High School Education

Education is an important factor when one wants to be successful in his or her academic career. Children are especially responsible for their academic success. President Obama states in his speech to America’s school children that each individual student has to take charge of their own education. The effectiveness of President Obama’s speech has a powerful impact on school age children because he wants students everywhere in America and around the world to do their best

America used to thrive on its education system and that is why it became one of the greatest nations in the world. Education is the backbone of our country, and we must give high priority to improve its current condition. Unfortunately, in the past couple of decades, the education system has been regressing. It has been on the decline and not as effective. The quality of education in a country has an influence on GDP growth, social cohesion and social well being in general. In order to improve the quality of education in the U.S., the following must be taken into consideration: the structure of our education system must be reanalyzed, we must compare and contrast our education system to systems of other countries with higher rankings, and finally, there must be a solution.

In today's society, it is more difficult to get a job without having an education. McClellan talks about two different people in his essay, Voss and Galipeau, who were guaranteed a job with their company. When their company moved over seas they had to find new jobs. Voss had to get a college education to be able to get another job, and even with her college education she found it difficult. When she finally found a job, the job only paid $12.47 an hour, compared to her original job that paid $27 an hour. Galipeau had to take a part time job somewhere because he was too old to be starting a new career (McClellan 552-553). This is a perfect example as to how even with a company having promised them a solid job, more education was needed just to find another job that paid less. Additionally, even the jobs that require nothing more than a high school education do not pay well. There are also very few jobs that a person can get without additional education past high school. Those who don't even have a diploma may have an even harder time finding a job. According to the United States Department of Labor, "In May 2013, about 27 percent of all U.S. jobs were in occupations that typically require less education than a high school diploma for entry. These

“In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them

The importance of college in America, which is always debatable, had now become more controversial. However, it can be said that the purpose of college education is not only studies, but it is enable for students to think out of the box. In addition, they need to have a degree along with skills. American education can have some negative effect on people in many different circumstances such as rising education fees, require extra classes and giving important to a degree rather than skills.

Grounds B1: A summary of President Barack Obama’s speech presented by Christopher Hass, “President Obama on Higher Education and Reforming Student Loans,” published in April 2009 by My.BarackObama.com, “There are few things as fundamental to the American Dream or as essential for America 's success as a good education.  This has never been more true than it is today.  At a time when our children are competing with kids in China and India, the best job qualification you can have is a college degree or advanced training.  If you do have that kind of education, then you 're well prepared for the future -- because half of the fastest growing jobs in America require a Bachelor 's degree or more.  And if you don 't have a college degree, you 're more than twice as likely to be unemployed as somebody who does.  So the stakes could not be higher for young people like Stephanie.”

Earning a diploma, a degree or even a trade can significantly affect one's future financial status. An education-or lack thereof- can mean the difference between being poverty stricken or financially stable. College graduates earn an average of 66 percent more than non graduates and often enjoy additional benefits, including greater job opportunities and promotions.(Source: study.org) However,  according to spotlightonpoverty.org, 69 percent of students graduate from college on time, yet many graduate without the skills needed for college or work. Without an education chances of obtaining a decent paying job is slim, which can result in a life of impoverishment. "Policymakers and education leaders must implement strategies to reduce the high school dropout rate and adequately prepare high school students for college, while providing low income students with the support they need to attain a degree or credential."

In the article “Opinion: America Needs to Raise the Bar on Education for Our Students,” Michelle Obama’s strongest argument was that a high school education is not enough to get a satisfactory job because of the competition. To be able to compete for these jobs, students need to be encouraged to go to college through programs like Reach Higher. Her argument that students need to step up and work extremely hard to achieve their goals may not be an option to many students. Students can do all that they can but if they are needed to help care for their families or their parents disagree about their choice of career, it is not up to them.

In today’s economy the need for people with college degrees is at an all-time high. With factories starting to turn to robots, the world now needs people to program the robots. In order for you to program a robot, you need to learn how to code; which can usually can only be done at a four year university. . If every American had some type of education beyond high school, Americans would be better off because more people would have higher paying jobs while poverty levels would go down, more family time, crime rates would decrease, and more jobs would come and stay in the United States.

Many job will hire you with a high school diploma but it will not pay more than an medium income. And according to the ILPoverty Report, there are 567,548 Illinoisans with an high school diploma or less. College is very expensive for people living in poverty because now they have to pay for their families funds plus housing, books, tuition, and etc. And being raised in Chicago, only two of my friends went to college ,out of the seven, including myself. The public schools even has an age limit on when you can enter your child in kindergarten.

My generation was told we could do anything we put our minds to. And if we wanted good high paying jobs we would have to get a good education. But over the years I’ve noticed that maybe that’s not completely true. Many jobs now of days do not require a college education just a high school diploma.

Well, Cal Thomas suggests in his essay that following old school rules may play a part; studying and staying in school, achieving an undergraduate, or graduate degree, avoiding drugs that can harm your body and mind, and getting married before you have children, and working hard to stay married. (Cal Thomas, Pg. 570) I subside with his suggestion on studying and staying in school, since receiving a college education can expand opportunities, and thus employment. For example; one with a college degree could receive a higher salary, and be able to provide his and or her family a decent living, corresponding with what the American Dream hopes for. “America will never get its act together until we recognize how much trouble we’re really in” (Cal Thomas, Pg. 570) Which is accurate considering many citizens fail to have a college education, thus leading them with fewer job opportunities. Pulling towards a few statistics, 70% of American’s don’t have a college education, which leads them to a lesser paying job, and decreases their chance of achieving the dream. I am aware it is possible to make a decent living without a college education, but according to Cal’s recommendations, it isn’t in the books. Bob Herbert talked about how there should be a need to shape the system, because thousands of teachers are being fired due to cutbacks. if the school system was improved, this would be a step in the right direction. (Bob Herbert, Pg.

Part of getting a better education involves the ability to get a better paying or even easier job. Americans used to work with their hands to provide income for their families but now their greatest instrument is their minds. According to (what’s killing poor white women) “If you are a woman, and you are poorly educated, opportunities for you are next to nothing.” This same principle can be applied to both sexes across any racial circumstance. Education is the future to a better life. Far too few jobs are available for unskilled uneducated laborers. According to CBS News “For millennals with only a high school education, the jobless rate tops 19 percent.” This shows that a simple high school degree is no enough to meet the demands of prospective employers which may be the reason so many Millennials have continued on their educational journey through college.

A high school diploma is no longer enough to ensure that Americans have the skills they need to move into the good-paying careers they

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.