Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.
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About 1,000 students from high schools throughout Southern Nevada participated in the 54th annual Sun Youth Forum on Nov. 23. The students were divided into groups to discuss a variety of topics. A representative was chosen from each group to write a column about the students’ findings. Mary Jean Freeman of Durango High School writes about issues covered by her group, “School Days.”
Extremely diverse teenagers met at the 2010 Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum to discuss an important element that we all share in common: school days. Everyone in the room knew the importance of education because we understand that it ultimately affects the future of not only our community and state, but the world as well. It became an opportunity to discuss what needs to be done to benefit the Clark County School District not only for us, but for future generations also.
As Nevada is ranked the lowest state in the country for education, it sparked intense discussions. A major point addressed was what should be done to improve the education system in Nevada.
For the group as a whole, teachers are the heart and soul of our schools. Therefore, the School District should be more aware of the teachers it hires. Also, school administrators need to make it a priority to effectively and accurately evaluate a teacher’s performance because without high-achieving teachers, there cannot be high-achieving students.
Teachers who are able to engage in our learning and relate material to our everyday lives make all the difference in the world. Evaluations should be done more often and higher standards should be set for teachers.
Other students thought the curriculum of our schools should meet a higher standard that prepares students to compete on a national level. Many students gave personal accounts about how they take the same subject as another student from a different school, however the other student appears to learn much more. This resulted in the point that teachers should be stricter on keeping up with the curriculum to ensure that all district schools are teaching the same material.
Another point that the group felt strongly about was the reduction of class sizes. Almost everyone in the group had a class with almost 50 students in one room. The reduction in class size would allow teachers to focus more on individual students, and the students would be more focused and less distracted.
This triggered another discussion: Should schools return to a block schedule? Although block scheduling is more expensive, the majority of the group thought the effects are highly beneficial. I agree with this because it allows teachers more time to get in depth with the material they need to cover.
A proper chemistry or physics lab cannot be completed accurately in a mere 55 minutes, prolonging the lab to multiple days, whereas in block scheduling it can be finished much faster. Everyone agreed that block scheduling allows students to get more accomplished.
A few students pointed out that without block scheduling, classes available to a student are limited because of conflicting schedules. Others said it allows students to earn more credits, giving them opportunities to make up credits necessary to graduate.
Everyone in the group agreed that the difference between a traditional six-period schedule and a block schedule is unparalleled. We believe more learning is achieved with a longer period, class sizes would be reduced, and the ability to balance a rigorous course load would be easier for students.
My experience at the Sun Youth Forum proved that teens do care about education and the problems we face in our schools today. If we make our voices heard, we’ll not only be able to change the education system, but make a powerful impact on our world as well.
