There are numerous issues that plague the public education system. Several of the concerning challenges that it faces today are: The lack of familial support or guidance some students receive, the increase in the population of individuals that seem to undervalue the benefit of an education, and the test-centered curriculum structure that is applied in a majority of schools, within the system. There desperately needs to be an engagement of ideas to mend the problems that the education system faces. Not only would it allow students a better chance at exercising their full potential, but society as a whole, will reap the benefits of a well-rounded education for all.
The lack of familial support, or guidance many students receive can lead to behavioral problems in school, inability to focus on tasks, or complete work, or even failure to understand the material. Without proper guidance, students can lack structure, time management skills, and other aids essential to success in school. There is also the possibility of some students lacking self-esteem, or the confidence to do well, because they don’t have someone at home to support them, or encourage them. According to a survey completed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, twenty-three percent of high school students drop out before graduating, due to a lack of familial reinforcement, or support. (“Survey: Lack of Support, Parenthood Top Reasons American High School Students Drop Out" Corinthian Colleges Inc. Corinthian Colleges Inc., 11/14/2012. Web. Accessed 2/10/2014. http://newsroom.cci.edu/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=721323)
There is also the issue of cost. For many students, without familial or other types of support, it can be difficult for them to aff...
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Bennett, Dashiell "Fixing Education: The Problems Are Clear, but the Solutions Aren’t Simple.” The Atlantic Wire. 04/17/2012. Web. Date Accessed 2/8/2014. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/04/fixing-education-the-problems-are-clear-but-the-solutions-arent-simple/256047
Strauss, Valerie "School Reform: The problems – and some solutions.” Washington Post. 08/28/2013. Web. Date Accessed 2/8/2014 http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/08/28/school-reform-the-problems-and-some-solutions
Evans, Jasmine "Problems with Standardized Testing” Education.com Inc. 11/04/2013. Web. Date Accessed 2/8/2014 http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Test_Problems_Seven/?page=2
1. Summarize the main point of this episode on The Story of American Public Education
The United States has proven to be a world leader with their powerful military, democratic government, and stringent foreign policies. There is one category however, the United States struggles to be number one in, education. As shocking as this may sound, the public school system in America is not superior to other developing countries. I have witnessed this scandalous phenomena firsthand, engrossed in the public school system from kindergarten to freshman year of high school. The student body and the school administration is morphing into a nonproductive system with a zombie-like attitude. American students lack academic drive and curiosity compared to European and Asian countries because the standard for academic success is constantly lowered. Americans must reform the school system and change their perspective on how important an education is to the rest of the world.
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 greatest country in the world still has problems evenly distributing education to its youth. The articles I have read for this unit have a common theme regarding our education system. The authors illustrate to the reader about the struggles in America concerning how we obtain and education. Oppression, politics, racism, and socioeconomic status are a few examples of what is wrong with our country and its means of delivering a fair education to all Americans.
In the text, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, author Diane Ravitch explores her ideological shift on school reform and the empirical evidence that caused this shift. Once a proponent and contributor of testing, accountability, choice, and market reforms, Ravitch’s support began to diminish as she realized that these current reforms were not viable options. She came to realize that the new school reforms focused entirely on structural and managerial adjustments and that no focus was given to actual learning.
Webber, Karl. “A Nation Still At Risk.” Waiting for Superman: How We Can Save Save America’s Failing Public Schools. Ed. Carl Weber. New York: PublicAffairs. 2010. 3-10. Print.
Some freshman students might lack the motivation to do well in school because they do further the lack of appropriate role models or mentors in the Academic environment. These difficulties can be tied to lack of support at home the parents might not be concerned about their child education, maybe the parent lacks the ability to guide through college, the parent might not process having not navigated it themselves. The parents might feel embarrassed that they don’t have any knowledge to help them
In my view, system-wide, large-scale reform is needed to achieve the goal of "getting all young people as close as possible to their upper limits of learning potentialities" (Perrone, p. 15, 1991). This is crucial to ensure change because "trying to transform schools within the existing structure is a contradictory process" (Murphy, p. 38, 1991). The first step is to involve the traditionally voiceless at all decision-making levels to best determine what the needs of the least privileged are, if we are truly committed to providing opportunities that respond to children's needs. I specify, "opportunities" through funding based on my assumption and belief that money can improve education through attracting and keeping good teachers, reducing class sizes, establishing programs to respond to different needs, and maintaining healthy facilities and quality resources. Equitable funding, where all children have the chance to receive a high-quality education, is the first step towards education acting as the great equalizer in a country where oppression limits, dehumanizes, and disempowers in virtually every other life realm.
The most powerful aspect of this essay is not the essay itself (as you will see) but, rather, the fact that it was written by an American college student.
After reading Joel Spring?s book, and reflecting on some of the issues facing our schools, it is apparent that our educational system requires much attention among our nation?s leaders. While the system has transformed in many beneficial ways, we are still plagued by the growing problems of society. I look forward to reading another book by Joel Spring, and developing my evolving understanding of the educational system within the United States.
Because of wide spread discontent with the public school system, many different solutions to reform the mainstream public school system have been brought up in public discourse. Even as early as the 1960s, the Washington Post reported that white middle class parents dissatisfied with the “‘mass production’ approach to...
President Ronald Reagan once described America as, “A Nation at Risk,” He was addressing this statement to the education department thirty years ago and meant it as a wake-up call. He was aware that the United States was falling behind in education and needed to take action in order to prevent the demise of the country. Reagan correctly predicted the grim fate of America if education did not see improvement. Today, research finds that American education is failing to provide the necessary skills to succeed in college and various careers. The quality of education in America is a growing issue and every year graduate students are finding it more difficult to obtain high paying jobs and start his or her career. According to studies conducted globally, the curriculum in America is not as advanced and years behind international schools in countries such as China and Japan. There is much controversy in government over what can be done to reverse the situation in public schools but possible solutions that have been suggested are hiring more qualified teachers, more classroom time, and investing more money into education.
...her ups, and then once their ideas of education update, so can school systems, then teachers themselves. Maiers “Keys to Student Engagement” shows the raw potential that school systems already have. It also shows that students need the drive and ambition to succeed. Tristan’s article on edutopia provides ideas that are already in motion. His ideas and tips have already started to work in public high school in his community. With the guidance and vision of these three authors public school issues could cease to exist. Even though there’s a lot involved getting administrators (and some teachers) on board, it is possible, and in the near future, a reality.
Education is a vital part of society. It serves the beneficial purpose of educating our children and getting them ready to be productive adults in today's society. But, the social institution of education is not without its problems. Continual efforts to modify and improve the system need to be made, if we are to reap the highest benefits that education has to offer to our children and our society as a whole.
Education is the key to success and there are multiple ways to boost a student’s confidence while attending high school to enhance a better future for his/herself. It is our job as parents and faculty to keep the students engaged and aware of the repercussions of dropping out and to do everything in our power to keep the students productive and interactive to ensure a bright