WHY should we focus on field trips in schools for No Child Left behind NCLB?

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Why should we focus on field trips in schools to focus on No Child Left behind NCLB?

Guest Post by: Craig Rapinchuk

Students from an economically disadvantaged home have far less experience than those from middle to upper class. If we want to have our students perform well then we need to instill experience in them. Experience is only gained in one way, actually going places to gain the experiences. THIS is why our schools are leaving students behind even when they say our focus is on not leaving any child behind. They say there is no budget to send students on field trips to gain experience and it is far too important to keep these students in a classroom instead of recess, free play, and field trips.

As a child I had 2-4 field trips each year somewhere. From Kindergarten to fourth grade,  (I wasn’t in the public schools after 4th grade) we attended Brookfield Zoo, Museum of Science and Industry Chicago, Field Museum in Chicago, Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, the Art institute in Chicago, Chicago Historical Museum, and the Adler Planetarium. This is only in five years of schooling. If I were to have continued in the public school by eighth grade I would attend a wilderness camp in Wisconsin, Springfield’s Capital, Abraham Lincoln’s House, the Arch in Saint Louis, and 15 historical sites in Washington, DC. All of this by eight grade.

            In short, why do we need to go on more field trips? Well if we want to educate our children properly and expect them to have experiences, then we need to build them properly like those students from the middle to upper class. Low income for a school should be no excuse for not attending field trips. If your school truly can’t scrape the money together through fundraising then turn to your local businesses and ask for their support. Many of them are more than willing to partner with a school.

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One Comment

  1. Antoinette says:

    Great post Craig Rapinchuk I too attended Chicago Public Schools and went on similar trips like you. My background is in Special Education and I now work with the low income families that live in public housing. You are correct; we need to expose these students and sometimes their parents to different cultures, events, and neighborhoods that Chicago has to offer.

    It’s a shame that the people who make all of the rules that goes on with education never step foot in the classroom as a teacher and are so far removed from the reality from what is needed.

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