Improving Student Achievement

In each school district across the United States there is one common goal. From public schools in downtown Chicago to small rural schools in Kansas, every community is striving for one thing. Whether private or public, whether big or small; each school district desires to see their students reach the highest academic achievement possible. The most influential person to a student’s achievement is their teacher. Whether a Mr., Mrs., or Miss, it is the teacher who sets the academic standard for each student and helps them to push towards that goal. Because of the important role that teachers play in students’ academics, certain things, such as financial aid and special recognition, should be fulfilled by the school districts in order to help each …show more content…
In order to create the highest student achievement possible, school districts must focus on their teachers. One way to encourage teachers to continue to do their best is by rewarding teachers’ hard work. One source put it best be saying, “Districts that want to improve student achievement can begin by changing the way they pay and otherwise encourage those who teach” (“Teaching” 1). Because people tend to work harder after being rewarded or recognized for their hard work, a “group of business, civic, and education leaders” (“Teaching”, 1) recommend that teachers should receive financial bonuses or other rewards for their work. Raising the wage of a teacher will have positive effects on the students also because teachers will desire to improve their teaching. This improvement in their performance causes students to learn better and to have a greater desire to …show more content…
This like commuting causes stress and often makes teachers question whether they should look for employment elsewhere. Thus, another way that school districts can ensure that they are providing a way for their students to learn the best is to ensure that they do not lose their experienced teachers by helping to provide housing. Many school districts like those in San Francisco or certain areas in Colorado often struggle to keep teachers employed because of the high cost of living and housing in their districts (The Associated Press, 12). A school teacher in a San Francisco school district is a prime example of this problem. This teacher named Esmeralda Jiménez lives within walking distance of her workplace, yet because of the bad location of her school, her walk home and to school daily pose a threat to her safety (The Associated Press, 3). Not only is she not always safe, Miss Jiménez also pays $1,783 a month for her apartment (The Associated Press, 2). This is almost 43% of her salary (The Associated Press, 2). Because of the high cost of her apartment and the unsafety of it’s location, she like other school teachers from this area are often forced to leave the school district leaving schools without experienced teachers, The reason that teachers are not able to pay for housing in these areas is because “the average home sells