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The American education system has existed for a long time. Over that span of time, it has been criticized, manipulated, and modified constantly. It is frequently a central topic of political elections because there are so many opinions on the matter. Everybody seems to think that their way of running the system is the best. But whose system really is best? The answer is dependent on the student, which is why the student should be able to choose which high school to attend. A major problem with today’s education system is that students are so limited in their high school options. Approximately 9.5 times more students in the United States attend public schools than do private schools. [2] The reason for this fact is not because students choose to go to public high school; it is because most are forced to. School systems always claim that the needs of the student are the number one priority. In reality, while teachers may put their students first, the administration of the school and its governing body will always put money first. For schools, the key to getting money is test scores. The government gives out money to schools based on test results and improvement. This is the reason for the burdensome barrage of standardized tests that most public school students are subject to every year. While this money is beneficial for the students, is it worth the extra stress and workload added to their plate every year? To most students in our English 11 class, the cost was not worth the reward. When we had an in-class discussion, many students were very outspoken about feeling unnecessary pressure concerning the PSSA or other statewide examinations. Students believe that they are in school to be successful and to get into college, not to ma... ... middle of paper ... ... students select theirs. This is a necessary change to the way the education system is run in the United States. Works Cited Barnett, Jeffrey L. "State and Local Government Finances Summary: 2008." United States Census Bureau. Apr. 2011. Web. 21 Sept. 2011. . The Center for Education Reform. "K-12 Facts." The Center for Education Reform. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. . National Center for Education Statistics. "Fast Facts." National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Home Page, a Part of the U.S. Department of Education. Web. 16 Sept. 2011. . Pope, Denise Clark. "Doing School" How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Materialistic, and Miseducated Students. New Haven, CT: Yale UP, 2001. 32. Print.
The purpose of Rebecca Solnit’s “Abolish High School” is to criticize the present high school system along with the emotional and academic strain it puts on developing minds. Solnit’s intended audience is any educated person with the opportunity to voice their opinions on the current approach to schooling.
America’s public school system started off very rough, but through the dedication of many hard-working Americans, it was starting to shape into a system that allowed all children, regardless of race, gender, religion, or nation of origin, to have an education.
The U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. 28 Sept. 2000. The U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Education Statistics. 25 Nov. 2000
Education is the foundation of American society. It empowers the youth of America to become the successful leaders this country needs for the future. Education has been one of America’s top priorities since 1965, when the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was passed. Now, education is controlled by the No Child Left Behind Act, which was launched in January 8, 2002. This act was passed with intentions from the government to provide Americans with a more superior education system. However, The No Child Left Behind Act carried many flaws which were left unseen to a vast majority of the public. This act limited American students by not allowing them to demonstrate their full academic potentials while proceeding in school. While the act was still fairly fresh, there was already evidence to prove that it had already gotten off to a bad beginning. For the crucial math and science courses, statistics showed minimal improvements which had begun around the time period in which the No Child Left Behind Act was passed. The act was also supported by a number of educators who voiced themselves by testifying against having the right to teach at their own free will. Teachers across America claimed that because of this new act, they felt a constant heaviness upon their shoulders from the state government to “Teach the test.”
United States. Census Bureau (1999) Statistical Abstract of the United States. Retrieved February 8, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.census.gov/prod/99pub/99statab/sec31.pdf
The American public education system was founded on the radical notion that all members of society should have equal access to education. Also crucial was the notion that a basic common education was essential for a true democracy. This revolutionary system is now in indisputable trouble. Many worry about America’s ability to compete with foreign countries while others address the growing dichotomy between the quality of education in different economic areas. Recent rural shootings have only exasperated the problem, and caused many parents to entirely abandon the public system for a private alternative.
The American Education System has been a core component to the development of generations since it became a public system in the 1870s. Since then more rules, higher expectations for some, and even lower expectations for others have been added to the original structure. In recent years, many debates have surfaced over whether the American education system is failing. Too few they believe the American Education System is on the right track. Most researchers however have shown statistics that it is in fact slowly declining as new acts and regimens are added. It has been on a downward spiral for years and citizens have been watching it happen, the lack of government funding, acts like the No Child Left behind Act, focus in the wrong places, and the curriculum set up is acting as a deterrent for success.
Jay, P. (2007). Introduction to the special issue on the single best idea for improving k-12 education. Journal of Education 82(4): 549-550.
The idea of school choice is not a new one. Since the late 1980s school choice has become a popular strategy for “reforming American education and equalizing educational opportunities” (Hadderman, 2002). School choice is a broad term that is used to describe charter schools, home-schooling, for-profit companies, and vouchers. Parents who wish to select schools for their children do so for academic, religious, or moral reasons, and usually select schools that reflect their own beliefs.
...h and life of the great American school system: How testing and choice are undermining education. New York: Basic Books.
Snell, L. (2002). Meaningful Public School Choice. [15 paragraphs]. Retrieved April 3, 2003 from the World Wide Web: http://www.rppi.org/publicschoolchoice.html
The United States is a never-ending battleground for issues to fester. We as a group of people seem to only be happy when we are unhappy, and everything is open for conversation of improvement. Others can classify our society’s constant need for change and enhancement, as a curse or a blessing. Nonetheless, the education system in the United States is always a hot topic for people to discuss, as it has not been a success with all of its parties. Yet we strive for perfection as a society and as we do, we look at the groups of people that control the decisions made that influence the masses of students that progress through the system. Who can we blame? Is it the teachers union? Or, are the administrators failing these children? How about the school board? Well if it’s not any of these groups it has to be the government, right?
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.
Tyack, David. “Choice Options: School Choice, Yes - But What Kind?” The American Prospect Online, January - February 1999, 42. [Online] Available http://www.propect.org/archives/42/42tyack.html, May 1, 2000.
Too much time is being devoted to preparing students for standardized tests. Parents should worry about what schools are sacrificing in order to focus on raising test scores. Schools across the country are cutting back on, or even eliminating programs in the arts, recess for young children, field trips, electives for high school students, class meetings, discussions about current events, the use of literature in the elementary grades, and entire subject areas such as science (if the tests cover only language arts and math) (Kohn Standardized Testing and Its Victims 1).