Challenge in Public High Schools
Current public high school curriculum are simply too easy. Students are able to take too many easy classes that do not challenge them. This is the first point that needs to be focused on when trying to fix this problem. Within this one cause, there are many different solutions. However, I do not have the time here to name them all. I am going to focus on one particular recommendation that I believe would help the most.
What could possibly be wrong with current public high school curriculum. Students attend 4 years of high school and receive a well-rounded education. This education allows the students to function as a valuable member of society without necessarily continuing their education beyond high school. What could possibly be wrong with all this? Well, what about the students who do choose to continue their education after high school? Does high school prepare students well? According to the statistics, the answer is no. ACT, a non-profit organization that gathers statistics and researches the education field, states that "31% of students seeking a BA/BS degree at a public college drop out by the end of their second semester
Currently, many public high schools allow students to select their own classes and in turn, some students enroll in classes far below their intellectual ability. Major problems are down the road should students decide to go on to post-secondary schools. Students should be assessed when entering the 9th grade. Standardized tests should be given to help determine what course of study would be best for a particular student to pursue during their four year high school career.
There should be a minimum of three different "tracks" that students will be classified in. For example, a school could choose to have an advanced track, an intermediate track, and a remedial track. Some might say that this will limit the students too much in their choice of classes but this is not the case. It will simply give students a certain pool of classes to choose from. For instance, students in the advanced track of study will still have all the different choices they had before; they will just be geared towards more intelligent students. The same will apply for those in the remedial track of study, however the purpose of these classes will be to catch students up to where they should be.
The oil and gas industry has been met with increasing opposition over the years, with fracking and water pollution being some of the most controversial subjects alongside others like pollution, global warming, and claims of corruption. While some anti-frack claims seem like viable arguments, many are the product of misconceptions, an uninformed public. One of the greatest examples of this is Josh Fox’s 2010 documentary GasLand, whose most memorable scene showed a man in Fort Lupton, Colorado, lighting his faucet on fire, blaming it on hydraulic fracturing. After the film was released, among numerous errors it contained, it was found that the water well contained naturally occurring biogenic gas unrelated to oil and gas activity (Energy In Depth).
...Waxmann et al. (2011) 750 different chemicals were used by various oil and gas companies during hydraulic fracturing over a four year period, where a minimum of 29 were identified to contain carcinogens which are listed as hazardous on both the clean air and safe drinking water act. The USEPA (2011) suggested that chemicals used during fracking should be monitored according to specific criteria.
However, Descartes’s meditations fail to state the reasoning for some of his premises clearly, which makes some of the periodical conclusions hard to understand. For example, Descartes points out that “more reality in an infinite substance than in a finite one”, without showing why (Descartes 31). However, this kind of flaws does not change the fact that the meditations are using circular reference between the premises and conclusions, instead of circular reasoning.
In the past couple of years the word fracking has been prevalent in the media whether its been mentioned in the news or in the movie Matt Damon stared in titled “Promised Land”. Many people know it as a method of extracting gas from the earth and don’t inquire further into what hydraulic fracturing actually is. Before the process is explained we should understand why it has become prevalent in the last decade. The reason Hydraulic fracturing has become so popular in the last couple of years is because of the passage of the energy policy act of 2005, which contained the Halliburton loophole. The Halliburton loophole stripped the Environmental Protection Agency of its authority to regulate hydraulic fracturing (New York Times 2009). Allowing Hydraulic Fracturing allowed companies to finally access the abundant sources of natural gas legally. This act made it possible to access the vast amounts of natural gas contained in the Marcellus Shale, which created a boom in hydraulic fracturing. What exactly is hydraulic fracturing? Hydraulic fracturing is a method of extracting oil and gas, that is not accessible by conventional drilling methods. The process, injects chemically treated water and sand at high pressures into shale rock to release the oil and gas (Pritchard 2013).
environmental damage mounting, the practice of fracking has only quietly expanded and profited. This concealed expansion into the nation’s backyard has only
The amount of damage that has been done to our planet is not minute, and continues to grow. Most people like to believe that using natural gases has the ability to solve the problems that have been created over the years to the Earth. Now the question has been raised, is this really true? What if using natural gases is bringing more damage to our planet? One of the most controversial topics right now is based on the concern that water is being contaminated with poisonous chemicals left in the ground from fracking. Companies argue that fracking is not bringing any issues to the table, however research indicates that is not the case. Hydraulic fracturing continues to spread across the country and so does its baggage.
High school and college dropout rates are at an all time high. Secondary school students are told throughout high school that if they don’t go to college then they will never be successful. Going to college doesn’t always make a difference because many career choices such as teachers and lawyers are highly contested and result in either no job or low salary. Low pay deters teacher’s motivation and they tend to work part time jobs to supplement their income. Public schools standards are comparable to a kangaroo court’s procedure; private schools are known for better teachers, environment, and test grades. The major problems in the public school system include the lack of funding, lack of resources, and lack of standards.
I understand that there are generals that students must take. Once kids reach the point where they can choose their schedules, they should have a bundle of electives to choose from. Choosing courses that are not required and can expand people’s horizons. I think schools should eliminate study halls so that students are not flying through high school without trying to improve in certain places and learn new things. Electives should be a big part of every students career. This way they can choose what they learn and what they are interested in. They can also learn about new things and finish classes saying “I learned something new today.” Taking electives can increase creativity by teaching kids things that they never knew
I has been said many times that administrators need to change something within the education system for future generations. The only question is what do they change? In his article Leon Botstein states that “the American high school is obsolete and should be abolished.” High schools today should accommodate to each child's unique learning abilities. The children are not properly educated in the ways of adulthood and how the world works. Students nowadays do not care about their education; they only care about how well they fit in.
Exposure to toxic chemicals ,even at low levels, can cause tremendous harm to humans. In Colorado, for example, an evaluation of birth defects in areas with high concentrations of oil and gas activities found that mothers who lived near many oil/gas wells were 30% more likely to have babies with heart defects. Also, people living near natural-gas wells were more than twice as likely to report upper-respiratory and skin problems than people who lived further away. Not only does fracking impact our health, but it also affects the health of other animals. There have been numerous reports of peoples’ animals drinking their well water then more than half of those animals having a stillborn birth. “The perspective of the gas industry fails to show adequate concern for the long-term health and quality of life of people,” says Dr. Sheila Bushkin MD, MPH of the Institute for Health and the Environment at University at Albany, “When you listen to the personal experiences of actual residents of Pennsylvania and other states where fracking has gone forward, you will hear stories of dead cows, pets, sick children, poisoned water and other serious health and environmental problems. These stories confirm our need for much greater research and evidence-based scientific
We have the privilege of living in the United States of America which is one of the most well-educated countries in the world. Unfortunately, we have fallen to 14th place in percentage of 25-35 years old with higher education.
With high school dropout rates currently at an unknown high and with the inability to keep track of how many there are there is definitely cause for concern and question as to why so many children are starting high school and not graduating. What is the reason? Is it them, the parents or the educational system; who is to blame and what can we do to try and change the decisions of future dropouts? With various changes within the state and school systems, teachers and schools can be up to date with the latest technology. For example the $2 billion estimated revenue California will profit because of the recent passing of propositions 56 and 64 could make a huge impact on the educational system; or offering students incentives for attending school,
Any plant used for food and medicine called herb. Many plants used in cooking, such as Basil or Thyme, can used as medicine also. In addition, many aromatic herbs enhance the growth of certain vegetables when planted nearby.
Although standardized testing is commonly used in most schools and educational intuitions nowadays, it does not measure a student’s intelligence. As such, standardized testing should be revoked because, not only is it an unreliable way of measuring a student’s performance, it also pressures educators and creates a grade conscious mindset. Schools should focus more on the development of students, rather than ranking them based on the grades they receive on a test. Not only are standardized tests an undependable way of grading, but also, it does not promote life skills the student will need when growing
As a child Gaudi suffered from rheumatism and general poor health which possibly contributed to his reserved character. These health issues and the theories of hygienist Dr. Kneipp facilitated Gaudi’s change to vegetarianism. His religion and vegetarianism contributed to him undertaking several long fasts which were often unhealthy and in 1894 led to fatal illness.