Summary Of Blaming Schneider

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.

In the attempt to persuade his readers in “Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why”, John Gatto relied on his passion for education to express his thoughts. Having a bad experience as a teacher in our current school system, he believes that our system isn’t what it should be. He believes that our kids aren’t being educated. With the use of frequent rhetorical questions, personal experiences, and an appeal to ethos using other respectable men’s work, Gatto clarified his points about our schools in the America.

In the essay, “Education”, Ralph Waldo Emerson, a transcendentalist thinker, asserts that Education is damaged and he knows of a solution – the educators. He develops this claim by first introducing the paradox linking “Genius and Drill”, expressing his ideal method of teaching. Throughout the essay, Emerson tends to have a condemning tone against the educator but towards the end he changes it into a comforting one. Emerson’s purpose is to present an alternative style of teaching in order to persuade educators to use the teaching method by using paradoxes, rhetorical questions, and shifts in tone. He establishes an informative and didactic tone for educators who value attention to detail.

John Gatto’s “Against School” is a persuasive essay arguing both the ineffectiveness and negative outcomes of today’s public school system. Not only does Gatto provide credibility with his experience as a teacher, but he also presents historical evidence that suggests that the public school system is an outdated structure, originally meant to dumb down students as well as program them to be obedient pawns in society. Fact and authority alone do not supplement his argument. Gatto also uses emotional appeals, such as fear and doubt, to tear down the reader’s trust in the schooling system. Although it may seem to be so, Gatto’s argument is not one sided. He also offers suggestions to make the educational system more efficient at the hands of

Diane Ravitch is a historian of education at New York University. She makes a very compelling, but extremely one-sided argument that educational reforms such as “No Child Left Behind” are causing students to have lesser opportunities in schools. Her argument is directed towards school boards, parents, and lawmakers who have the ability to change school and state policies on education. She wants those people to believe that the current school system is not effective in giving students a quality education and preparing them for life. Diane Ravitch’s argument brings up a question for readers: Is it beneficial for students when schools cut funding to non-tested subjects? According to Ravitch, most of the schools in the country, except for the ones in the most affluent communities base their

The education system in America has a long history of struggle and change, as we have grown as a nation we have experienced an ever-increasing rise in diversity. This diversity has caused rigidities between groups and all stratus of society and has been a major impact in debates concerning the educational opportunities in America.

In Rereading America an excerpt by Michael Moore entitled “Idiot Nation” focuses on the collapsing educational system in the United States of America. Moore brings to light his view on the failures of the educational system and the lack of financing that has been caused from the top of the food chain. Politicians as well as American corporations contribute to the decline in education according to Moore. He attempts to give the reader a clear picture of where America places the importance of educational funding. He follows-up with detailed examples on what districts and schools resort to in order to gain financial support for their programs. Moore is quick to point out the irony of politics and education in America

Ultimately, Strauss urges her audience to consider the “concerns about changing the central mission of [the teaching] profession,” and what that means for the future of the education system.

One of the biggest overlying pieces of this article, is the narrative brought into view within the first few sentences- American Exceptionalism. People everywhere, disregarding their views on the problems in the school system, agree that America is the best in everything else, therefore our schools should be top-of-the-line and produce high achieving scholars that can compete with anyone from around the world. It doesn’t matter that there are students coming from all different types of backgrounds- we need to be on top. Putting the idea of this narrative in the beginning of the article, the author sets up the option for the reader to try to see why reformers are set on fixing the “issue” in our system. We want to be the best. Have pride in our

In “Dumbing Us Down: Weapons of Mass Instruction”, John Taylor Gatto explores the concepts of education and the path to finding one’s true self. Personal experiences of Gatto as a junior high school teacher in the public school system for thirty years demonstrate that the modern education system emphasizes memorization, standardized testing, and activities to kill time rather than promote individual thought. Although the public school system fails to properly teach, Gatto states that it is still possible for this generation to actually learn if we simply take the time to learn how to learn. In comparison to his teaching experience, Gatto discusses his own classical education. His education in Monongahela, Pennsylvania was shaped by hands on experience, where books were used as a means to satisfy curiosity and aid thinking rather than a piece of work to

Schneider argues that if schooling is truly broken, then educational progress should be impossible. He instead proposes that educational systems are steadily improving, just at a slow pace. Schneider states three main points: teachers have improved, modern curriculum is sufficient, and grading scores are higher. Schneider points out how the average US teacher is better prepared on adolescent cognition than the average teacher from any past period. Furthermore, he says that modern curriculum being a “relic of the past” is a myth, as modern curriculum has brought more positive differences than negative. Finally, Schneider claims that the system cannot be broken if student scores have been substantially higher in the past 40 years, with the greatest

Information such as this still sparks several controversies around the country and various approaches to reverse this trend have been presented. One such approach is the No Child Left Behind Act. NCLB is widely regarded to as “a universal movement towards government-regulated standardization and high-stakes assessment.” (Rubin n.pag). The Act was intended to better the ranks of United States’ students through a leveled measurement of academic understanding, however after more than a decade; it is widely reported as having done more harm than good. One such report states,

Poorly performing schools have been a big issue in America. The need to improve nation’s public schools has been a great concern for the public. Public attention escalated in 1983 when the National Commission on Excellence in Education announced “a crisis in confidence,” and nearly two decades later education issues continued to be a prominent factor in the presidential platforms of both Albert Gore and George W. Bush. In a 2000 Gallup poll, only 36% of American said they were satisfied with the quality of K-12 education in the nation. Such sustained agenda status is unusual in a country where a fickle media and citizens with a limited span of attention have been known to shuttle issues in and out of the limelight with surprising rapidity (Reforming

The United States is a nation of democracy, however, with democracy comes many responsibilities all citizens are expected to carry out. One of these responsibilities is to be educated enough to make informed decisions about voting and personal opinions. Yet, this is not the case in today’s time due to the American education system. In 2010, it was discovered through the National Assessment of Educational Progress tests 27 percent of fourth-graders, 22 percent of eighth-graders, and 24 percent of twelfth-graders performed at or above the proficient level in civics. In the category of twelfth-graders throughout America, this is a 3 percent drop from 2006 proving the education system is only becoming worse. If the percentage of American high school student who are able to pass a civics test proficiently continues to drop the voters of the future will continue to become increasingly misinformed than the current state of ignorance. Americans, currently lack the education that is

In the publication of A Nation at Risk (The National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983), we find a fine example of how American ideologies cause great strife in our children’s education. A Nation at Risk was a report that surfaced shortly after the launch of Sputnik. In 1957, the Soviet Union became the first country to successfully launch an artificial satellite into Earth’s orbit. The announcement of the groundbreaking event became a crisis in the eyes of the American people. The launch of Sputnik instigated part of the Cold War called Space Race. In addition to the fierce tensions and battles the launch of Sputnik caused, in 1983, the board of education published A Nation at Risk. This publication has proven to be a momentous occurrence in the history of American education. A Nation at Risk played on America’s fear of losing its position as number one. The repost basically said that we were at risk of losing security, freedom, and essentially everything that makes America great. The report also urged American schools to work our students harder. We needed our students to be better at math and science so that they would be well prepared to face any other countries. This is what started the influx of standardized testing, homework, and generally stressing our children. The report goes on to imply that the blame of education lag should be placed on teachers who do not work hard