Modern Education in the United States of America is a very controversial topic, considering recent distrust and accusations of partisanship, politics, and bias. According to a Gallup News poll report in August 2023, there is a record low distrust of the U.S. education system and K-12 Education. The report states that parents’ trust in general education has fallen its lowest to 36% since the poll began back in 1999, with trust remaining the same with parents’ oldest child’s education, remaining at 76% in the most recent polling.
In addition to the poll by Gallup News and another poll conducted to over 3,900 US Adults by the University of Southern California, there is rising partisanship and polarization between Democratic (44%) and Republican (25%) voters, as well as Party-leaning Independents.
When asked, there were main divisions over controversial topics, most controversial being topics related to race and LGBTQ. Yet despite that, USC in the report found that there was overwhelming bipartisan support for what USC reports as “the importance of a free, public education for every child; its core functions of teaching basic literacy, numeracy and civics; and positioning children to have a financially secure future”.
However, it is important to understand that every institution, every school, and most importantly every student, is different and has different opinions on the education system, and what it is supposed to be. La Sierra High School is no different to this reality, where many students have a vision for La Sierra.
LEAD THE CROWD
What comes to mind for some when thinking about education is leadership, and Leyla Cossio, a senior and the cheerleader captain, emphasizes this. She mentions how with education, being a leader is important in the context where those who are have to be role models for others to inspire. “I feel like in order to be a leader, you have to set yourself on a high stone or high stool and be somebody that other people are going to look up to and see you as and, in a way, want to be you when they are coming to your grade, at least for me,” Cossio said.
Another huge aspect of being a leader is to inspire those who look up to them to be them, to be a figurehead, to be a leader for the future, like those who are today.
“We do have good academics and I think that definitely kids from La Sierra are going to do really well in the future. You Know what Guy I am talking about from Congress? (Mark Takano) I think we can produce a lot more people like him and people that are well engaged and well rounded people.”
With being a leader, it is worth noting that sometimes it is better or necessary to make something work with more than one person, or in total, a group of individuals in order to make a difference in peoples’ lives, such as what Key Club member Aman Chayat (12) has to say. “From the volunteer events, from the club events, connections we make, there’s a lot of team building process within it with each meeting we attend,” he writes, “…and also the connections we make can also help benefit ourselves in creating leadership.”
Along with leadership also comes the school itself.
WHAT MAKES LA SIERRA UNIQUE
There are reported many pros and cons about the school system and what can be done about it, according to differentiating opinions. Some of the Pros come about such as leadership and teaching people about farther plans than the present, as what Leyla Cossio pointed out.
“I think that our education system is really good here and it influences people to be better leaders, yeah, and to want to engage more with the outside world, especially with some of the stuff that we learn,” Cossio said.
Cossio also pointed out that some teachers were even more supportive of students’ goals and their dreams, who could be counted as one among many other “role models” within a students’ life.
“I have been fortunate enough to have great teachers over the years so I think your role model really determines what you want to do, what you want to be, and how you will push yourself.”
From other perspectives, many agree that the programs La Sierra teaches such as the Health Academy Program are beneficial for those who want to pursue careers in other fields.
“I do not think there is anything more the school needs to teach because they are providing many opportunities and the more opportunities the better, trying to take as many as I can, personally,” Abeer Diab (10) said.
There are some classes that help more than others, or that’s what Abeer Diab had to say about ASB. “I think the school is doing a great job at teamwork and education because we have lots of clubs, we have lots of sports, and ASB puts together a bunch of events where students can come together and just be more involved.”
Despite the controversies listed by the USC poll on divisions such as race, gender, and background, some, such as Aman Chayat, have to say otherwise.
“Like recently I remember one time they gave us a survey correlating to ‘do you feel discriminated against’, which is pretty good but, on topic, but I feel the staff here, check up on us too, making sure we are not being discriminated against, or facing any form of prejudice,” Chayat said.
Many things mentioned were as well the positives of the classes themselves. For Abeer Diab, math classes helped her the best.
“I know more now than I have ever known before and I can help my friends who need help in math,” she said.
For Elie Malek (12), English and Sociology were the top ones that opened his eyes the most. “I would say [a class that has improved me] is English. Sometimes when you are writing, for me, it is basically thinking about your life and learning from yourself,” Malek said, regarding what English improved for him, and as for Sociology, “My favorite class this year is Sociology because I feel like it is fun and I learned a lot through it. I like what it is about, learning people, learning about why they act like that, and yeah.”
Back towards Leyla Cossio, she told about both the class and the role model that Mr. Vega had been for her.
“Mr. Vega, he is actually really good with that, and he’s helped a lot with our economics class, so I think that, like I said, I was talking about how to file taxes and stuff, and that he actually is teaching us about stocks. Like I have never been introduced to stocks and now I kind of am, so I am like “Okay, I should invest into this” or “make money off of this”, or like “if I invest into this wrong thing I might not make money off of this,” she said.
In a more neutral stance, Madison De La Tejera believes it is up to the student who decides and makes the future, less so the administration. “I don’t think it matters what they do, not that it doesn’t matter but it also depends on the student if they want a good education, they will get a good education either way, but they have to really work for it,” Tejera mentions.
PROBLEMS AND FUTURE
Despite the pros of La Sierra’s education system, there were notable concerns and surprises. From those interviewed, it was observed that many had concerns about school spirit and education of the most important things to do in modern society.
From Leyla Cossio’s thoughts, despite La Sierra arguably having a better education system then the rest of the Alvord Unified School District, she believes there are contrasts not just with students who are resilient with learning, and teachers who do not do enough to push their students.
“There are a lot of teachers that have kind of grown to the ‘you do what you got to do’ trope,” Cossio said. But with that, she thinks partially the fault of these problems root into student behavior. “I understand that there are a lot of students who are just like ‘I don’t want to do this anymore,’ [and] ‘I don’t care,’ but they obviously have a lack in motivation of more, so when I think that there is lack of motivation, it’s getting really from the role model they see, like a teacher.”
With that, she leads into role models, such as her teachers, who helped inspire her and pursue her career, and believes that others should push for their students too.
“Obviously, not all students are going to want to be that way, but I feel like if you can just really show you care about a kid and really be there for them and encourage them to be engaged, I feel like that is a really big thing.”
With teachers’ lack of encouragement also comes with lack of involvement, as made by notable concerns, such as from Elie Malek, who thinks we can learn from our mistakes for the new generations of students at La Sierra.
“What we can improve in the next generation is by interacting and learning through instead of giving them papers because some teachers do that,” Malek said.
Leyla Cossio also had some in mind about Teachers’ care for students plus what is not taught in classes, explaining in detail about the faults and what we, La Sierra can learn from said mistakes.
“I have a teacher who does not even like to teach a class, but he claims that ‘I am learning through writing so many essays’. I get an essay probably 3 times a week and I have the whole class period to edit. And I feel like I am not learning anything, but he insists that ‘You are learning something, you are progressing in your essays.’ I do not understand it but I think that for him, it is like, ‘okay, I am pushing you somehow, but you do not understand it’, so I wish teachers could explain more in depth about what they’re trying to do and how they’re pushing us to learn.”
In a statement, she said that while education at La Sierra is good, basic necessities in functioning in society are needed most crucially.
“I definitely agree with [pursuing a long lasting career, but teaching society’s most basic basics], like I definitely think that it helps us with long lasting careers, but basically the foundation you need for it is not fully there,” she said, explaining more in detail.
“I think that, not only for La Sierra, but for all schools, we should definitely learn more, at least for seniors, about stuff like how to file taxes, and generally stuff we are going to need, like how to put a down payment on a car, how to file for taxes, how to look for the right apartment, like a lot of teachers do not push that because they are not really told to, so I feel like we need to learn more about stuff that we are going to face when we go into the outside world. Like yeah, you have to get a work permit, but even then, ‘Oh hey you need to pick it up, and do this, and do that’, so education wise, we should be teaching us stuff that we are going to need as soon as we get out of High School.”
Being more critical of the mistakes La Sierra has made, Aman Chayat believes, along with others, that spirit within La Sierra needs to be improved, including a notable commentary on the classes themselves, such as with adding more advanced classes.
“Like each class, they have their own skills and own curriculum to help benefit our future, but the school needs to teach more advanced classes, like any super advanced classes because in some cases, if someone might look or pursue, like chemistry, we do not have a AP chemistry class necessarily, which some students might want to major in biochemistry or just chemistry in general, and having that will benefit their future.”
Within school spirit, Mr. Chayat, along with others, pointed out the lack of spirit within La Sierra, and how that needs to improve, such as the addition of not only classes, but events and trips too.
“I think key clubs provide events, like our school, they don’t really provide an event, like for example, field trips. Certain classes and certain clubs have field trips, but nothing compared to what the school can provide for us,” Chayat said.
Elie Malek also thought of something similar as well. “I think what we can improve is school spirit. I feel like we can improve on that.”
Some, in the end, do say that, despite the cons, the pros, and all in between with La Sierra’s education system, every institution, every school, and most importantly, every student, have different opinions on a variety of topics, which was made aware by Abeer Diab.
When talking about suggestions the school could make for future La Sierra students, Ms. Diab explained the importance of participation within High School.
“I would just tell [future generations at La Sierra] to get involved as much as you can, whether it is in class or with friends or clubs or sports or whatever, because you are going to regret it if you do not. These are the ways you can make friends. I have siblings and I always tell them that during my freshman year, I was very shy, so speak up in class, and people will get to know you and just everything you are interested in, join it. Do not take it for granted or take yourself for granted either.”
