Free Write- LPS

It has been shown throughout the years that Nebraska school teachers are wanted around the United States. States such as Colorado and even as far as New York are willing to give you the best offer they can in order to snatch Nebraska teachers up. This is due to the high quality teacher training done in Nebraska. If this is true and Nebraska does deem to “make” the most highly trained educators why is it that the Nebraska school system or at least the Lincoln Public Schools system doesn’t seem to be preparing their students very well for future academic adventuresTransitions from one school to another is hard but it is even harder going from elementary school to middle school to high school and then for some, off to college. I don’t think schools prepare kids enough for the kinds of changes that will occur. The leap from high school to college is the biggest life change and although educators may think that they have succeeded in every step possible to help kids into the next stage in education, I disagree. Schools should not only educate students on an academic level but on an emotional level as well. Although the academic part of schools is essential to furthering education, I believe that it would be a lot easier transitions for kids if they knew what they were getting themselves into.
For example, high school seniors should have more lectures and tests in class. Reading assignments should not be monitored but done on the students own time. This is a set up for college life. I also think that students should take courses that prepare them mentally for college life. We should teach kids coping strategies on stress and homework, tests, help them with their social life, write college papers and even how to take care of yourself away from home.
Our high school requirements are pathetic. We dumb down the material so that every kid will pass but it holds the rest of the students behind. The rest of the world has children learning Spanish and other languages in first and second grade. Why don't we do the same? Our students aren't as smart and its due to our ever present lowering standards. Bush set up NCLB because he saw how our children are suffering and therefore falling behind in our world. Although I do not like NCLB for my own personal reasons and reasons that Richardson touches base on, it shows us just how far we are falling behind today. We need to take better actions for our state in education now and not compete with others for what will essentially provide our nation with our next generation of successors. We are the wealthiest nation, but when it comes to smarts we fall way behind the others. As a nation we are falling behind academically and it's sad.

I think the hardest part about college isn’t the school work but the emotional aspect that comes from the everyday college experience.I believe that adding small things such as the aforementioned to requirements will greatly help kids in their future success.