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Based upon requirements mandated by both the federal government and the state government, public schools are obligated to report their student body’s progress and test results each school year. As asserts, “All states and schools will have challenging and clear standards of achievement and accountability for all children, and effective strategies for reaching those standards.�

In light of recent national educational guidelines and standardized testing mandates, individual states have started to implement their own sets of learning and development standards. With every state providing schools and educators with educational goals and benchmarks, many parents and leaders are concerned about their local schools� progress and achievement. With regulations shifting in various subject areas in states nationwide, leaders want to know: are the schools succeeding?

Student Progress and Reports

While each school has its progress records, the national average statistics show that public school students struggle to meet the established standards. According to , the most recent NAEP test results show that approximately 1/3 of American fourth-grade students are below proficiency in reading, math, science, and American history.

Adding to this deficit, when comparing our schools to others worldwide, our eighth-grade students earned a 19 out of 38 ranking in the comprehension areas of math and an 18 out of 38 in science. Similarly, U.S. twelfth-grade students were ranked 18^th out of 21 countries in

With recent budgetary issues and decreased funding for public schools, many administrators are being forced to cut teaching positions for the upcoming school year. The loss of teachers means that nearly all students will be forced into a larger class size in the future. Will your child be prepared to successfully handle the change?

Lower Budgets and Larger Classes

As all public schools cope with the loss of funds, leaders must make difficult balancing decisions. Most controversially, many school leaders are being forced to cut teaching positions to keep their schools running.

As the population of students stays the same and the number of teachers declines, students are being shuffled into larger classes with less personal time with each instructor. Los Angeles, for example, is one of the leading examples of a city facing a budget and job cut crisis. As reports, Los Angeles� Board of Education recently voted to cut thousands of public school jobs, including both teachers and support staff members. With an estimated 600 million dollar deficit, the school leaders assert that public schools must let teachers go at the cost of larger class sizes.

This TED Talk explores why our schools are failing.

Will Your Child Succeed?

As the average public school class size has changed dramatically over the past several decades, experts are still debating the impact of class

In light of the recent recession, many schools are being forced to cope with serious budget cuts and impending financial setbacks. As a result, some schools with more grave financial needs may be forced to either close down or shift a majority of their student population to alternative surrounding schools.

Adding to budgetary issues, many public schools are beginning to reassign students to ensure that everyone receives equal educational opportunities, regardless of one’s socioeconomic status. Ultimately, all parents are beginning to wonder: Will public schools soon reassign my child?

The New Wave of School Re-Assignments

School Budgets

In areas that have been severely impacted by local job loss and recession struggles, schools may be forced to cope with such setbacks by closing various campuses and / or removing teacher positions.

For example, Detroit’s automobile industry layoffs have severely hindered the local economy, and the region currently holds the nation’s highest unemployment rate. As a result, these former tax-paying residents are no longer receiving their standard income. Ultimately, without taxable steady incomes, schools lose funding, as a large portion of public school funds are provided by income and property taxes from local residents.

Adding to the burdens of local lay-offs, many unemployed workers may relocate to a new area to seek work. Not only does this reduce tax dollars contributed to school funding, but the number of students in each district falls as well. With a decrease in the student population, schools

Through President Obama’s stimulus plans, public schools across the country are gearing up for a new source of income. Subsequently, many community members are wondering how their local schools will choose to spend the new funds. According to national reports, many schools are choosing to spend their stimulus money in unique, and much needed ways.

Public Education Stimulus Package

As reports, public schools across the country are being provided with an incredibly large stimulus check to boost school and student performance. Specifically, the new public school stimulus package is designed to provide specialized support and assistance to schools serving special education students, homeless children, and lower-income families with children. With these focus areas, the package has set aside approximately $712 million dollars for public schools.

As schools debate ways to most effectively use the funds, the United States Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, asserts that school leaders should strive to think in new, different, and creative ways. For example, as AJC further reveals, “Schools can spend the money on one-time expenses �- such as teacher training or technology aides for students with disabilities �- that can have long-term benefits for student learning.�

This video reports on President Obama's Race to the Top program.

In analyzing the funds set aside to initiate new and improved programs, reveals that, in addition to directly targeted funding

School vouchers have been a controversial debate among community members and educators for more than a decade � and there are no signs of the debate simmering.

Vouchers are essentially a form of “tax scholarship� for public school students, wherein the educational tax (which typically is given directly to public schools) can be used to pay for alternative forms of education. With the voucher approach, taxes allow parents to send their children to a school of their choice; this money can even be used for private schools.

While many parents and educators believe that vouchers give students the freedom to seek out better educational opportunities, other individuals and experts assert that vouchers simply deprive struggling schools of receiving much-needed funding for improvement. With this great debate, one must question: are vouchers destroying or saving our public schools?

This video from NPR explains how vouchers work.

How Do Vouchers Work?

As public schools rely upon tax dollars for funding, each student who attends a public school is “worth� a certain amount of tax dollars. Each public school district or county is provided with a different “tax worth� for their students, which is determined in elections by community members.

For example, “District A� schools may receive $5,000 per student (annually), while “District B� may only be provided with $4,000 per student (annually). If “District A� is provided with more money and funding for each