Author: admin

Examine several weeks’ worth of the state and local news
section of your daily paper (hard copy or via the Web) for articles relating to
school finance. Do these articles support or criticize the current system? Do
they agree with any of the points of view presented in this chapter, or do they
take a different approach? Share your findings with the class.

Tenure protects teachers from dismissal except on such specified grounds as incompetence, immorality, insubordination, and unprofessional conduct. Teachers accused of such conduct are entitled to due-process protections.

Teachers’ rights regarding freedom of expression and
academic freedom depend on a balance between individual and governmental
interests.Teachers have rights guaranteed to individuals under the
Constitution, but school boards have obligations to ensure the “proper” and
“regular” operation of the schools, taking into account the rights of parents,
teachers, and students.

Organized and mandated prayer and Bible reading are not
allowed in public schools. School curricula do not automatically constitute
unconstitutional discrimination against religion when they ignore religious
points of view or explanations.

1. Should teachers be required to meet higher or different
standards of personal morality than other citizens? Why or why not?
2. Debate the pros and cons of prayer, Bible reading, and
religious observances in public schools. Should current laws change regarding
these activities?

1. Do you think teachers should use television programs to
help promote attention to concepts they teach? Explain your answer.
2. Why is it important that teachers understand the
background of students in their classrooms?
3. What other steps do you think Mark should take to help
his effectiveness as a teacher?

Youth has become a separate stage of life marked by
immersion in various subcultures.Teenage drug use and drinking, suicide,
pregnancy, delinquency, and violence raise serious concerns about the
development of adolescents and youth both inside and outside the school.

1. How do adolescents’ socialization experiences differ in
urban and rural communities? Are such differences declining over time, and if
so, why?
2. How does “schooling” differ from “education”? As a
prospective teacher, what implications do you see in this line of analysis?

1. In your experience, which types of students are most
popular? Do you believe that popularity patterns have changed much in recent
decades? If so, why?
2. What might the schools do to alleviate problems of drug
use, violence, and teenage pregnancy? What should they do? Do you believe the
“might” and “should” are different? Why or why not?

Write a description of the “regularities” of schooling as
you remember them at the high school you attended. Compare your description
with those of your classmates. Do these patterns seem to vary much from one
school to another? If so, how?