Now more than ever parents in the United States have become very disgruntled with their children’s education. The main reason behind this massive dissatisfaction is that public schools are not living up to parent’s expectations. The standards which the public schools that today’s parents, and their parents, attended are quiet different from the ones their children are now attending. It is widely felt that public schools are not performing their basic civil duties. With this, parents are now taking their children’s education and future into their own hands, and doing so quite efficiently. Many parents are turning to alternative means of educating to school their children. One option is home schooling. Home schooling is simply the education of school-aged children at home rather than at school. There is another sector, which opts for private school systems. Parents are choosing home schooling over public because public schools are not meeting their children’s academic, individual, and special education needs.
First, parents expect that their children will know how to read, write, and acquire basic math skills by the time they graduate. However, public schools throughout the United States are failing to teach these basic academic skills. The French Commission for American Education reported that: "If there be a nation which has expected everything from…education… that nation certainly is the people of the United States" (160). It seems that not much has changed. Recent studies show that of the 2.4 millions who graduate, as many as twentieth percentiles cannot read or write at the eighth grade level. This is a tragic statistic for a nation claiming to be so developed. There are more opportunities to education in the United States than any other country in the world, yet evidence shows that the United States ranks "at the bottom of nineteen industrial nations in reading, writing, and arithmetic." In addition, students are ranking lower than ever on Academic Achievement test (ACT.) Children who attend public schools rank in the fiftieth percentile whereas private schooled children typically score at the seventieth to hundredth percentile. To add to these statistics, in December 1989, the education press reported the distinctive news that private schooled children are doing better in math, science, reading, and writing compared to children attending pub...
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... they do it well: how to be good Egyptian and remain in your place in the pyramid" (Gatto 173). However, today they are not meeting children’s academic, individual, and economics’ needs. As a result, parents are choosing private school to educate their children and statistics are enforcing their believe in these maters. Private schools are currently offering the best solution to their problems facing the public school systems.
Works Cited
Anyon, Jean. "From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work." Reading America. Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing 4th ed. EDS. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford Books/St Martin’s Press. 1998. 186-202.
"From Report of the French Commission on American Education, 1879" Reading America. Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing 4th ed. EDS. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford Books/St Martin’s Press. 1998. 159-163.
Gatto, John Taylor. "The Seven Lesson Schoolteacher" Reading America. Cultural contexts for critical thinking and writing 4th ed. EDS. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford Books/St Martin’s Press. 1998. 166-174.
In making the decisions to protect people’s lives from hazards and disasters, evacuations sometimes become necessary. Of course early in the reaction to the incident, or the response phase, this may become a decision for local and state emergency managers. The San Diego, California wildfire which occurred in October 2007 caused a large scale evacuation. This essay is an analysis, and identification of lessons learned from the evacuation incident. As well a plan of personal recommendations and improvements will be made based on information covered in the National Housing strategy, and Robert Stafford Act.
Wallis, Claudia. “How to Make Great Teachers.” Time Online. 13 Feb. 2008. Web. 16 March 2011.
Colombo introduces his section on critical thinking by asking a question “Why do instructors mean when they tell to think critically?” (2). His point is that we should no just focus on the surface meaning. He uses the example of the cover of our Rereading America textbook. He says that the average student from the United States may just believe that the book only applies to the United States. When a student from anny other country in the Western Hemisphere might complain that the title reflects a discriminatory view of what it maens to be an American. Since America contains all the countries of North, South, and Central America. He goes on to explain that most think they want us to ask questions rather than just relay the text back through memorization. That kind of thinking is nearly useless in the real world. What job is there that all you do is relay data back? There are almost none of these
Higher education institutions, especially those dedicated to liberal arts, recently experienced a revolution in the way culture and societies are constructed and analyzed. The gradual introduction of critical theory provided a new framework for understanding cultural productions. In the specific context of literature, critical theory is a reader-response base analysis and criticism of written works. Critical theory is distinguished from other forms of theory in that it “seeks human emancipation.” (James). This theory led to the creation of a new form of education: Critical Pedagogy. This form of education “challenges teachers and students to empower themselves, to advance democracy and equality as they advance their literacy and knowledge.” (McLaren). Many of the works of famous critical theorists inspired social justice movements around the world. In a country where the younger generations become more and more a-political and apathetic about social issues (Giroux); it becomes important that educators find new ways to motivate students into re-engaging with the public and political spheres. Critical theory can inspire students today as it did in the past. Although this branch of academia is very popular among college educators and students, it remains omitted from the American high school’s English curriculum. Additionally the rising costs of higher education (Mead 511) makes it important that adolescents get the most beneficial form of education from the public system. Therefore the Texas Board of Education should require the implementation of a critical theory class, as part of their social sciences curriculum, for all high schools in the state.
Colombo, Gary. “Thinking Critically, Challenging Cultural Myths.” Rereading America: Cultural Contexts for Critical Thinking and Writing.Ed. Gary Colombo, Ed. Robert Cullen and Ed. Bonnie Lisle. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin, 2010. 1-6. Print
Anyon, Jean. "From Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work." In Rereading America. 8th ed.
Northrop Frye is one of the most influential literary critics of his time, and today. Indeed, one of his most applicable articles was published in 1986, titled, “Don’t You Think It’s Time to Start Thinking?”. He uses several key points to argue that most of society does not think critically and that the skills are purposefully not being taught to keep society compliant. This article, which criticizes how students are taught to think, is still very relevant today. While some may argue that the curriculum has changed over time to incorporate more of critical thinking, that is still not the case. Frye’s article is pertinent even today, especially with the inception of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test. Society still encourages reading
Dewey, John. 1964. The School and Society and The Child and the Curriculum (SSCC). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Smoke within the home is more dangerous than in a public area. Record studies show that smokers are less affected from smoke than non-smokers. Non-smokers are at more of a high risk to have complications than the actual smoker. Secondhand smoke is also linked to some of the more fatal illnesses, such as, low birth weight, respiratory disease, and sudden infant syndrome. Now studies have showed that the deaths from secondhand smoke are at a record high. Secondhand smoke tends to kill around fifty thousand people each year.
In today’s American society, quality education is important for one to succeed. Without proper education, a person will find it extremely difficult to apply for college, a job, or to pursue his or her dream. Typically when Americans think of education, public education is the first to come to mind. Public education has been around for centuries and is provided to most children throughout the United States. Due to this fact, public education has been the go to education source for years. Though, this trend is slowly changing with many parents deciding to home school their children instead. Many factors are the cause for this issue, but the common arguments arise from a certain few. For students, public school provides many opportunities ranging from social connections, school sports, and the exposure to teachers who are experts in their fields. But homeschooling is often superior because it offers additional time for students to participate in various extracurricular activities and community service, allows for more individual attention, personal character development, and it offers less exposure to discrimination that is received in the public school environment.
It is important to note that it is a right for the children to have a quality education. In this aspect, reasonable learning environments are a critical factor contributing to children education. All parents want their children to have an access to quality and better education. In the quest for such, parents always seek learning environments with competent teachers and better learning facilities. It is therefore, common to see parents always having a choice to make between taking their children to public schools, private school or have the children taught at home. Different opinion about home schooling and public school has recently been a subject of contention. Either way, the two forms of learning should offer the learning child with a better education. Nevertheless, each of the two forms of learning environments should be supported by valid arguments as discussed below.
Incorporating a critical literacy perspective into the foreign language classroom may seem daunting at first, but it is not impossible. As Barbara Comber argues, curriculum that focuses on “critical social action and textual production is often reserved for adult or workplace domains" (453), however, incorporating this perspective into the classroom can help “connect them with community members about matters of immediate significance" (453). The practices of critical literacy can allow the students to think outside the box, develop both as individuals and collectively, “claim value in their experiences and critique mainstream ideals that marginalize them and their families" (Jones 60).
Many people in today’s society believe it’s wise to send their children to private schools. In making the decision on whether to put children in public or private schools, they look to four main factors: curriculum, class size, the graduation rate, and cost. When people have to pay for something, their first thought is, “Will I be getting what I’m paying for?” With a private school education, the amount you have to pay is usually well worth it. Public schools offer diversity. Here students can find people who are just like them and can associate better. Wherever you live, you have to send your child to the closest school. There’s no choice on what public school you can send your child to, whereas for private schools you can pick to send your child there. It’s not an easy choice for parents to decide, but many factors point toward a guarantee that a good education would be achieved, which is most important.
...e against arson is to have effective security. One way to reduce the risk of an arson attack on the home is by installing an intruder alarm system that may help in keeping the potential arsonist away. People can also install fire alarms and extinguishers and store matches, lighters, or any dangerous and flammable liquids away in a safe place. To make it more preventable for arsonists to enter the home, people should close all windows and lock all doors before they go out.
There are many decisions for parents to choose private or public school for their kids. Every parent wants what is best for his or her child. A person's education is one of the most important aspects in determining whether or not they will become a productive member of society. Education is so important. We need to look at both public and private schools to find out if there is a difference. Private schools are a better choice than public school for many reasons. Private encourages strong quality teaching, encourages higher education learning, and inhibit the rampant of bullying.