essential both for teaching basic academic skills and core religious values. Boston Latin School was established as the first public high school in 1635 in Boston, Massachusetts. The school is still in operation to this day.

This video looks at early American education.

The Massachusetts Bay Colony decreed in 1647 that towns of 50 people should have a public elementary school, and those with populations of over 100 should have a Latin school. The primary function of schools at this time was to teach reading so that children learned to read the Bible. Schools also taught Puritan values and basic information about the Calvinist religion, according to Applied Research Center.

Online learning has become a popular way for many college students to earn a degree, but it is also making its way into many primary and secondary schools as well. With the rising popularity of cyber-charter schools nationwide, some public school districts are turning to cyber-education as a means of competing with other schools in their areas. But is online education the answer for public schools today? The answer depends on who you ask.

What is Cyber-Education?

According to K12, an online school, cyber or virtual schooling takes place on the Internet, rather than a traditional classroom. Students go online from anywhere they choose, allowing them to keep up with school work from home or on the road. Access to teachers is completed through phone calls, online through conferencing, or face-to-face in some instances. Teachers that work in cyber-schools are state-certified and oversee virtual classrooms, where students often have the opportunity to interact with their instructors and peers.

While cyber-schools maintain a sense of structure in their virtual classrooms, there is flexibility in education that is not seen in a brick-and-mortar classroom. The success of students in cyber-education rests more squarely on parents, who must ensure students remain focused even if they are doing their learning from the comfort of home. However, unlike homeschooling, parents do not act as instructors in the cyber-school experience.

This video from SUNY offers an overview of online learning.

Cell phones have become an artificial appendage to many adults today, and teenagers have followed suit on this trend. However, many middle and high schools have adopted serious restrictions on cell phone use during school hours, with some schools still requiring students to keep cell phones completely out of sight as long as classes are in session. Other schools are beginning to lift many of those restrictions as teachers realize the learning potential inside these small handheld devices. While the specific rules depend on each school, the consensus is that cell phones, when used properly, can enhance the academic experience.

The Cell Phone Controversy

When students first began carrying cell phones, educators saw them primarily as a distraction in the classroom. Even more concerning was the fact that some students quickly learned how to use these devices to cheat on tests in class. The kneejerk reaction by many schools was to ban cell phones altogether, creating policies that would allow for confiscating phones that were seen in halls or classrooms during school hours.

However, Mind Shift reports that as phones become a more prevalent feature in daily life, some schools are rethinking their strict policies. According to this publication, Students are beginning to lament that cell phone restrictions are one of the greatest obstacles in bringing technology into the classroom. As more teachers find uses for those tiny computing devices, some are also beginning to side with the students on this issue.

The Atlantic

Charter schools have been touted as one of the solutions to a failing school system, but not everyone believes charter schools are the best way to reform public schools. Test scores offer little assistance in this area since numbers can often be manipulated to support either side of the aisle. As these alternatives to traditional public schools celebrate their 20-year anniversary, can we know definitively if they are making the grade? It may depend on who you talk to and which school you are talking about.

The Growth of Charter Schools

No matter what educators, parents, and lawmakers might think of charter schools, one thing remains crystal clear: the number of charter schools nationwide has been slowly and steadily growing over the past 20 years. The Huffington Post reports that there are now around 5,600 charter schools around the country, attended by more than two million students. In states like Michigan, caps have been removed, allowing for the exponential growth of charter schools in that state as a multitude of charter operators have moved in to take advantage of more liberal charter authorization laws.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Michigan began the new school year with 31 new charter schools and a 32^nd in the works. Eighteen of those schools are in the Detroit area. Those numbers represent the largest charter school growth in a single year since 1990. Currently, the state has 277 charter schools operating, with three-fourths operated by for-profit

The debate over junk food in schools continues to rage in states across the country. Advocates for banning junk food in school districts just got a boost from a recent study that shows laws restricting high-calorie, low-nutrition foods in schools may contribute to lower obesity rates in students. The recently published study suggests that stronger restrictions on the food and beverages served in public schools may indeed contribute to the overall health of the school’s student population.

About the Study

The New York Times reports that the study, which was recently published in the journal “Pediatrics,” found a compelling link between laws restricting junk food sold in vending machines at school and obesity rates for that particular student population. The study tracked 63,000 students over a three-year period. While researchers who completed the study said the positive outcomes among students were still relatively small, the evidence suggests that stricter guidelines on school food offerings could actually curb the youth obesity epidemic currently faced by the United States.

Students were evaluated between fifth grade and eighth grade. The study encompassed 40 states nationwide, ensuring the student populations were accurately represented. Weight changes among students were compared between states that have laws against junk food and sugary beverages in school vending machines, and those that did not. The study also classified laws governing food selections in schools; strong laws were those that completely restricted the sale of junk food and sugary beverages, while