James Coleman
Secretary of Education Debate
1. What do you believe is the greatest problem in American education today? How does your administration plan to combat this issue? Explain.
We believe the greatest problem in American education is the fact that many schools use tests as the basis for all students’ grades. All students are not the same and learn in different ways other than testing. Also, many students do not learn a topic well by just lecturing, for example, some students learn better using hands-on methods, or there are some who favor visual learning. There should be classes that can benefit all types of learners because everyone should have the opportunity to understand what they are learning, rather than be confused by perhaps unclear or confusing lectures. It could also be more entertaining for those students, which will encourage them to come to class more.
We plan to combat this issue by having a more broad amount of learning methods readily available for all students, that way everyone can show their full potential in class. Also, tests should be at least optional, because we understand that some students do prefer tests. We should give students other ways to show what they have learned. Some ways would include replacing tests with projects that include in-depth research and will show the student’s true knowledge on the topic, instead of using a test that could potentially capture a student’s bad day.
2. How does your administration plan to increase the nation’s high school completion rate? Explain. - Include programs, support services, etc.
What do you think is the average of high school graduation rate? In the United States, only 83.2% graduate high school. In New York 79.4%, in Long Island and Nassau County 88.9%, and in Bellmore-Merrick 95% graduate. Some may say this isn't that bad percentage wise but we know that the rates can be lower. There are also many students that drop out for reasons like missing too many days of school, getting pregnant, arrested, or they have to work to support their family financially.
We are going to increase the nations high school completion rate by creating programs to help aid those students who are struggling. We will offer nighttime classes for those students who need to work during the day to support their families. We will also help to make the school a better environment for all students. We will have a program where if a child does not has enough money or whatever the case may be they will be provided with breakfast and lunch. Another program we will create is to give every student the same off period during the day so they can socialize with friends and can also make new friends. We will also create a free daycare system for the teen Moms so they can go to school and not worry about having someone take care of their child. Another major problem that causes people to drop out is drugs. Drugs have become a huge problem in the world. We will offer free drug rehab classes after school hours. These programs will be run and funded by the school district with tax money. The school district will also hire teens from the school to work the daycare center with a professional so then they will learn skills of taking care of children and will also have some work experience for any other job they may apply for in the future. We are the future of the United States, so why wouldn't we want to become the best we could possibly be?
3. What is your stance on standardized testing? Do you believe standardized testing serves a purpose? Explain.
Standardized testing is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner. We think that this method of scoring is unfair and we believe standardized testing is unnecessary. This method of showing your intelligence is unfair because not everyone is good at taking tests and it causes anxiety and unneeded stress. So having basically your whole life depending on tests such as these is simply unfair. There should be other ways to prove you have the knowledge that was taught. You can know almost everything perfectly but then the test comes and you feel because your nerves got the best of you or you weren’t in the right headspace or the time constraints get to the best of you.
While we do think that standardized tests are unnecessary, they should not be eradicated because some students do prefer taking tests and think they can show their intelligence. Students should get to do something more creative to submit to colleges like writing another essay about a topic they are passionate about or submit a project to the colleges instead. There should be a wide variety of options for many students to thrive in. Measuring one’s intelligence based on a score that is irrelevant and might not even positively correlate with their GPA is simply unfair.
4. What other methods can be used to assess our students and teachers? Provide specific examples to support.
Other methods used to assess our teachers would be to frequently do observations in classrooms on random days of the week so teachers do not know when they are coming, and therefore have a strong lesson every day and to prevent them from slacking. Also, before each quarter, teachers should meet with a chairperson of their subject and go over the things that need more planning, or what they should change, that way all teachers are on the same page and all students get an equal opportunity to do well in the class.
Other methods used to assess students would be to use projects that require research instead of memorizing given information. This way, students will show understanding of the topic by providing research and facts, instead of cramming for a test that they will most likely forget once they finish the course. Students should be able to assess what testing strategy they think is the right fit for them, and that way all students have an equal opportunity to get better grades and thus, will make them less stressed. Also, students could be assessed by looking at their classwork and their class participation, because it shows that they can understand the topic being discussed.
5. How do you plan to ensure that students around the United States are college and career ready when they graduate from High School? Explain with specific examples.
If the students are struggling, the teachers should be required to make an effort to help the students. Some teachers will tell students they are failing but they may not always help them or the students will not accept the help the teacher offers them. Parents should also have a deep involvement in their child’s education and require them to go to extra help so that they can do better in school and get better grades to better their future. There should also be a cheap or free tutoring system for students where the teachers are the tutors, instead of upperclassmen. Most of the students that are struggling don’t have the money to hire a tutor, if they have access to a free tutor they will be more likely to study and get better grades. Students who don’t have as much money as other students should have equal access to the same benefits as richer students. It should not make a difference.
If students can study better, they will get their grades up they will want to go to school and stay away from all the bad things that they may have turned to if they were to drop out. The rates of dropping out because of failing grades will also decline if students have access to free tutors. With a better high school education, they will have a better chance of getting into college and making a better life for themselves. This, in turn, will lead to a better economy because of the high amount of educated students that want jobs. We also believe that schools should require classes like cooking, managing budgets, child care, and general economics so students will have a better understanding of life outside of school and so they are not shocked by everything life throws at them when they go out into the real world.
6. Education has been called the “great equalizer.” Do you believe this statement rings true today in the United States? Explain why or why not. * If you do not agree with this statement, how do you plan to change things? Explain.
This statement is not true today because not everyone has a chance to have a good education. If you do not have a lot of money you will not get the best education and feel less important and students who feel like this are more likely to drop out. If students drop out of school, they will have a harder time finding a good-paying job or may not find a job at all. These people are at a disadvantage because they didn't have access to a good education which should be available to everyone no matter what. The level of poverty you are in should not determine how educated you are. If someone in the lower-class cannot do well in school because of the amount of money they have, it will only solidify the fact that they and their children and their children’s children will be stuck in the lower-class forever. Unless we do something about it. And we will.
Education can never truly be the great equalizer unless we bridge the gap between the rich and poor in education. And that will not be possible until an administration steps up and does something about it. And we promise to do something about it. Everyone should be granted the same opportunities to better their life. Where and how you are born should not determine what you grow up to become in life. It should only be yourself and your decisions that determine what you grow up to become. Our administration will not stop until education can really become the great equalizer.
7. What security measures do you believe need to be implemented in our schools in order to ensure the safety of America’s students and teachers? Provide specific examples and explanations.
Parkland, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine. How did all of these school shootings happen? Because people that should not have access to guns do have access to guns. We believe that before someone purchases a gun, very extensive background checks should be run as well as have the person take a psychological test to see if they are capable of owning a gun. We don’t think that regular citizens should have military-grade weapons like assault rifles because they’re made for the military, not for us. If we limit the number of assault rifles sold, we think that will decrease the number of casualties if a shooting were to occur because it is far easier to stop someone that has a pistol than someone who has an assault rifle.
Mental health is also an issue we must look closely at. While many people are focusing on mental health right now, it is still an issue that many suffer with undiagnosed. Mental health issues are prevalent in schools since 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 will suffer from a serious mental illness. We will make sure that people will have access to an in-school therapist or a work therapist for when people are in need of talking about their feelings or what they want to do. No illness should go unknown, physical or mental, especially if it can endanger other people. With more people being treated for their mental illnesses and implementing stricter gun laws, this will limit the number of school shootings in America.
However, there should also be a lot more security in schools. If people need to show identification of who they are and if there are more guards or police at schools, this will limit the number of successful shootings. If students are very anxious about bad things happening to them at school, like shootings or bombings, they could be too afraid to come to school, which would be detrimental to their educations. No one should be afraid of getting an education because of things outside of their control. It is in our control, though. And we will do something about it. We will amp up security, background checks, limit the use of certain guns, and focus more on mental health issues. All for you.
8. Do you believe New York State should offer free college for all high school graduates? Explain.
New York State is already on the right path to offering free college with the Excelsior Scholarship, passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2017. However, the scholarship is not eligible to everyone. The scholarship is eligible for New York citizens of a year or more and their family has to earn a combined income of $110,000 or less. While this is incredible and a huge step towards a free college education, we can do more. According to the Hechinger Report, up to 40 percent of low-income students who are accepted into college can never attend because of the high prices in tuition. This is extremely unfair to those students who want a college education because nowadays, you cannot get a good job without a college education. Those stuck in low-income families are forced to stay there because they cannot get a good job that they could acquire if they could get the college education.
The fact that many students cannot afford to attend college will do more harm than good to our economy. When students have a high amount of debt from college, they are less likely to get married or to buy a house, both of which help our economy because of how expensive both of those things are. College debt will also prevent those people from having kids because they will be paying off their debts and not be able to financially support their children. According to Vittana, college graduates generate more in tax revenues, commit fewer crimes, and apply for fewer social welfare program benefits. If fewer people are not in need of social welfare programs, this will benefit our economy because we would not need to help them financially. If New York State provides everyone with a free college education, our economy will benefit more from it in the long run, rather than being harmed.
9. Do you believe there really is a crisis in American education? Explain. Examples: programs, classes, teachers, college preparedness, academic achievements, etc.
Too many students drop out of school because they have to work to support their families, flunk out, sparse amounts of absences, get arrested, and become pregnant. 1.2 million students drop out of school a year that is a student every 26 seconds or 7,000 students a day. This is simply unacceptable. These students will earn $200,000 less than a high school dropout and about $1,000,000 less than college graduates. If these students are already struggling in their low-income homes to the point where they have to drop out of high school to support their families, then it will only guarantee that they will still remain in that state of poverty. If teachers can make class more fun and make it less test-reliant, students that frequently cut class or are failing are less likely to do those things. Instead of tests, teachers should assign projects that involved in-depth research that will teach them more than they have already learned by their teachers. Projects show what you know and allow students to learn through research. We would also like to offer night classes for students who would like to work during the day and go to school at night. This will provide more jobs for new teachers that cannot secure a teaching job during the day but have the high caliber and determination that those same teachers have.
Another issue is that many students do not feel prepared for college or life after senior year. According to the US News, only about a third of graduating high school students are prepared for college-level courses. We want to make sure that teachers embody college professors more and that it is gradual throughout all of high school. We would also like to make sure that there are courses for cooking, managing budgets, child care, and general economics are required for students to take so they can be more prepared for life outside of school. This will also provide more jobs for teachers that are eligible to teach these subjects which will, in the end, benefit our economy greatly.
We believe the greatest problem in American education is the fact that many schools use tests as the basis for all students’ grades. All students are not the same and learn in different ways other than testing. Also, many students do not learn a topic well by just lecturing, for example, some students learn better using hands-on methods, or there are some who favor visual learning. There should be classes that can benefit all types of learners because everyone should have the opportunity to understand what they are learning, rather than be confused by perhaps unclear or confusing lectures. It could also be more entertaining for those students, which will encourage them to come to class more.
We plan to combat this issue by having a more broad amount of learning methods readily available for all students, that way everyone can show their full potential in class. Also, tests should be at least optional, because we understand that some students do prefer tests. We should give students other ways to show what they have learned. Some ways would include replacing tests with projects that include in-depth research and will show the student’s true knowledge on the topic, instead of using a test that could potentially capture a student’s bad day.
2. How does your administration plan to increase the nation’s high school completion rate? Explain. - Include programs, support services, etc.
What do you think is the average of high school graduation rate? In the United States, only 83.2% graduate high school. In New York 79.4%, in Long Island and Nassau County 88.9%, and in Bellmore-Merrick 95% graduate. Some may say this isn't that bad percentage wise but we know that the rates can be lower. There are also many students that drop out for reasons like missing too many days of school, getting pregnant, arrested, or they have to work to support their family financially.
We are going to increase the nations high school completion rate by creating programs to help aid those students who are struggling. We will offer nighttime classes for those students who need to work during the day to support their families. We will also help to make the school a better environment for all students. We will have a program where if a child does not has enough money or whatever the case may be they will be provided with breakfast and lunch. Another program we will create is to give every student the same off period during the day so they can socialize with friends and can also make new friends. We will also create a free daycare system for the teen Moms so they can go to school and not worry about having someone take care of their child. Another major problem that causes people to drop out is drugs. Drugs have become a huge problem in the world. We will offer free drug rehab classes after school hours. These programs will be run and funded by the school district with tax money. The school district will also hire teens from the school to work the daycare center with a professional so then they will learn skills of taking care of children and will also have some work experience for any other job they may apply for in the future. We are the future of the United States, so why wouldn't we want to become the best we could possibly be?
3. What is your stance on standardized testing? Do you believe standardized testing serves a purpose? Explain.
Standardized testing is any form of test that requires all test takers to answer the same questions, or a selection of questions from a common bank of questions, in the same way, and that is scored in a “standard” or consistent manner. We think that this method of scoring is unfair and we believe standardized testing is unnecessary. This method of showing your intelligence is unfair because not everyone is good at taking tests and it causes anxiety and unneeded stress. So having basically your whole life depending on tests such as these is simply unfair. There should be other ways to prove you have the knowledge that was taught. You can know almost everything perfectly but then the test comes and you feel because your nerves got the best of you or you weren’t in the right headspace or the time constraints get to the best of you.
While we do think that standardized tests are unnecessary, they should not be eradicated because some students do prefer taking tests and think they can show their intelligence. Students should get to do something more creative to submit to colleges like writing another essay about a topic they are passionate about or submit a project to the colleges instead. There should be a wide variety of options for many students to thrive in. Measuring one’s intelligence based on a score that is irrelevant and might not even positively correlate with their GPA is simply unfair.
4. What other methods can be used to assess our students and teachers? Provide specific examples to support.
Other methods used to assess our teachers would be to frequently do observations in classrooms on random days of the week so teachers do not know when they are coming, and therefore have a strong lesson every day and to prevent them from slacking. Also, before each quarter, teachers should meet with a chairperson of their subject and go over the things that need more planning, or what they should change, that way all teachers are on the same page and all students get an equal opportunity to do well in the class.
Other methods used to assess students would be to use projects that require research instead of memorizing given information. This way, students will show understanding of the topic by providing research and facts, instead of cramming for a test that they will most likely forget once they finish the course. Students should be able to assess what testing strategy they think is the right fit for them, and that way all students have an equal opportunity to get better grades and thus, will make them less stressed. Also, students could be assessed by looking at their classwork and their class participation, because it shows that they can understand the topic being discussed.
5. How do you plan to ensure that students around the United States are college and career ready when they graduate from High School? Explain with specific examples.
If the students are struggling, the teachers should be required to make an effort to help the students. Some teachers will tell students they are failing but they may not always help them or the students will not accept the help the teacher offers them. Parents should also have a deep involvement in their child’s education and require them to go to extra help so that they can do better in school and get better grades to better their future. There should also be a cheap or free tutoring system for students where the teachers are the tutors, instead of upperclassmen. Most of the students that are struggling don’t have the money to hire a tutor, if they have access to a free tutor they will be more likely to study and get better grades. Students who don’t have as much money as other students should have equal access to the same benefits as richer students. It should not make a difference.
If students can study better, they will get their grades up they will want to go to school and stay away from all the bad things that they may have turned to if they were to drop out. The rates of dropping out because of failing grades will also decline if students have access to free tutors. With a better high school education, they will have a better chance of getting into college and making a better life for themselves. This, in turn, will lead to a better economy because of the high amount of educated students that want jobs. We also believe that schools should require classes like cooking, managing budgets, child care, and general economics so students will have a better understanding of life outside of school and so they are not shocked by everything life throws at them when they go out into the real world.
6. Education has been called the “great equalizer.” Do you believe this statement rings true today in the United States? Explain why or why not. * If you do not agree with this statement, how do you plan to change things? Explain.
This statement is not true today because not everyone has a chance to have a good education. If you do not have a lot of money you will not get the best education and feel less important and students who feel like this are more likely to drop out. If students drop out of school, they will have a harder time finding a good-paying job or may not find a job at all. These people are at a disadvantage because they didn't have access to a good education which should be available to everyone no matter what. The level of poverty you are in should not determine how educated you are. If someone in the lower-class cannot do well in school because of the amount of money they have, it will only solidify the fact that they and their children and their children’s children will be stuck in the lower-class forever. Unless we do something about it. And we will.
Education can never truly be the great equalizer unless we bridge the gap between the rich and poor in education. And that will not be possible until an administration steps up and does something about it. And we promise to do something about it. Everyone should be granted the same opportunities to better their life. Where and how you are born should not determine what you grow up to become in life. It should only be yourself and your decisions that determine what you grow up to become. Our administration will not stop until education can really become the great equalizer.
7. What security measures do you believe need to be implemented in our schools in order to ensure the safety of America’s students and teachers? Provide specific examples and explanations.
Parkland, Sandy Hook, Virginia Tech, Columbine. How did all of these school shootings happen? Because people that should not have access to guns do have access to guns. We believe that before someone purchases a gun, very extensive background checks should be run as well as have the person take a psychological test to see if they are capable of owning a gun. We don’t think that regular citizens should have military-grade weapons like assault rifles because they’re made for the military, not for us. If we limit the number of assault rifles sold, we think that will decrease the number of casualties if a shooting were to occur because it is far easier to stop someone that has a pistol than someone who has an assault rifle.
Mental health is also an issue we must look closely at. While many people are focusing on mental health right now, it is still an issue that many suffer with undiagnosed. Mental health issues are prevalent in schools since 1 in 5 children ages 13-18 will suffer from a serious mental illness. We will make sure that people will have access to an in-school therapist or a work therapist for when people are in need of talking about their feelings or what they want to do. No illness should go unknown, physical or mental, especially if it can endanger other people. With more people being treated for their mental illnesses and implementing stricter gun laws, this will limit the number of school shootings in America.
However, there should also be a lot more security in schools. If people need to show identification of who they are and if there are more guards or police at schools, this will limit the number of successful shootings. If students are very anxious about bad things happening to them at school, like shootings or bombings, they could be too afraid to come to school, which would be detrimental to their educations. No one should be afraid of getting an education because of things outside of their control. It is in our control, though. And we will do something about it. We will amp up security, background checks, limit the use of certain guns, and focus more on mental health issues. All for you.
8. Do you believe New York State should offer free college for all high school graduates? Explain.
New York State is already on the right path to offering free college with the Excelsior Scholarship, passed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2017. However, the scholarship is not eligible to everyone. The scholarship is eligible for New York citizens of a year or more and their family has to earn a combined income of $110,000 or less. While this is incredible and a huge step towards a free college education, we can do more. According to the Hechinger Report, up to 40 percent of low-income students who are accepted into college can never attend because of the high prices in tuition. This is extremely unfair to those students who want a college education because nowadays, you cannot get a good job without a college education. Those stuck in low-income families are forced to stay there because they cannot get a good job that they could acquire if they could get the college education.
The fact that many students cannot afford to attend college will do more harm than good to our economy. When students have a high amount of debt from college, they are less likely to get married or to buy a house, both of which help our economy because of how expensive both of those things are. College debt will also prevent those people from having kids because they will be paying off their debts and not be able to financially support their children. According to Vittana, college graduates generate more in tax revenues, commit fewer crimes, and apply for fewer social welfare program benefits. If fewer people are not in need of social welfare programs, this will benefit our economy because we would not need to help them financially. If New York State provides everyone with a free college education, our economy will benefit more from it in the long run, rather than being harmed.
9. Do you believe there really is a crisis in American education? Explain. Examples: programs, classes, teachers, college preparedness, academic achievements, etc.
Too many students drop out of school because they have to work to support their families, flunk out, sparse amounts of absences, get arrested, and become pregnant. 1.2 million students drop out of school a year that is a student every 26 seconds or 7,000 students a day. This is simply unacceptable. These students will earn $200,000 less than a high school dropout and about $1,000,000 less than college graduates. If these students are already struggling in their low-income homes to the point where they have to drop out of high school to support their families, then it will only guarantee that they will still remain in that state of poverty. If teachers can make class more fun and make it less test-reliant, students that frequently cut class or are failing are less likely to do those things. Instead of tests, teachers should assign projects that involved in-depth research that will teach them more than they have already learned by their teachers. Projects show what you know and allow students to learn through research. We would also like to offer night classes for students who would like to work during the day and go to school at night. This will provide more jobs for new teachers that cannot secure a teaching job during the day but have the high caliber and determination that those same teachers have.
Another issue is that many students do not feel prepared for college or life after senior year. According to the US News, only about a third of graduating high school students are prepared for college-level courses. We want to make sure that teachers embody college professors more and that it is gradual throughout all of high school. We would also like to make sure that there are courses for cooking, managing budgets, child care, and general economics are required for students to take so they can be more prepared for life outside of school. This will also provide more jobs for teachers that are eligible to teach these subjects which will, in the end, benefit our economy greatly.