“educational reformers”

Sample Solution

      Educational reformers are those who advocate for changes to the existing system of public education. Generally, this group wants increased accountability in schools and classrooms, higher standards for students, more rigorous curricula and assessments, and more efficient use of resources. They also tend to favor school choice initiatives such as charter schools which give parents more options in terms of where their children attend school.

The critique of educational reform often focuses on its overemphasis on testing and accountability measures that do not necessarily lead to improved learning outcomes. Critics like Diane Ravitch argue that these reforms have led to the narrowing of curriculum with an emphasis on test preparation over meaningful instruction or exploration; teach-to-the-test strategies that do little to improve student understanding; high stakes tests that disproportionately affect low-income students and communities of color; punitive accountability systems; increased privatization through the expansion of charter schools; large-scale data collection without appropriate privacy protections; displacement or closure of traditional public schools due to competition from charters or other forces outside the district’s purview; inadequate funding for public education resulting in unequal access and disparities between districts essentially creating a two tiered system where some have ample resources while others lack basic necessities like textbooks or technology infrastructure. Linda Darling-Hammond's critiques focus particularly on poverty as a major factor impacting student success. She argues that widespread poverty can create extreme inequality within our educational systems by forcing students into underfunded classrooms with fewer qualified teachers, leading to higher dropout rates and lower graduation rates among impoverished students compared with their wealthier peers. Darling Hammond believes poverty needs to be addressed at both systemic level through policies geared towards reducing income inequality (such as wage increases) but also at a school level by providing additional support services such as afterschool programs, quality preschool opportunities, health care access etc., so all children can receive a comprehensive education regardless of their socio economic background . In sum, educational reformers want an increased focus on standards based assessment tools and greater parental choice when it comes selecting where their child attends school - all things which could potentially result in improved learning outcomes for some students depending upon implementation details. Although there are potential benefits Educational Reform has been criticized by many advocates including Ravitch & Darling Hammond who believe it limits creative expression while focusing too heavily testing & largely ignores factors like poverty which significantly impact student outcomes across socio economic strata