MIAMI SCHOOL DISTRICT NEGOTIATION PAPER

Miami School District Negotiation Paper

Miami School District Negotiation Paper

Introduction

Quality of education is of vital importance in today's society. Parents often base home buying decisions on the quality and level of education in the areas in which they consider buying or building homes. As a parent, one must consider the overall effect of all levels of education from early childhood to intermediate to secondary. According to a First Coast News report dated January 9, 2008, Florida schools ranked 14th in the Nation, despite the ranking of 38th in education spending. The ranking can be attributed to the quality of teachers, the system of standards that have been put into place, and the measurement of assessment and accountability. The gains in educational ranking is said to be due to closing the poverty gap and largely in part to increased strides in the improvement of the educational process (First Coast News).

The Miami school district has announced that because of unexpected increases in enrollment, it has become necessary for the school boundaries for the upcoming year to be redrawn. The school board has enlisted the help of consultants to redraw or rezone the current school district boundaries in an effort to circumvent over crowding and to ensure the continued quality education for all students. Once the boundaries are redrawn, it will be necessary for many students to change schools. This issue has become akin to a bur under the saddle for many parents. Parents have formed a coalition to present their case before the school board and expect the following concerns to be addressed;

Quality of education

Increased travel time that may be incurred if his or her child has to change schools

The crossing of economic and cultural boundaries that may be faced when changing schools

The affect of property values decreasing with the impending rezoning of school districts, and lastly

The social impact this may have on the students.

Should Florida receive the full federal educational stimulus for education, budget cuts may still be imminent for the next year. Parents harbor the fear that the quality of education may be impacted.

According to a 2009 report of Forbes Magazine, the rezoning of school districts has become the standard practice across the nation. It makes sense that with rezoning or redrawing of the school district lines, there will be cross cultural and economic classes. This does not necessarily mean there will be a negative impact on the educational process. This could allow an early opportunity for students to become acclimated to a diverse environment that is representative of today's society.

The United States has continuously grown to be the land of opportunity with a nonstop influx of people from different countries, different ethnicities, and different cultural backgrounds. The workforce is a cultural map of diversity, just as the collegiate campuses have become the true illustration of importance of education worldwide. The opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with others from different backgrounds could be viewed as a stepping-stone to developing lifelong skills in cultural ...