Sunday, January 31, 2016

Failing Educational System in North America

North America is well-known for many things in the world, but education is not one of them. In fact, North America is often the bud of the joke when it comes to comparing their educational system to the rest of the world. North America fails their up-and-coming students in many ways. One of the vigorously studied flaws of North America's educational system is the hours most schools nation wide open their doors. Another issue with their educational system is the teacher's salary and how that correlates to the well being and motivation of the students. Lack of funding and communication leads to many upset parents and school closures. North America's educational system falls short of international expectations as well as higher education expectations because there is a vast amount of under funding which leads to lack of motivation from the teachers and students.
North America has many flaw with there educational system, one of those flaws being the teacher's salary. Teacher's are a crucial part in development and motivation of a student and their learning. Teacher's in North America are less determined to help students due to the poo funding found commonly among American schools. Teachers often find it difficult in low income areas to provide a level of education that would prepare them for High School or College. They may not be able to provide their children with the necessary goods that would help the children learn at a better rate. Rather, these children are more likely to fall behind. Teachers may also find that due to the lack of funding, their salaries will become depleted and they will not be working with a contract securing steady income. For some teachers, a steady income is their personal form of motivation to teacher. For those few students who have teachers with that mind set may find that their after school hours or 'office hours' are revoked and therefore are unable to get the extra learning they may need.
Under the topic of funding the children are subject to a poorer form of education due to the public school quality in their neighborhood. In primarily impoverished neighborhoods, a lot of schools are set up for the entrance into high school and nothing much more after that. There are expectation that come from the lack of funding in schools. Those expectations of the students fall under entering high school, but no push to complete the schooling or  go onto high education. Funding for public school is often found in nicer, high income areas even though it should be the other way around. By the the government focusing more on the high income neighborhoods, it fails to give all student and equal opportunity to find success in the American Educational System.
Miscommunication is nothing new to the schooling system here in America. From experience, public middle schools and private schools work at different paces. There are many lessons those who stuck to public education will never be taught and those lesson could be the lessons that make or break their chances of high education. Miscommunication also comes in the form of a basic classroom. The principal may want one thing from their students, but may forget that the lack of funding from the government restricts their ability to teach a lesson or have interactive activities that privately educated students are getting.
Miscommunication can lead to the closure of schools. The closure of schools would put students out on the streets for a couple of weeks until they can all be divided up and transferred to other schools.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

America's Corrupt and Failing Education System

It is general knowledge that North America's education is corrupt and failing, but most people lack the understanding for why it is failing so drastically in comparison to other nations. 

North America offers a wide variety of education. For grades 1-12, those who have a larger incomes tend to lean towards privatize schooling. For those who could in other words not afford an elementary or high school education for their children are provided one by the United States Government, commonly referred to as "public school." 

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From a brief personal experience with public middle schooling in the United States, I found the public form of education to be lacking. There were no placement exams for myself to be appropriately placed into classes. Instead I was lumped into a large classroom with 50+ students and only a single teacher.  I recall my public middle school teachers working without a contract and job stability. I remember most of my friends living in apartments and moving often because their provider could no longer afford the basic goods I never had to think twice about when I went home. 

I have vivid memories of my friends of my 8th grades graduation. There was a speaker to congratulate us and encourage us to go onto finish high school and go onto pursue higher education. I remember the parents in rows behind us laughing at the thought of higher education. It is not until now that I understand how obscure and impossible it would be for a low income family to afford higher education. 

To America, higher education or any education that is privatized and/or segregated by the cost of attendance is seen as better education. Why is it better? because not  everyone can afford it. It holds a type of corrupt value to it like a Lamborghini or a  Louis Vuitton purse. 

(source)
The educational system fails non-exemplary students because the testing of each student struggles to become individualized.  The standardized testing itself has good intentions, but the resources each student has varies on the amount of time and money they have spent on a "good" education. The tests that are in place in America do not represent those who are under privileged; those who cannot afford the extra help they may need.  

To help public school students become equal parts of society and progress up in the hierarchy we have implemented, they need to be offered the same type of education those of privileged backgrounds are able to obtain."These traditional and non-traditional students live in the community, are employed or seeking employment locally,at which, the income they earn contributes towards a healthy regional economy" (Schreiber)Money should not be the reason for someone to be uneducated.  

This article was inspired of the New York Times " How to Fix the Country's Failing Schools. And How Not To."