Obama says testing alone is not the solution for improving student performance. The countries financial investments should support better K12 teaching not testing. In his opinion we are attacking the education system which we should be trying to bolster. Obama says too much time is spent preparing students for No Child Left Behind testing. The results of these failed policies are putting a strangle hold on education. Student’s minds are no longer nourished by the knowledge that teachers impart. How can a teacher focus on course content when their schools very existence hinges on testing scores? Obama says we need to make a greater investment in changing education.

He also states that teachers should be paid higher salaries. The teaching profession has lost its glimmer because our country is not investing in K12 education. Obama’s opinion in this area shows that he is looking at the future. Within the next ten years a massive number of teachers will retire. It will be difficult to replace them if teachers cannot make a living wage. These potential teachers will go into other professions. Teachers want to work in a country where they do not have to struggle due to financial obligations after college.

Our country needs new leadership to effectively craft teacher and student friendly education policy. Obama is striking the right cord with many educators who are in higher education. He has taken his campaign to college campuses around the country. He is demonstrating how much he values the opportunity to be educated. Obama’s family could not afford to send him to the most expensive K12 schools but he still learned the value of education. He wants to open the doors for many students who feel that the doors of higher education will never open for them.

Obama is demonstrating the true qualities of a leader. His history of serving as a volunteer in his community has put him in touch with the education gap that is like the Grand Canyon in many of our nation’s inner cities. His thirst for change in the way that we educate our nation’s youth is a breath of fresh air. Obama has an opinion that United States citizens should unit around the value of improving access to good education.

The country needs to remain competitive in the global markets of the world. Obama says that if our current lack of investment in education continues we will not compete with the rest of the world. Based on a recent assessment the United States ranks twenty-ninth in math and science knowledge. The country is losing its place as a world leader. All of the other countries around the world are increasing their investment in education. The United States continues to flounder at implementing strategic education policy. The country needs a plan that positions our workers to be the most educated workforce in the world.

Based on the response of voters around the country they are looking for a leader who will stand up and speak out on education. Obama has the right stuff because he knows the boundaries that a limited education can cast on a child’s entire life. When a young person desires to learn is extinguished in the forth grade they will never recover. Obama has the attitude and motivation of a Presidential candidate that wants education to take its rightful place in our society. He proves that he is the right person to change the direction of education in this country.



By: Dr. Stephen Jones

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Introduction

Although educational researches have fundamental role in trimming and improving the education system difficulties, education decision-makers are in doubt about research position and role in compiling the policies and carrying these policies through. This is while roughly one thousand researches are conducted yearly in various levels of the research centers of the ministry of education across the country (The Research Councils of Provinces) and in a national level (The Education Research Center and the Research Centers of Vice-Minister of Ministry of Education). Despite all this, the question still remains, “Why is it that the difficulties and problems with the Education system are still not reduced even with the existence of all these conducted researches?” Most intellects believe that the answer should be seeked in the applicability of the research findings and its obstacles in the ministry.

 

The study findings by Lampert (1985), Wiresma (1991), and Borg and Gall (1996) have shown that teaching research in the education system and especially to teachers, is among the effective elements in applying the research findings through the learning-teaching process and in the class-room. The effective elements on applying educational researches are emphasized differently by different experts: Willinsky (2001) stresses having a applied plan in the research section of the Education system. Newer (2002) stresses on culture-building and setting up a scientific and research information system. Laatter (2004) considers three things with this regard: expansion and teaching of scientific researches, creating positive attitude in order to utilize scientific findings in education, and finally stabilization of the information system for educational researches and contact between researchers, universities, and the education system. Last but not least, Nicebet (2005) has recognized the effective elements to be in the two fields of 1. vocational expansion and teachers training in research methodology and research management expansion, and 2. governmental financial support for educational researches. Also Raid (2005) has pointed out 16 elements in applying educational researches, the most important of which include: The Education Systems collaboration with universities and research centers, conducting research courses for teachers, including lessons in the school curriculum for becoming familiar with research methodology and providing easy-access conditions for the Education system members to the researches and publications.

 

A collection of researches and considerable articles have also investigated solutions and the obstacles for utilizing education research findings in the country. Here we point to the most important ones:

One of the effective solutions in utilizing research-findings for decision-makings and educational plannings is research-management and structure-modification of the research-system of the Ministry of Education. This is the belief seen in the works of the following researchers: Mehrm-Mohammadi (1991, 1998), Mansouri (1991, 1994), Saadati (1998), Bakhshi (2003), Roumiani (2003), Mohammadi (2004), and Alaghe-mandan (2002).

The findings of these researches, and the studies by Bazargan (1993, 2001), Nami (1998), Saadati (1998), Matin (1990), and Hasan-Zadeh (2003) have shown that the establishment and expansion of the research information system in the ministry of Education and in the provinces are effective elements in utilizing research findings in the Education system.

Also, the results of researches by Saadati (1998), Nami (1998), Shariat-Zadeh (2001), Reshad-manesh (2001), Roumian (2003), Bakhshi (2003), and Mohammadi (2003) have shown that the expansion of research culture, and being research-centered, and research-report



By: Oerp Public Relations

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