Can we improve education over the next 10 years with just a few significant changes? by Alyssa

Can we improve education over the next 10 years with just a few significant changes? by Alyssa - September 2025 Scholarship Essay

There are numerous changes in education that I would love to see in the next 10 years, but I am not very optimistic that they will happen quite that quickly. Education has been on a long, slippery slope for many years. It has changed drastically over the last 30 years, and we seem to be stuck in a downward spiral. My parents are both teachers and both have 30 years in, so of course, the dinner conversation is often about educational topics. I have also decided to pursue a career in education, so I feel it is important that I keep up with the current state of education. I have decided to become a math teacher, most likely in middle or high school.
Changes in education do not just happen overnight. One of the biggest impacts in the last 30 years that teachers feel has caused a decline in student achievement is standardized testing. “No Child Left Behind”well, unfortunately, many children have been left behind. Students are tested so often that there is a significant loss in instructional time. Teachers feel that they can’t be creative with their lessons; therefore,the students don’t enjoy school anymore. Kids should want to come to school to learn, but now they just dread it because they are being tested so often. Many times, standardized assessments are not developmentally appropriate. We have kindergarteners taking a test on a computer, yet they can not read. These are just a few reasons why I would like to see standardized testing gone from education over the next 10 years.
I also would like to see the use of technology greatly deemphasized as a tool in education over the next 10 years. Technology has become addictive, and it does not need to be used in elementary classrooms all the time. I know most students today will need to be proficient in technology platforms in the workforce, but they do not need to learn how to use them starting in kindergarten. Children today lack social skills and need to learn how to communicate effectively. Lessons taught in elementary school before technology became a mandatory learning tool were important for the proper development of children. A few important skills children need to learn in order to develop appropriately are how to follow directions, be respectful to others, and develop critical thinking skills. We need to work to build a love of learning again. We want children to enjoy school, not dread it. In order to stop the daily use of technology, standardized testing will definitely need to be stopped. Teachers use technology to help prepare students for testing, so they both need to be gone in the next 10 years.
Finally, parent involvement and accountability for student behavior is another thing I hope to see change over the next 10 years. Educators see far too many parents not actively involved in their children's schools. I would love to see requirements for all parents to volunteer in their child's school throughout the year. If parents are on campus, then I believe student engagement will improve, which will also impact student behavior. These two things really go hand in hand; if children are engaged in learning, then behavior problems are less likely to happen. Students and parents need to be held accountable for disruptive and disrespectful behavior. The other students in the room should be given the opportunity to learn in a safe and positive environment. Often, the child with the behavior issues is allowed to come back day after day and disrupt the learning environment. This is at the expense of the other students who are not able to learn due to constant directions. It takes too long for schools to address these issues and get the disruptive students out of the classroom.
Honestly, there are so many things I feel need to change in education over the next 10 years but I feel that the most important changes should be to stop standardized testing, decrease the emphasis on technology usage, and increase parent involvement and accountability of student behavior. If our nation can start with these issues, then in 10 years, we may actually see a shift in education for the better!