Barry 1

Jackson Barry

Mr. Vertacnik

ENGL 1302-702

26 March 2019

Education Has Changed a Lot Over the Ages, Is It Time for a Change Again?

1.0 The Issue

1.1 History and Context

Education has been a big part of society for many years. When people lived in a hunter-

gatherer society, kids would learn what they needed to know through their own play and

exploration which helped them become effective adults (Gray). Adults gave their kids a lot of

freedom to explore and play because they realized that was how children learned naturally.

However, with the rise of agriculture children’s lives changed drastically due to the need to work

to help support their family which allowed them less time to play and explore. With time,

children’s work was transformed into a harsh classroom setting where kids would be beaten for

failing to learn or recite a lesson. Today’s kids aren’t beaten for failing to do their schoolwork

but going to school to learn is still seen as a child’s work.

1.2 Importance

While the education system has changed over time, there is still much that can be

corrected. Education is a great way for kids to find their calling for something they’re passionate

about and that should be encouraged. It’s also a great way to make friends and be involved in

outside activities. However, the education system is flawed in many ways that hurt the student’s

mental health in ways they’re not supposed to. There are a lot of groups who are involved
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directly and indirectly with the modern education system who have a significant involvement in

this issue.

2.0 Who’s Involved

2.1 Students

This stakeholder is the group that is most affected by what the other stakeholders do, as

they are not in charge of how their school is ran. Students are required to go to school early in

the morning, spend all day there to go home and do homework then go to bed and repeat the

cycle. The main causes of stress in high school students are romantic relationships, social

acceptance, getting good grades, preparing for college, and parental pressure (Koebele). There is

added stress for students who opt to take all college level classes in high school to help boost

their GPA and try to get into a good college, but at what cost? According to a survey by the

American Psychological Association, 45% of students said they were stressed from the pressures

of school (Neighmond). This chronic stress can lead to students having a sense of panic and

paralysis which leads to an unhealthy “what if” thinking about their school work and life itself. A

way to help students cope with this issue would be giving students less homework and learning

more in the actual class so the student has time to participate in other activities with time to spare

and relax. It would also help for schools to teach ways to help de-stress and try to enjoy their

time as a teenager while they still can.

2.2 Teachers

Teachers are one of the most important stakeholders on this issue. Teachers directly

interact with both students and the principal on a regular basis. They get to see how the students
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feel about what’s going on in school and how they can be the best teacher they can to teach and

make the students want to learn. They also meet with the principal about issues they notice with

the students and in their classroom to try and make the school a better learning environment.

However, with teachers seeing the needs and issues that go on in the class, they are the least

consulted faculty member when it comes to policy decisions (Fregni). The policy decisions are

all made by higher up staff like the Principal and Superintendent. This is an issue that teachers

have with the education system because they want to help their students succeed and be healthy,

but they can’t if they aren’t able to get the resources necessary to help. If teachers were able to

get their students the help they need to deal with stress, then teachers would feel better about

helping a student and the student would be able to deal with their stress early on. The only

logically way for teachers to be able to address the issue promptly would be to get a law setup

where teachers had a say in policy decisions. This would be effective because they’re the ones

who see how a student is daily and would know what to do better than someone who doesn’t

know the student as well.

2.3 Principals

The Principal is the top position at a school. Whoever holds the position has had years of

teaching experience and certifications to get where they’re at. They oversee student discipline,

hiring and evaluating teachers, and develop and implement programs to help their students have

a better experience in school (Meador). But sometimes being a Principal is very stressful and

they’re not able to address necessary issues in a timely manner due to all the tasks they have

weighing down on their shoulders. Principals are directly connected with the issue over student’s

stress because they make the rules and programs for their school. While some of these rules and

programs might be good for students, there is still some that need to be tweaked or enforced to
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help students deal with their stress better. If a principal isn’t good at dealing with this issue, it

looks bad for them because then the district will think it’s the principal’s fault for letting the

issue get out of hand. In order for Principals to address this issue properly, they need to listen to

what students’ teachers have to say about the student in question. It also helps Principals know

what to address if their student’s parents bring the issue up to them and tell them how school is

affecting them at home.

2.4 Superintendents

The Superintendent is the top position you can get in a local education system, or the

“CEO” of the school district (Martens). With being the “CEO” of the school district, they have a

lot on their hands to work with. They deal with issues on a broader spectrum since they must do

what’s best for their district and not just certain issues that might come up at an individual school

because the Principal deals with that. They do work with principals to serve the needs of students

and reach the districts goals.

Terry Grier was a Superintendent for Houston ISD for 32 years. He did a lot in his time

as Superintendent, but the one thing that he wishes he could have done more to address was

stress. He felt this way about stress stating, “What really ate at me was the fact that stress can be

managed, and yet we had done little even to acknowledge the problem (Grier).” He tried to do

his best as any Superintendent would do for the wellness of the students. So, what he did in order

to try and help fix the issue was a program Stanford University was evaluating to deal with

student stress. The program incorporated, “simple breathing exercises, yoga-based stretching,

and focus-building (Grier).” He saw this as a personal success since students were actively

participating in the activities and even teachers and staff wanted to participate as well. This was
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very beneficial for the students as they noticed fewer behavioral issues, regaining focus, and a

shift toward a culture of care and compassion (Grier).

2.5 Parents of Students

Parents are an important stakeholder within the issue at hand, as they must deal daily

with their kids and what goes on in their life. This is especially very important to them when they

see their kids aren’t enjoying their school life because of stress and it worries them about their

children’s mental health. This is primarily due to the parental instincts that parents have with

their kids wanting them to succeed and enjoy life to their fullest capabilities. Doctor D’Arcy

Lyness says that some of the best ways for parents to help their kids deal with stress are to listen

to the child, help your child think of things to do, limit stress where possible, be there for them,

and most importantly, be patient. These are not all the things a parent can do to help with the

issue, but it’s a start to them addressing the issue with their kid. Another way parents can help act

is to get their kid setup to see a psychiatrist if the kid isn’t comfortable talking about their stress

with the parents.

3.0 The Stakeholders Conversations With One Another

3.1 Students and Teachers

Students and teachers both want stress from school gone or minimized. Students want to

be in a better mental state so that they can enjoy life outside of school and the teachers want the

same for them. They both want this because both teachers and students can relate about the stress

caused from school. It’s a serious issue because stress messes with your digestive tract, immune

system, and most importantly the brain (Derrow). Teachers should act by implementing stress
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relieving techniques in the class to help students de-stress and the students should follow what

the teacher says if they’re feeling that way in order to solve the issue.

3.2 Teachers and Principals

Teachers and Principals both have an important role in the issue and want to address it.

Stress is a serious factor in why many students are depressed through high school which doesn’t

look good on either stakeholder if they’re not doing their job well. Teachers can see the roots of

student stress first hand while Principals only see it when it’s presented to them by teachers or

students themselves. The plan of action to take is for Principals to implement programs in their

school to help address the issue and try to minimize stress. Teachers would be able to do this by

themselves but might not be able to have it taken as seriously by students unless it’s required to

do which the Principal would be able to make happen.

3.3 Students and Their Parents

Both stakeholders deal with this issue on a face level daily. Students deal with it daily

because they’re the ones affected by the issue. Parents deal with the issue as well because they

see their kids everyday and get to see the stress from school first hand. This is a very serious

situation because of what happens to the body and mind of students dealing with stress. It’s also

difficult for parents to see their kids suffer mentally from school and want to do what’s best for

their children. In order to help fix the issue, parents need to listen to their child, help their child

think of things to do, limit stress where possible, be there for them, and most importantly, be

patient with them (Lyness). Students need to be open with their parents or even a psychiatrist if

they don’t feel comfortable talking about it with their parents in order to fix the issue.
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Works Cited

Derrow, Paula. “How Stress Affects Your Body, From Your Brain to Your Digestive System |

Everyday Health.” EverydayHealth.com, 6 Sept. 2018,

www.everydayhealth.com/stress/guide/effects-on-body/.

Gray, Peter. “A Brief History of Education.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 20 Aug.

2008, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/freedom-learn/200808/brief-history-education.

Grier, Terry B. “Student Stress Is Education's Overlooked Crisis.” Education Week, 20 Feb.

2019, www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/12/14/student-stress-is-educations-overlooked-

crisis.html.

Harper, Amelia. “Report: The 6 Biggest Struggles Principals Face.” Education Dive, 23 Oct.

2018, www.educationdive.com/news/report-the-6-biggest-struggles-principals-face/540225/.

Harper, Amelia. “Teachers Need Strategies in Place to Help Them Adjust to Change.” Education

Dive, 6 Dec. 2017, www.educationdive.com/news/teachers-need-strategies-in-place-to-help-

them-adjust-to-change/512395/.

“Helping Kids Cope With Stress (for Parents).” Edited by D'Arcy Lyness, KidsHealth, The

Nemours Foundation, Jan. 2013, kidshealth.org/en/parents/stress-coping.html.

Koebele, Jennifer. “Stress Management in School: Tips for Parents, Teachers, & Students.”

AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org, AccreditedSchoolsOnline.org, 28 Nov. 2018,

www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/student-stress/.

Martens, Anne. “What Does a School Superintendent Do?” Stand for Children, 19 Apr. 2012,

stand.org/washington/blog/2012/04/19/what-does-school-superintendent-do.
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Meador, Derrick. “9 Roles of a School Principal You Probably Didn't Know About.” ThoughtCo,

ThoughtCo, 14 Jan. 2019, www.thoughtco.com/role-of-principal-in-schools-3194583.

Neighmond, Patti. “School Stress Takes A Toll On Health, Teens And Parents Say.” NPR, NPR,

2 Dec. 2013, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/12/02/246599742/school-stress-takes-a-

toll-on-health-teens-and-parents-say.