Is our public school system benefiting us?

Fairfax County Public Schools, Lexington Public schools and Westford public schools are some examples of the top public schools in the United States. Although this may be true quantitatively it may not be true qualitatively . Students feel anxious before taking a test, are always focused to get grades in order to get into college, and are always trying to be the best they can be in school by throwing themselves into clubs, student body government and sports just because it “looks good” on a college transcript. Is this way of “teaching” even helping students? 

Most of the time, teachers teaching styles don’t work well with  students. Most of the time, having to adjust to something, and receive teaching from other people because we “can’t” teach ourselves, doesn’t help us much because we aren’t actually learning the topics for ourselves. Therefore, this is what makes students not enjoy school. Not being able to watch an enjoyable video or read an entertaining book about subjects that are taught in school makes learning for students unbearable.  

The best public school system in the United States as of 2019 is Massachusetts. 

Massachusetts is the richest state as of 2019 and is therefore able to help supply materials to their students. More opportunities, sports, clubs and activities are offered when a school county has money. Activities is  what makes students thrive more because it’s something most students want to do because a) it “looks good” on a college transcript and b) the student can finally do something they enjoy while learning. 

Massachusetts’ high school students have commented positively on their districts. Most have said the teachers are well for teaching students, the supplies that are given such as laptops and ipads are helpful, the curriculum is challenging but not too challenging and the staff are “amazing” with helping students. On the other hand, it is quite the opposite for poorer states.Mississippi, for example, is the poorest state in America as of 2019. The same goes for their school system, unfortunately it is poor as well, statistically speaking.

High school students who have graduated from Mississippi have commented on how “bad” the schools were, and how the teachers are “horrible” at teaching.

“Not many opportunities are given to us ‘cause the schools are broke here,” commented a former highschool student from Petal High.

Here are the pros of the schools system: sports, social interactions, competitions, clubs, student government, and more. Here are the cons:teaching styles, teachers attitude, curriculum, supplies given, school budgets, differences between schools and more.

“We don’t have many materials that other schools have, like, we have to carry heavy textbooks that are beat up, we have to write everything on paper and sometimes we even run out of paper!”, another former graduate from Petal High.

“If we could somehow figure out a way to benefit students in a more enjoyable manner and not focus on the bad or good of situations” Mrs. Martin said. “Then I believe life will be much better for our students.”