Argumentative Essay On Education

I agree with Horace Mann, education is vital in society and determines how it functions. If certain groups of people do not receive equal education than others, then society will change and more poverty, unemployment, and more inequality will increase.

Teachers shape the minds of students to realize what their purpose is in life. Lately, because of certain educational reforms, it has been hard for teachers to say what they need to say. “In 40-plus states, the math and English guidelines determine the knowledge students have to master by the end of each grade, what they’ll be tested on this year, and in many cases, how teachers and principals will be rated at their jobs once those test scores are released” (Strauss). Most educational reforms are adopting standardized testing and should be reconsidered. Statistics even show that since we have taken part in reforms like No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Common Core State Standards math and reading are declining. These standards tell teachers what to teach and what the students should know by the end of the school year. The reforms also evaluate teacher performance by how well the students learn the information. Some people believe educational reforms should not be telling teachers how to teach their students, and others believe that the reforms are absolutely fine the way they are. However the truth is educational reforms are yet to be perfected.

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.

Education, gives us the key to the future, it allows us to see the world, and comprehend it. Education isn't ordinary, it's an idiosyncratic weapon; even though it's a weapon, it wasn't design to kill. It was designed to allow any human being to change the world and shows them the truth. Put them on a path that gives the user unlimited knowledge but how they obtain it and use it, will all depend on the user. Education allows you to push others so they can see a new future or how to change it and turn it to the best instead of being the worst.

With landmark Supreme Court decisions in regards to education such as Brown v Board of Education, which made segregation within schools illegal, one would be inclined to believe that modern schools are void of any inequality. However, at a deeper glance, it is apparent that there is a glaring inequality within public school systems at the national, statewide, and even district-wide level. Such an inequality has drastic results as the education one receives has a high correlation to the college they will attend, and the job they will work. It is in society's best interest that public school systems be improved to equally supplement students with the tools necessary to succeed. While the public school system aims to reduce the inequality within it, they have proven ineffective in guaranteeing children of all races and economic classes an equal education.

Just think about this one tiny effect. Imagine that you are about to start school at the age of five, and once you arrive you see that kids around you are more prepared, confident, and eager to learn. These young smiley five year old faces don’t make you happy. In fact, this makes you depressed, and saddened. Early education, also known as preschool is of vital importance. Preschool or an early educational establishment is a group of people offering early childhood education, before the age five. They offer enriching courses for children, and help prepare them for the transition into elementary school. Children who use the opportunity of an early education have a huge advantage. On the other hand, children who don’t enter preschools seem to lack in certain areas, and lag behind. Many children in our country do not attend preschool at the age of three or four, and directly enter kindergarten without the early learning opportunity. This issue of a less advantage situation could eventually lead to a bigger disadvantage when it comes to learning. Many parents aren’t willing to send their children to preschool in their early years as it is over expensive and unnecessary for a three year old to enter school. I, on the other hand, disagree with these people. If children learn from early on, there won’t be any need to worry about others who have advantages. I believe that early education should be mandatory, and since many people can’t afford preschools, public school districts should have their own preschool grade for all younger students.

Conversely, the Supreme Court struck down a school board policy requiring any school employee who became a candidate for public office to take a leave of absence. Laws or policies prohibiting all public employees from running for any political office have been struck down as overly broad. Several courts have held that public educators, unlike public employees who are directly involved in the operation of governmental agencies, have the right to run for and hold public office. The Utah Supreme Court, for example, ruled that public school teachers and administrators were not disqualified from serving in the state legislature.

Public education in America needs reforms to adjust to today's fast paced, technology based society. "Changing Educational Paradigms Animation" by RSA Animate and "Reinventing Education for the 21st Century" by Tony Wanger, prompted me to wonder how does teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills in schools socially and economically benefit students? Both of these videos touched on critical thinking and problem-solving skills and their importance in educating today's work force, but Tony Wanger blew me away with High Tech High, a Sandiego high, middle, and elementary school dedicated to teaching problem solving skills to a wide range of students (Wanger). This school system was an excellent model of students working on their own to create, utilize problem solving skills, and display their hard work. This gave me the idea that we need to shift our education to focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills to better benefit students entering the work force.

As our global economy flourishes, newer and faster technology is always on the brink of invention. So, to learn how to operate these new technologies, education is a must. Education teaches us not only how to add, subtract, write papers and finish science labs, but also how to interact in every day life. Education is a constant struggle in the U.S. Trying to keep teenagers from dropping out of high school, or teaching adults how to read. Schooling is one of the only ways the not so well off can get ahead in life. With out education, it is very hard to live in the U.S. successfully and safely.

There has to be a reason why we immediately associate a British accent with intelligence. Out of the 23 larger countries in in the world, only Spain and Sweden have lower graduation rates than the United states, with the UK being in the top 5. This might be an alarming statistic for some but in the US, the citizens almost expect it. With our alarmingly low graduation rate of 76%, the U.S falls far behind on the academic scale. Some Countries even call upon the United States to use other Western schooling methods as a mold for ours. The ever powerful United States of America shows a clear deficiency when being compared to Europe’s education system.

I believe we should always be optimistic when regarding the future of American education. Yet, as we continue to grow further apart as a nation, it will have a negative effect on education. We are not safe, and for many students there is no security, so when you are fighting to survive, education is pushed further away. We already know that the family, the home and the neighborhood affect a student's cognitive abilities, so what's next?

During this year’s presidential election, tension has been stronger than ever between candidates with opposing views on budget and economy. Will the money go towards military and defense, or social programs and education? Donald Trump, a republican businessman, and Bernie Sanders, a democratic Vermont senator, have conflicting views about how we should spend money. Trump wants to construct a border wall with his money, focus more on military than social programs, and cut funding for the Department of Education. However, Sanders, with more liberal values, plans to fund colleges and social programs, including unemployment and healthcare. I agree with Trump on the issue of budget and economy because he believes in simplifying the tax code and

Education is inevitable. It is all around us because we can learn from virtually anything. When you are cooking, dancing, talking or any other activity you have actually had to learn several things to be able to do them. In the educational perspective, I am a pragmatist and I tend to follow after Dewey's footsteps. The concept of Pragmatism is one that developed in the 20th century. My philosophy is based on the idea that learning should involve real-life situations. Learning becomes more concrete to a student when they apply it to real-life situations, as where learning things that do not connect to them has more of an abstract sense. Personally, I would have to agree with Dewey when he said, "I

Many Americans show patriotism and deem American as the greatest country, but are the facts in America’s favor? American has always been known worldwide as a superpower, however is American that glorious in every category? We are known for our many achievements throughout history, but through the 241 years we have been a country not once were we praised for our education system. America has struggled in the past because many students dropped out to work and help provide for their family, and the lack of urgency to learn. However, our education is still a major problem, and today we have no excuse. American students struggle and are average or below average in many tests compared to other countries. The education system in America is doing more harm than good and is putting America and our posterity at risk.

Education reform is a topic that every student, parent and teacher should be interested in because it effects everyone in the community. Many different approaches to education reform have been tried, and even though they seem to work for the time being, there are always more improvements that need to be made. One of the best ideas that has been discussed in the most recent years is getting the parents and students more involved in the actual reform process. Many school administrators see a problem with involving students, even though they are the ones most affected by the changes within schools. Student’s opinions should be taken into consideration because they are the ones who see what happens inside the school and within the classroom, and are the most affected by it. Involving parents and students in the reform of their schools will improve the quality of education, improve parent and teacher relationships and reduce parent and student complaints.