Essay Sample on Problems in Public Education

Public education is one of the most important innovations of the modern world. Society needs to educate its children so that future generations will be able to continue to sustain and innovate civilization. Unfortunately, the educational system has never been perfect. The public education system has many problems, all influencing students’ outcomes in schools. 

One of the many issues public education has is funding. Many school districts have had their funding reduced because of excessive tax cuts at the state and local levels. This causes overcrowding in schools, unsanitary conditions, and understaffing of teachers. This can be solved by increasing federal government spending in education instead of mainly relying on state and local taxes to cover the expenses. This can pose as a conflict when states or towns with higher tax rates have significantly better schools than other states or towns not as well off. By increasing the base federal funding spent on all schools, the issue of funding may be resolved.

Another problem is the safety in schools and gun violence. This can cause much anxiety for students in going to school. One way to solve this problem is to provide mental health counseling for students who may need it or seem more isolated from the rest of the student body. 

Another problem in public education is the high-pressure students feel. There has been a rise of mental health issues, which helps exacerbate other problems public schools have, such as safety. By increasing counseling services for students and changing our expectations of them, I believe that the levels of stress students experience will greatly decrease.

Discipline is a major challenge facing public education. Many schools are accused of following the school-to-prison pipeline trend. Racial inequality is also recognized as being apparent in how students are disciplined, with black students being three times more likely to receive a suspension. One way to solve this problem is to provide anti-discrimination training to teachers and administrators so that they can realize their bias and work towards being less racist towards their students. 

Chronic absenteeism is another issue that public schools face. Chronic absenteeism is described as missing at least two days a month regularly. Chronic absenteeism is a precursor to dropping out, where it is more likely to end up in court. One way to fix this problem is to introduce various internships, mentorships, and work-study programs that students who have difficulty in school can try instead. 

Another issue is the increasing presence of privatization of schools. In this sense, students are used as commodities and the focus is on making money, not on educating students. One way to help fight against privatization is to appeal to state lawmakers to reject vouchers, which use public school funding to pay for privatized education. 

Racial inequality is another key systematic issue in public education. As a result of redlining throughout much of the 1900s, African Americans were put at a disadvantage regarding many things, including education. As a result of class-based disparities, African Americans grouped from redlining had less funding for their public education, causing an educational disparity, which to this day persists throughout the United States. This disparity in funding between schools reproduces racial inequality, as non-white students receive less funding for school supplies, technology, teachers, school activities, etc. As a result of this lack of resources, students receive a subpar education compared to schools with the resources for students to fully explore and learn. This subpar education is reproduced when the students graduate, and never receive higher education or leave the area. Their child then grows up in that school district, repeating the cycle of educational inequality.