Thursday, October 4, 2012

Ken Von Kohorn: The state of public school systems

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As a non-fiction writer, Ken Von Kohorn focuses his attention on topics that concern American education and politics.

Few would admit that public school systems need reform. But with documentary films such as “Waiting for ‘Superman’” exposing some of the failures of the American public education system, one cannot help but ask, “What are the top issues facing the U.S. public school system today?” Below are two of the major ones:

Bullying

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. According to the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of students in grades 9 to 12 nationwide experienced bullying.

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Though laws have been in place to protect children, socio-political writers, like Ken Von Kohorn, note that there is still much work to be done to stop bullying in schools. School administrators, teachers, and parents must also work together to address bullying, which has a profound effect on young minds.

Poverty

Economic woes have hit the educational system, too, as statistics reveal that most of the 7,000 students that drop out of school everyday live at or below poverty level. Despite the efforts of some schools to provide less fortunate students with the basics, sadly, there is not enough to go around, according to administrators.

Much has been said about the state of U.S. public school systems. But the bottom line is, reforms are needed for the children’s sake.

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