It is important that we place a high value on education. As we move forward into a new decade, we need to have an emphasis on ensuring that our schools are high quality institutions. Not only am I a teacher I am also a parent. As a parent I do my best to keep an eye on the schools that my children attend. As a teacher I have inside experience in the education field that helps me know what to look for to identify the best schools.
The thing that you have to know is that not all schools are the same (I've been to some of the bad ones) and that is why I like to help parents to recognize the good ones so that they know if their kids are getting the best educational opportunities. Here are some examples of important things you should look out for that are common in well managed schools. All of these are examples of good thinking by educators who are truly concerned about the well being of their students and the quality of education that they are providing.
Now realize that not every school is going to have each and every one of these things. Unfortunately just like schools, not all funding is created equally either. The only way for you to truly know how good of a job your local school is doing is to get involved with school organizations and activities that will allow you to see the school from the inside out. However, these are some pretty good signs that something positive is going on at your child's school and many of these measures can be put into place for little or no cost to the facility.
Requirement for Computer Learning - Computer courses should be a standard for all schools. Even now, any job out there will require that workers have a degree of computer proficiency and in the future it will be even more important. Kids are just going to need that natural ability to interact with computers starting very early on. That is why any winning school system has students performing computer related tasks starting in 3rd or 4th grade at the very latest.
The School Provides Daily Physical Education to Students - There have been a lot of studies that have concluded that increased physical activity not only contributes positively to student health, it also increases academic performance. That's because exercise is linked to increased endorphin levels, better circulation and increased blood flow to the brain. A study in France actually concluded that increasing physical education even at the expense of regular class time resulted in higher test scores. Sadly too many schools have reduced the presence of physical activity in education, but the best schools still have it.
The School has Fresh Healthy Vending Machines - Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage about what kind of foods are being carried in the vending machines at our schools. There is really no excuse for schools to be catering junk food to our children. There are healthy vending machines available out there and schools should be taking advantage of them. One great example is Fresh Healthy Vending. They carry a variety of all natural and organic products in their machines that are tested and verified as being healthy for kids. Schools that take the time to make sure details like vending machines are optimized to best serve their students are showing that they care.
An Active Arts Program - Arts programs are so important for kids. Arts programs round out our children's educations and contribute to a happy student body and better test scores. Involvement in the arts also keep kids out of trouble- a school that pays attention its art program will also have a lower instance of drug use and a lower rate of teen pregnancy in its student population.
The School has a Secure Campus - This is another standard for all well managed schools. Nowadays it is absolutely necessary for all schools to run a secure campus. All walk-on visitors should be immediately directed to the school's office. This reduces the danger to students from outsiders entering the campus and the risk of students coming in contact with undesirable people that might do harm to them.
The thing that you have to know is that not all schools are the same (I've been to some of the bad ones) and that is why I like to help parents to recognize the good ones so that they know if their kids are getting the best educational opportunities. Here are some examples of important things you should look out for that are common in well managed schools. All of these are examples of good thinking by educators who are truly concerned about the well being of their students and the quality of education that they are providing.
Now realize that not every school is going to have each and every one of these things. Unfortunately just like schools, not all funding is created equally either. The only way for you to truly know how good of a job your local school is doing is to get involved with school organizations and activities that will allow you to see the school from the inside out. However, these are some pretty good signs that something positive is going on at your child's school and many of these measures can be put into place for little or no cost to the facility.
Requirement for Computer Learning - Computer courses should be a standard for all schools. Even now, any job out there will require that workers have a degree of computer proficiency and in the future it will be even more important. Kids are just going to need that natural ability to interact with computers starting very early on. That is why any winning school system has students performing computer related tasks starting in 3rd or 4th grade at the very latest.
The School Provides Daily Physical Education to Students - There have been a lot of studies that have concluded that increased physical activity not only contributes positively to student health, it also increases academic performance. That's because exercise is linked to increased endorphin levels, better circulation and increased blood flow to the brain. A study in France actually concluded that increasing physical education even at the expense of regular class time resulted in higher test scores. Sadly too many schools have reduced the presence of physical activity in education, but the best schools still have it.
The School has Fresh Healthy Vending Machines - Recently, there has been a lot of media coverage about what kind of foods are being carried in the vending machines at our schools. There is really no excuse for schools to be catering junk food to our children. There are healthy vending machines available out there and schools should be taking advantage of them. One great example is Fresh Healthy Vending. They carry a variety of all natural and organic products in their machines that are tested and verified as being healthy for kids. Schools that take the time to make sure details like vending machines are optimized to best serve their students are showing that they care.
An Active Arts Program - Arts programs are so important for kids. Arts programs round out our children's educations and contribute to a happy student body and better test scores. Involvement in the arts also keep kids out of trouble- a school that pays attention its art program will also have a lower instance of drug use and a lower rate of teen pregnancy in its student population.
The School has a Secure Campus - This is another standard for all well managed schools. Nowadays it is absolutely necessary for all schools to run a secure campus. All walk-on visitors should be immediately directed to the school's office. This reduces the danger to students from outsiders entering the campus and the risk of students coming in contact with undesirable people that might do harm to them.
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To find out more about promoting nutritious foods in schools, gyms and offices get a no cost organic vending report or read more about organic vending machines. This article, 5 Things That Mean Your School Is On The Cutting Edge is available for free reprint.
