Analysis Of The Movie ' Back Of The Future II '

Reading chapter six of America’s Teachers: An Introduction to Education (Newman, 2006) reminded me of the Barenaked Ladies song It’s All Been Done (Page, 1998). As I read the conflicting sides of each argument regarding education as far back of the Civil War, I kept thinking how none of this sounded new. It’s all been done before, and we are still debating many of the same issues. Newman (2006) put it another way, “Despite promoters’ claims to the contrary, few educational wheels are brand new. Most have been reinvented. Sold to the public as innovations, they are more like retreaded and recycled tires” (p.180). The purpose of education, the way in which education is managed by state and federal governments, and whom we educate (and how) will always be, in my opinion, a hot debate.

There was a time when America’s education system was top-notch according to the culture and society. With time, a myriad of things has changed, but unfortunately what has not evolved is the American education system. The country is still following a system which was not designed for the current global economic climate. Equality, as positive as it sounds is not as sufficient when it comes to education. The system treats students equally yet expect a similar culmination and outcome. Every child has his individuality and distinct abilities; one cannot judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Conversely, a few of the prominent reasons why the education system is failing are overcrowded schools, the rise of technology, and following the same old school hours.

The year is 2012. In the movie Back to the Future II, two years from now, in 2016, Marty McFly travels from the past to save his family’s future. The future is almost upon us, and yet it would seem that our education system has changed little since Back to the Future hit theaters in 1985. “We still have same teachers, in the same parts, in the same schools, with the same level of knowledge, with the same equipment’s, and much the same standard of parental support” (David). Ironically, we have been steadily implementing policy after policy, increasing standards and accountability, promoting oversight and rule… the list goes on, and yet our progress seems minimal, our educators complain of underfunded classrooms, and our legislators complain of underperforming schools. The question of “how to improve our education system” is not getting satisfactorily answered because our system is not broken, merely underdeveloped. The truth is that America has made paces in improving its education technique or system; the problem that remains is for us to entrust our educators with the greater pliability and autonomy that they need to excel.

Have you ever wondered if other countries get the same amount of education as you? In Finland they have many differences in schooling than the USA. Finland has many colleges and universities as well as the USA. Even though Finland and the USA spend different amounts on students they both still get good education.

Education in America is one of the most important issues that face our nation. If the education in America is not thought of one of most serious issues we face, our nation as a whole will fall. There are many debates and they seemly extend to all walks of life. The debates range from the decline in education, school vouchers, and the no child left behind law. As a nation, the United States is ranked above others. We must search for that solution to all of the pro’s and con’s in education. The solution should allow all walks of life to excel in the education realm. After all, the children of today will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Diane Ravitch, an “educational historian”, answers four questions in her book, Reign of Error. Is American education in crisis? Is American education failing or declining? What is the evidence for reform being promoted by the government and adopted by many states? What should we do to improve our schools and the lives of our children? According to Ravitch, the “crisis” concerning American education is actually a myth. In this book, she addresses myth after myth providing adequate clarity and information. She looks deep into the facts and brings to light what is actually happening in education in America in the following areas: test scores, achievement gaps, graduation rates, teachers and test scores, merit pay, charter schools, virtual school, government involvement of failing schools. In the latter chapters she offers specific solutions with detailed plans and recommendations to preserve and improve American education. Ravitch’s thesis is that American public education must be protected against government privatization and that we must work together to improve our schools. I couldn’t agree more with Ravitch. Government involvement in education has negatively impacted education since the passing of NCLB. Our focus has changed from being innovative teachers to cookie cutter teachers. Government officials should not make decisions without advice from educational professionals. We must all work together to make education work.

The American Education System is not meeting the needs of current students. If anything, the system is not building a sturdy foundation for the future working class. Schools have existed for many years and every period they have worked differently. However, every school’s main purpose was to educate students to be efficacious later in life. Modern day schools are corrupting students with added pressure, standardized tests, making less accommodations for special education students, not following laws, and take away individualism from the students’. The students of modern times are the people of our future and the future does not look too bright with the current American Education System.

Andrew R. Deras Dr. Jide Osikomaiya English 100 8 September 2016 The Most Compelling Problems In American Schools As we delve back into a new year for students and teachers alike returning to school to continue with the daily life of academics and learning, we all must be understanding of what exactly we are sending our peers and children back to. It should be no surprise to most of us that throughout the years we have seen countless upon countless examples from the news and through others, that our school system is flawed in some way, shape or form. It is no longer a coincidence that our students are only achieving 36th from the top in all total curriculum (Arnett). This is also evident to anyone who may happen to own a T.V. and has been a viewer to these numerous articles describing these horrible issues we have within schools firsthand (ABC News). Not only that, but schooling can also be further compromised by politics and law related issues (Ravitch). What my goal for the essay I am submitting to you is; to give my opinions on the current situation of public schooling in America, discuss the issues, and back my points I will be presenting, with concrete evidence I have uncovered in my research. I would like to make it clear that my stance on the current situation is that there is not only a singular problem with public education, but a number of issues that inhibit students to learn properly and function as productive members of society. An excellent place to start would

For many years the school system in Finland has been very successful. In the PISA survey, which compares reading, math and science knowledge of 15 year olds around the world, Finland is not only the top European country but also competes with Asian giants like Shanghai, Singapore and South Korea. But what makes the educational system in this small country so strikingly different from others in the western world.

Education is a sensitive subject with a very divisive line. Many strongly believe in the system. Bill Gates stated, “It's hard to improve public education - that's clear.” Others oppose it just as strongly. Friedrich Nietzsche felt, “In large states public education will always be mediocre, for the same reason that in large kitchens the cooking is usually bad.” In Texas, this has always been a concerned issue for parents, teachers, and communities. It is not just a normal topic, but a major political topic, in which the state government has shown continuous efforts to compare and evaluate the standards in which students and teachers must follow. Proper education is now something that is decided for students and

The American Education System is not meeting the needs of current students. If anything, the system is not building a sturdy foundation for the future working class. Schools have existed for many years and through the years they have worked differently. However, every school’s main purpose was to educate students to be efficacious later in life. Modern day schools are corrupting students with added pressure, making fewer accommodations for special education students, and take away individualism. Along with those are problems comes numerous others. The students of modern times are the people of our future and the future does not look too bright with the current American Education System.

When it comes to accountability there has been four major influences that recur in developing policy makers, educators, and families as they have sought to improve America’s schools. The four influences are advances in technology by economic competitors, the low achievements scores of U.S. students when compared to those in other nations, the need for well-trained domestic workforce, capable of retaining U.S. economic technological, and military supremacy in the world, and the civil rights movements on behalf of students who are female, and who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds or who have disabilities (p. 129). These developments have practical consequences for partnerships.

The United States prides itself on its public education system making it a core value of many families. The level of education a person has will influence their career achievements. Americans expect their public system of education to provide a solid curriculum. Most of the people in the United States place their trust in the public school system in which they support through taxes. This trust although is contradicted by the public system of education’s current shape. Much of the schools in the United States are either deteriorating, or failing all together. The drawbacks of public education create an unhealthy environment for student learning.

“I think a lot of teachers feel like they’re teaching to a test. Our response is you teach to a student, you really teach to the kid.” (Erin Gruwell) The next generation is perhaps defined eminently by its education, what is taught and what is retained; this stipulates how far they will reach in future endeavors. This in turn begs the question, with respect to the schools, the students, and their parents, who should be determining the curriculum for these potential leaders of tomorrow? As time goes on it has come to the nation’s attention that something is wrong with the education system, it is not broken per say, but the majority agrees that it has proven itself inconsistent. This in turn manifests itself through the statistics and the outcry of both current and past students. Whether

The “Back to the future” trilogy is by far my favorite of all time; especially the first one, that movie alone is on my Mount Rushmore of movies. The trilogy is about a teenager who accidently travels back in time prevents his parents from getting married which then prevents him from being born, so now he has to figure out a way to get back to the future and get his parents back together. The entire trilogy is great; even thought it has its bad moments, but hey, what trilogy does not? The series is a clever and fun string of movies that leaves you with a good feeling after watching them. Now with that being said, when you make a movie about time travel there are bound to be some mistakes and “Back to the future” is no exception. I can go