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| Angelika/Mike Schilli |
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Angelika Vacation time in Germany: How fitting to write something about the American school system. Everyone thinks they know it from American TV shows. But do you also believe that private schools dominate in America? Wrong, only 11% of American students attended a private school in 2002 - at least according to the statistics from the "National Center for Education Statistics.
Private schools charge tuition fees--between 200 and 1000 dollars per child per month. Public schools, on the other hand, are free of charge. Approximately 80% of private schools are run by churches and other religious organizations. While religious education is not allowed in the curriculum of public American schools (due to the separation of church and state), it is an integral part of religiously affiliated private schools.
The idea of free education for all is fundamentally American. The aim was to ensure that the still young nation with few commonalities would grow together more quickly, which especially benefited the immigrant children of the large waves of immigration between 1890 and 1930.
As in other areas in America, the government plays only a subordinate role in the education system. For example, there is no nationally standardized curriculum, which does not mean that every American school teaches in its own way. There are certain subjects that every American student struggles with to some extent, regardless of whether they live in Hawaii or Alaska: mathematics, English (writing, reading, grammar, literature), science, geography, history, social studies, art, and music.
On the other hand, learning a foreign language over a certain number of years, as it is known in Germany, nicht Obligation. Many American students only start learning a foreign language in high school (usually 9th to 12th grade). Interestingly, Americans often believe that learning a foreign language, such as German, for two years is sufficient to use it well. I frequently meet people who boast that they speak German because it was part of their "high school" curriculum for two years. However, you don't hear much more than phrases from them.
Even though the state does not take on a central role, it does not completely stay out of it. The legislative initiative "No Child Left Behind," which President Bush signed into law in early 2002, is a good example of this type of involvement. The law aims, broadly speaking, to achieve higher standards in public schools through increased student testing, hiring of qualified teachers, quality controls at individual schools, and so on.
In general, the authority over schools in America lies with the individual states (similar to the federal states in Germany). The states are divided into individual entities known as school districts. These school districts have significant influence because the control of public schools is intended to remain as local as possible. The school district is managed by the school board, which consists of elected citizens. Private schools must also follow certain guidelines set by the individual state, but they have more freedoms than public schools, for example, in their selection of students. In addition to private and public schools, there is the option to educate children at home, a method that is gaining popularity in America, known as "home schooling." Honestly, I'm not sure if that's really "the best thing since sliced bread.
The funding of public schools is provided through tax money, with the lion's share being contributed by the state, cities, and counties (about 90%), while the federal government only adds the remaining 10%. Generally, the property tax that Americans pay when they own a house goes directly to local schools. And this is where the problem begins: If you live in an upscale neighborhood where houses and properties are expensive, you pay a lot of taxes, and the schools in the area receive a lot of money. If you are unfortunate enough to grow up in a poorer area, the schools there are left with little funding. There is no talk of equal opportunities.
Now, you're probably eager to know how the American school system is structured. Typically, boys and girls attend school for 12 years, whether it's a public or private school, or even at home with "home schooling" by mom and dad. The compulsory schooling age varies slightly across different states: in 30 states, compulsory education ends at 16 years old, in nine states at 17 years old, and in the remaining 11 states at 18 years old. At six years old (with slight variations from state to state), an American child is enrolled in "Elementary School" (comparable to the German Grundschule).
In contrast to the German "Kindergarten," when an American speaks of "kindergarten," they mean the year. unmittelbar Before starting school. In most states, kindergarten is not yet mandatory, including in California. However, since kindergarten involves the initial learning of letters and numbers and is generally quite structured (there are homework assignments!), almost all children attend a "kindergarten." Kindergartens are usually located within the "Elementary School" building and are an integral part of the school (similar to the somewhat outdated school kindergartens in Germany).
Many children attend a so-called "Preschool" or "Nursery School" (Vorschule) before kindergarten. The "Elementary School" spans from the first to the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth grade ("8th Grade"), depending on the state or school district. After the fourth or fifth grade, a "Middle School" (Mittelschule) may follow up to the eighth grade. In San Francisco, public schools adhere to the following model: five years of "Elementary School," three years of "Middle School," and four years of "High School.
Please do not confuse the American "Middle School" with the German "Realschule." In the USA, there is no tripartite school system, only a comprehensive school system. The term "Middle School" refers solely to the period when children attend this school, namely between "Elementary School" and "High School.
Starting from the ninth grade, "High School" typically begins and ends with the 12th grade. In some school districts, there is also a distinction between "Junior High School" (often 7th - 9th grade) and "Senior High School" (10th - 12th grade). If a student successfully completes the 12th grade, they receive a "High School Diploma," which should not be confused with the Abitur.
However, if a student leaves school before completing the twelfth grade because they have fulfilled the compulsory education requirement, they receive nothing and are considered a dropout. Although there is the possibility of obtaining the diploma later in adult life, high school dropouts are not exactly at the top of the social ladder in America. The diploma obtained later also has its own name, namely "General Educational Development," commonly known as GED.
The American school is a full-day school and starts between 7:30 AM and 8:30 AM and ends between 3 PM and 4 PM. As in Germany, there are different class periods (called "periods") and breaks ("recess"). American children also rest on Saturdays and Sundays. The school year usually lasts 9 months (or 180 school days per year) and runs from around the beginning of September to mid-June.
In contrast to Germany, the holidays are less spread out over the year. Most schools give their students a week of spring break and a few days around Christmas. However, the summer vacation lasts about 9 weeks. Not too long ago, American students used to get almost 3 months of summer vacation, a historical legacy from the times when children had to help in the fields during the summer, which is now recognized as outdated.
To prevent parents from going crazy during the long summer holidays and to allow them to continue working without having to take their children to the office, you can find summer programs everywhere, offered by organizations such as non-profit institutions. The famous American summer camp should not be forgotten either. Many schools offer what is called "Summer School," which means no vacation and lounging around: learning takes place. Since the concept of repeating a grade is hardly known in America, students here have the opportunity to catch up on gaps. There is also the possibility to retake subjects in which the student failed.
Older students often look for jobs over the summer or work as volunteers. In the Tenderloin, where I work as a substitute, there are currently a bunch of teenagers who are using their vacation to help us with the children. Our facility only closes for one week in the summer.
But back to school: In elementary school, a teacher instructs the basic subjects and may be supported by some specialist teachers. In higher grades, students are taught by different teachers (depending on the subject) and move from classroom to classroom, because in America, it is not the teacher who moves from class to class, but rather stays in their own classroom. This is also because teachers often keep all their teaching materials at the school. Therefore, the teacher designs their own classroom.
In "high school" (usually starting from 9th grade), American students encounter a pure course system with a very broad range of subjects. The discussion continues in the USA about how much freedom should be given to individual students in choosing their subjects. Generally, however, every student must complete certain mandatory courses, which are supplemented by elective courses. The course system in the USA does not strongly commit students to a specific direction regarding their future career path. However, almost all high schools offer more academically oriented courses that better prepare students for attending college or university.
Grades and homework are common almost everywhere in the world, including in the USA. However, grades are not expressed numerically but with the help of letters: A, B, C, D, F. An A corresponds to the best grade, comparable to a grade of one, B is considered good, C is closest to a grade of 3, and D to a 4. If a student receives an F, it means they have not passed. However, in America, it is considered completely unacceptable to demotivate a poor student with bad grades. Therefore, hardly anyone receives anything other than an "A" or "B".
In America, teachers are considered regular employees and can be dismissed just as quickly as anyone else. Additionally, they earn relatively low salaries. In the 2001/2002 school year, the average annual salary of a teacher was $44,367, with the starting salary averaging only $30,719. For comparison, a bus or subway driver earns about the same. Salaries vary significantly from state to state. Teachers in the USA have a better reputation than in Germany. You often hear stories about particularly dedicated teachers who even sacrifice their own money to buy missing materials for their students. This must happen quite frequently, as since 2002, teachers have been able to deduct a certain portion of these "expenses" from their taxes.
In conclusion, I would like to report on a new American curiosity in the school system, the so-called "Charter Schools." Charter Schools are considered public schools and are therefore funded by tax dollars. However, in this case, the school district or the state transfers the educational mandate to the respective school through a contract. There are already 2,799 Charter Schools in the USA (428 in California), and during the 2002/2003 school year, they educated a total of 685,000 students nationwide. www.uscharterschools.org Zeigt Details" translates to "Show details" in English.
Charter schools generally have more freedom than traditional public schools. The idea is that this greater freedom leads to more creative teaching and better academic performance among individual students. In theory, parents or teachers can come together and establish their own charter school.
This doesn't sound bad in principle. However, since the early 1990s, there has been a trend in America for charter schools to be run by companies that not only aim to improve public schools but also want to make a profit from it.
One of the most well-known charter school companies is "Edison Schools Inc.," which now operates in 20 states. Typically, Edison takes over completely run-down public schools. To the company's credit, it should be mentioned that money is initially invested in the schools. The philosophy of the company's founder, Chris Whittle, is that the funds received by traditional public schools are consumed by existing bureaucracy, and he believes that through sensible management at his schools, he can not only prevent this but also turn it into profit.
The profit, however, is still a long time coming -- Edison Schools Inc. is facing significant financial difficulties. Critics argue that schools should not generate profit at all, as they are funded by public money. Many also characterize Edison Schools as a chain (essentially the Starbucks of schools), similar to what you would find in any American shopping mall, because Edison Schools operate with a standardized curriculum that is used in all their schools, regardless of regional differences. I personally believe that money cannot be made from education and healthcare. It simply doesn't work. There will be more on the topic of "school" in the next newsletter.
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