Education System In The United States

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.

Prior to the 1950s, children of color were kept separate from their Caucasian peers in the American Public schools. Everything from the water fountains to the classrooms were kept apart from the other. Attempts to desegregate the school system began after the civil rights movement as a whole took their fight to the courts. Cases such as Brown v. The Board of Education and Cooper v. Anderson fought to dismantle the laws in place. The fight was long and tedious, but even when the United States Supreme Court ruled that segregation be ceased, the system and opinions of many kept the patterns going. The belief that all people, regardless of skin color, should have the right to a decent education under a democracy is what drove the fight for equality in the school system. The civil rights movement, United States Supreme Court rulings, Ruby Bridges and the Little Rock Nine played massive roles in the journey towards equality in education.

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.

Throughout American history, schools have been segregated by race due to a common idea in society that although schools are separate they are still equal. Regardless of this belief, schools across the country were far from equal. Certain states made it illegal for black people to get an education resulting in most of them being illiterate. Plessy Vs. Ferguson created the idea of separate but equal in 1896, but doctrine was overturned in 1954 by the controversial Brown Vs. Board decision, resulting in the beginning of a new change that would be made in American schools. This decision is a symbolic moment in the history of American education because the shift in schools. The decision is still fundamental today due to the fact that segregation has now become about issues such as gender, sexual orientation, religion, and not just race. It is vital to understand this concept of segregation in schools so teachers can learn how to avoid segregation resulting in an inclusive class.

At the time of the African-American Civil Rights movement, segregation was abundant in all aspects of life. Separation, it seemed, was the new motto for all of America. But change was coming. In order to create a nation of true equality, segregation had to be eradicated throughout all of America. Although most people tend to think that it was only well-known, and popular figureheads such as Martin Luther King Junior or Rosa Parks, who were the sole launchers of the African-American Civil Rights movement, it is the rights and responsibilities involved in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision which have most greatly impacted the world we live in today, based upon how desegregation and busing plans have affected our public school

The Brown v. Board of Education of 1954 is known for desegregating public schools in the U.S. In 1954 the Supreme Court ruled “in the field of public education the doctrine of separate but equal had no place” (Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 1954). It was the 1st major educational policy. The Court’s decision in Brown created not just desegregation strategies, but also instructional approaches such as Title I programs, magnet schools, and bilingual and multicultural education (Contreras & Valverde, 1994).

“We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently equal.” This case began in Topeka, Kansas where an African American man grew upset with a white school, due to them not accepting his daughter’s admission and ordering her to attend a school further away. The NAACP quickly caught onto the case and supported it completely. The case was not successful at the district level but rose to the Supreme Court and won on May 17, 1954. (History- Brown) This hearing ended legal segregation in America. Brown v Board of Education was a revolutionary lawsuit as it furthered the civil rights movement in The United States as well as reforming America’s education system.

Education plays important role in society. It determines the final development of an adult’s personality. In today’s society most jobs require a University degree. To receive a University degree students need to rely on a good education system. Does America provide this? The American education system has relied on the grade point average system for a long time. The problem with this is there is not a universal GPA grade point system varying from course to course. This creates an inaccurate way to determine ones overall achievements. Teachers have different standards than others, grade inflation can occur and students can be exposed to different learning environments. Does the education system need to change to create fairness?

The U.S. public education system contains tremendous inequality, much of which is maintained through the institution itself. We believe the system to be based on the principles of a strong work ethic and equal opportunity – key components of the dominant American ideology, which are in turn made reasonable by the schooling system. Furthermore, structural factors such as cumulative advantage, which explains how those who are successful gain additional success, offer an explanation for the inequalities in the school system that cannot be described or solved by money. Therefore, through the legitimation of the dominant American ideology and the process of cumulative advantage, the U.S. public education system perpetuates social inequality within the classroom and provides more power to those already born with greater life chances.

America: the land of freedom and innovation. For upwards of two hundred years, America has impressed the world with the courage of her people, her ideas, her ingenuity, and her tenacity. Her very name is synonymous with the dream of freedom and the idea that one can make something of oneself regardless of beginning social status if only one works hard. America gives her working citizens, overall, an amazing quality of life compared to most of the world. However, she has her problems: political unrest, social justice issues, issues defining the Constitution, school shootings, police brutality, and many more concerning issues. Some purport that many of America's problems could be solved with education. However, that in and of itself is a problem. America's educational system is corrupt and not her own. It is an age

Is America’s public education system benefiting in helping students succeed or is it taking part in students lacking crucial information? In “The Problem with American Education” Zastrow Marvin C. states that “our country grew and flourished as it developed the most extensive, the most elaborate, and the most expensive educational system the world has ever known” (233). There are other systems around the world that maybe more effective, use a smaller budget, and are less time consuming. Students in American schools are beginning to score lower and lower on state wide standardized tests. Also more and more students are beginning to walk out of public education schools lacking crucial life knowledge. One different education system around the world that is more efficient and cost less money is Finland. Also this education system is less time consuming than America’s system. In America it is important for students

Is the United States education system the best system in comparison to the rest of the world? There are positive aspects to the system, but there is also negative ones that can be improved if the United States took in consideration the way other countries run their education system. Students should be taught life skills that will help them make the right decisions and help their life be less stressful and keep their mental state healthy. Instead of allowing students to have the mindset that the subjects they learn are useless, schools should be teaching them the way their studies will help them with their futures. The U.S. education system is problematic and needs improvement in terms of students’ preparation for their future, student

The idea of public education in the United States existed even before the American Revolution and the subsequent founding of the United States of America as an independent nation. As the nation grew, each of the states eventually passed legislation mandating free public education for students, with every state in the union operating free elementary schools by 1870 (Monroe, 1911). Almost from the onset, these schools were harbors of inequality, as most were aimed at educating wealthy, white males. Even after the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which sought to integrate American public schools, many of the nation’s schools still exhibit rampant inequity. According to Rothstein (2014), African-American students are still greatly isolated and wide achievement gaps still exist when compared to white students. Similar problems remain apparent for other demographic groups, including Hispanics, Native Americans, female students in certain academic fields, and LGBTQ students.

Just as each country’s culture differs from the rest, each country’s educational system is different. Many organizations rank each country’s educational system by the students’ scores on standardized math and science testing or overall academic performance in order to compare them and evaluate each country’s success in the world of education. This data is incredibly useful in comparing literacy rates, many statistical pursuits, and in finding places where the systems need improvement. However, while comparing educational systems based solely on academic achievement provides vital information to the aforementioned areas, it overlooks other important factors; including student ability, life skills, and cultural factors. These things greatly impact

Education has been affected greatly by social and cultural events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Because education follows the moves of society, the need for new skills in life and in the workplace change and students can be career and college ready. This, however, has not always been the case. The first of two main cultural and social events focused on are the events that led up to the Brown vs. the Board of Education Supreme Court case, which resulted in the desegregation of schools. The second are the effects that the Great Recession had on the education system.