Historically, education has been one of the most popular disciplines for master's degree candidates. After all, nearly every community throughout the United States has a K-12 school that needs teachers and administrators. What's more, teaching has always been an appealing career, what with summers off and holidays granted liberally throughout the school year.
But the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites a different reason for people wanting to become school teachers and education administrators of K-12 institutions. The BLS says that there is a rising interest among students to enter a field that is growing and changing, a profession that is getting more attention from policy makers and members of the community in recent times.
No Child Left Behind
Part of the attention educators are getting is largely a result of the debate surrounding the Bush Administration's introduction of the No Child Left Behind Act. The No Child Left Behind Act was signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002. Some of its provisions call for the more flexible use of federal education funds at the local level, greater accountability at the local level for student achievement, and options for parents who seek alternatives to the education provided by their current K-12 public school.Critics of the NCLB Act, such as the National Education Association, assert that the Act employs unproven, untested methods and relies too heavily on standardized testing rather than developing unique solutions spearheaded by teachers that are tailored to individual classrooms. The NEA says that K-12 teachers, students, and schools should be evaluated on more than just test scores, a strategy that they claim can hurt students more than help them.
While it's unclear whether NCLB will get the support it needs at the local and regional level to succeed, or if its strategy will even be effective, it's a good time to join the debate and begin making a difference in the education of America's youth.
