This document discusses trends in education identified in a 2011 poll and their impact. It identifies three key trends: recruiting and retaining great teachers, the biggest problems facing education, and preparing students for the future. It outlines potential threats and opportunities for PA Cyber Charter School regarding these trends and recommends PA Cyber continue efforts to recruit and retain teachers through cutting-edge programs, address issues raised in the poll, and prepare students for an uncertain future through both classroom and extracurricular opportunities.

1. “education is
the
passport to
the future,
for
tomorrow EDU 723 Contemporary Issues in Education
Franciscan University
belongs to
those who By – Jennifer Behr
prepare for
it today.”
~ Malcolm X

2.  Trendshelp us identify areas in education
that do or soon will have an impact on
society.
 We can spot trends through our intuition,
things we hear or read about, evidence that
becomes more clear, or through a systematic
analysis of what is mentioned in the media.
 This
project will identify some of those
trends and take you through an analysis of
each one, and their impact on education.

3. The 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll highlights what
Americans say about public schools.
The following areas are addressed:
 Teaching as a career
 Recruiting and retaining great teachers
 Unions
 Salaries
 Layoffs
 Quality teaching
 School choice, charters, and vouchers
 Digital learning and technology
 Biggest problem facing education
 Preparing students for the future

4.  Recruiting and Retaining Great
Teachers
 Biggest Problem Facing Education
 Preparing Students for the Future

5.  My Trends Analysis Report will include –
 An analysis of each of the three previously mentioned
trends.
 The impact of each trend on education in general.
 The impact of each trend on PA Cyber specifically.
 Potential threats for PA Cyber.
 Potential opportunities for PA Cyber.
 Recommendations for PA Cyber, including a course of
action and a timeline for implementing that course of
action.

6.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll – “The
dream
begins
with a
Three out of four Americans support recruiting high-
teacher
 who
achieving high school students to become teachers. believes in
you, who
tugs and
pushes and
 The same percentage also would encourage the brightest leads you
person they know to become a teacher.
to the next
plateau, so
metimes
poking you
About half felt that becoming a math or science teacher
with a
 sharp stick
was just as important as becoming a scientist. called
„truth.‟ “
~ Dan
 However, two of three Americans believe teaching Rather
comes more from a natural, innate talent rather than
from college training on how to teach.

7.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Delta Poll –
 Two of three Americans would like a child of theirs to
become a public school teacher.
 Almost three of four Americans have trust and confidence
in public school teachers.
 Three of four American believe teachers should have
flexibility to teach in the ways they think best rather than
being required to follow a specific curriculum.

8.  Americans are concerned their public
schools are having difficulty getting good
teachers.
Americans say they hear more bad stories
than good stories about teachers.

9.  Teaching is a highly-respected profession.
 Value is being added to specific areas that
will impact our future, including teaching
math and science.
 Publicschools are gaining ground, but there
is clearly work to be done.
 Teachersshould be able to use their own
devices to teach students.

10.  Recruitment- preparing our teachers in
different ways – alternative routes.
 programs developed in response to labor market
needs
 coursework which allows participants to enroll in
an abbreviated program before becoming a
teacher, then completing coursework while
teaching full-time
 programs can be successful in recruiting and
attracting a new pool of teachers, including male
teachers

11.  Recruitment – appealing to Generation Y
teachers.
 utilization of technology in the recruitment process
 school website
 application process
 social networking

12.  Retention
 supportive school leadership
 parental engagement
 adequate resources for public education
 supportive and trustworthy colleagues
 opportunities for growth within the school
 continuing education

13.  In terms of Recruitment……
 PA Cyber utilizes technology and on-line sources to
recruit teachers.
 PA Cyber utilizes more traditional approaches to
recruitment, including contact with local colleges
and job fairs.
 PA Cyber relies on employees and the community
to spread the word about employment
opportunities and the fact that we are a great
place to work – voted two years in a row as one of
the Best Places to Work.

14.  In terms of Retention……
 PA Cyber has implemented programs that appeal
to employees, including the Wellness Program,
continuing education programs, co-teaching and
mentoring programs.
 PA Cyber has a unique working environment that is
inviting, fun, relaxed, and personal.
 PA Cyber has an approachable administration that
creates bonds with its employees.

15.  Interms of Recruitment …….we need to
continue the process. If we stop, we will
fail to reach the teachers we need to.
 PA Cyber needs to continue to be cutting edge, creating
opportunities for prospective teachers to view our
accomplishments and buy-into our mission.
 PA Cyber needs to utilize technology and on-line sources
in the recruitment process, yet still maintain contact
with local colleges through job fairs and classroom
meetings.
 PA Cyber needs to continue to utilize word-of-mouth
and employee recommendation in the recruitment
process.

16.  Interms of Retention……issues and
concerns from employees need to take
center stage. If PA Cyber falls behind in
these areas, retention of great teachers
will surely falter.
 PA Cyber needs to address employee
concerns, especially related to salary and equity in
compensation for comparable positions.
 PA Cyber needs to continue to focus on areas employees
are drawn to and provide new and continuing
opportunities for success.

17.  Recruitment – PA Cyber is in a unique
position that allows for easy recruitment
on-line and directly throughout the
community.
 Retention – PA Cyber has created a
specialized learning and working
environment that provides success and on-
going opportunities for all of its employees.

18.  Course of Action –
 PA Cyber needs to make recruitment and retention a
priority. Our school was designed on technology and
we need to continue efforts to provide cutting edge
opportunities for recruiting new employees and
retaining the ones we have.
 We need to maintain favorable communication within
the community and continue to earn our place in the
educational community.

19.  Timeline –
 Great teachers are few and far between. In order
to recruit and retain such teachers, PA Cyber needs
to utilize current measures in place in these
areas, as well as remain up-to-date on outside
sources that are effective tools in recruiting
effective teachers and retaining them.
 As new measures or techniques become available, PA
Cyber needs to move forward in the areas of
recruitment and retention. There are measures in
place currently, but this trend needs to be on-
going, and revisited on a regular basis, through
regular administrative and/or Board meetings.

20.  Question?
“The main
failure of
 “What do you think the biggest problems that the education
is that it
public schools in your community must deal with?” has not
prepared
people to
comprehen
d matters
concerning
human
 Additionally, Americans were asked to assign grades, from destiny.”
A to Fail, in response to questions concerning their local ~ Norman
schools, the nation’s schools, and the school their oldest Cousins
child attends.
 Americans were also asked to grade Barack Obama, and
give their perception on his support of public schools.

21.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
 44% of Americans indicated school funding, or lack thereof,
is the biggest problem facing education.
 Also included were overcrowded schools, lack of discipline,
and lack of parental support.
 Together, though, these only totaled 11%.
 The percentage of A’s and B’s Americans gave local schools
is at an all-time high of 51%.
 The percentage of Americans giving their local schools an A
is the highest on record at 14%.

22.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
 American’s perception of the nation’s schools continues to
decline – only 17% assigned a grade of A or B.
 The percentage of D’s and Fails is increasing.
 WHY such a disparity? Americans said they overwhelmingly
based their responses about their local schools and immediate
community on their personal knowledge of the schools.
 Some believed they assigned low grades for the nation’s
schools based on negative media information.

23.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
 79% of parents assigned grades of A or B to the school
their oldest child attends.
 69% of Americans gave teachers grades of an A or B – up
19% from a percentage of only 50% back in 1984.
 54% of Americans also scored principals and other
administrators with an A or B.
 President Barrack Obama’s performance has improved
according to Americans as 41% of Americans gave him a
score of A or B in his support of public schools.

24.  School funding needs to be addressed.
 Public
schools and education needs to be
more positively portrayed in the media.
 There needs to be a national awareness
type movement in our country in an attempt
to unite Americans in support of our
educational system.

25.  Many public schools are suffering due to lack of
funding, especially urban and rural school districts.
 Despite the challenges, public schools around the
country are gaining ground.
 Unless the media coverage of our nation’s schools is
turned around, it is likely American’s will continue to view
our education system as a failing process.
 Public Schools need to be creative with their funding.

26.  The potential for funding to be cut for PA
Cyber is increasing as more and more school
districts fight for the limited funds they
have.
 The community and media play an intricate
role in the overall perception of
schools, making their role in the public’s
perception of PA Cyber very important.

27.  If funding is cut, PA Cyber will face many struggles and
programs may need to be cut.
 If the community believes the role of PA Cyber in
education is faltering, they could potentially play a role
in its demise.
 If the media chooses to present PA Cyber in a negative
light, the strengths of PA Cyber could be placed in
jeopardy.
 If families/students are unhappy with the education
they are receiving at PA Cyber, they could impact future
enrollment.

28.  PACyber has strong support within the
community and is gaining momentum with
each passing year.
 Familyand student support appears to be
strong as PA Cyber’s enrollment continues
to grow and families continue to recommend
the program to other families.
 PACyber has the potential to continue to
be the largest, best, most effective Cyber
Charter School in the country.

29.  Course of Action –
 PA Cyber needs to address any and all concerns
brought about by Americans in the 2011 Phi Delta
Kappa/Gallup Poll. Each and every area needs to be
explored, compared to their current educational
environment, and then they need to directly curtail
anything which may negatively impact their school.
 PA Cyber needs to keep its focus on hiring qualified
educators which will support a successful learning
environment for its students.

30.  Timeline
 There is no time to waste when it comes to
addressing the biggest issues facing education
today.
 PA Cyber needs to have an immediate plan of
action that will keep our school cutting edge and
at the same time go above and beyond to meet
the needs of our families and students.

31.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
“If we open
a quarrel
between
 Americans consider a high school graduate more ready for past and
the world than a high school dropout.
present, we
shall find
that we
have lost
 Two of every three respondents know someone who has the future.”
earned a GED, certifying their high school-level academic ~ Winston
Churchill
knowledge and skills.
 Three out of every four consider the GED a path to greater
readiness for the future.

32.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
 College graduates are considered most ready for the world
of work……BUT not all Americans believe that a college
degree is sufficient for readiness.
 Parents with school-aged children are hopeful about the
education futures of their children……. BUT less hopeful
that their children will land a good job one day.

33.  Findings of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll –
 Regarding educations practices and conditions that
might promote readiness, most parents agree that …..
 schools are safe
 education is relevant
 teachers encourage students to do what they do best
 teachers recognize and praise students for good schoolwork
 BUT ….. Parents believe they’re more generous with praise
and recognition than their children’s teachers.

34.  We need to make sure our students are making it to
their high school graduation – and beyond.
 We need to go beyond the college diploma when it comes
to preparing our students for the workplace.
 We need to create a secure present and future for our
students in terms of successful opportunities for them
once they make it out into the workplace.
 We need to continue to promote relevant educational
opportunities in and out of the classroom and always
provide learning that will help students succeed in the
future.

35.  Education in general needs to make some
dramatic changes to incorporate the needs of
today’s students.
 PublicSchools need to make graduation for
all students a priority.
 Opportunities beyond the classroom need to
be made readily available to all students –
made universal among
schools, districts, communities, and states.

36.  PA Cyber needs to remain cutting edge in
all program areas.
 PACyber must incorporate methods and
opportunities for students to grow and
learn outside of the classroom.
 PACyber needs to play its role in helping to
create and maintain a working future for
our students.

37.  If PA Cyber does not remain cutting edge in
all areas of its programming, the chance for
the competition to take over will be high.
 Asa Cyber Charter School, PA Cyber is
more under the microscope than a typical
public school, making it even more
necessary for them to raise the bar for
students and have students graduate and
become productive members of society.

38.  PA Cyber has the opportunity to prove to the
community, state, and the country that they
truly are the school of the future.
 PA Cyber has the opportunity to take their
students into the future which is being
demonstrated currently with the development
of the STEM Program.
 PA Cyber’s cutting edge technology and
programming will continue to create new
opportunities for their school and its students.

39.  Course of Action – the future is not
ceasing to emerge, which means PA Cyber
needs to act now in preparing our students
for the future. We need to have in place
programs and opportunities, in and out of
the classroom, for our students to prepare
for the unknown which lies ahead in the
future.
 Timeline – This trend is upon us now and PA
Cyber is and should continue to work on
preparing our students for the future.

40.  Whatever we do, we need to always try and
be sure that the action we take, regarding
these and other trends, is not just a one-
shot deal.
 Ina world moving at rocket speed, the
quest to redefine our schools and refresh
our thinking is an ongoing process.

41.  Highlights of the 2011 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll. What
Americans said about the public schools, as retrieved from
http://www.pdkintl.org/poll/docs/pdkpoll43_2011.pdf
 Grossman, P., & Loeb, S. (2010). Learning from multiple routes.
Educational Leadership.
 Behrstock-Sherratt, E., & Coggshall, J. (2010). Realizing the
promise of generation y. Educational Leadership,
 Marx, G. (2006). Sixteen trends: their profound impact on our
future. Alexandria, VA: Educational Research Service.

42. “Let us think of education as the
means of developing our greatest
abilities, because in each of us
there is a private hope and dream
which, fulfilled, can be translated
into benefit for everyone and
greater strength for our nation.”
~ John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth
President of the USA