The Education System And Public Education

There are many problems in the American public education system today. Some of those include the quality of teachers, who have no real passion for the job, and are only allowed to remain in the position because of tenure privileges. Another issue is the state budgets that are allowed for public schools, with some states investing billions of dollars, and others prioritizing it lower on the list. In hot debate today is standardized testing, and the negative effect that it has on high school education, with the limits it places on teachers and what they have time to teach in the classrooms.

New York City consists of five boroughs, Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. The borough that I reside in is Brooklyn. Brooklyn has approximately 2.592 million people inhabiting this district and approximately 23.4 percent of individuals who reside in Brooklyn, NY come from a low-income household or in other words come from poverty. With catholic and private schools being expensive, people have to rely on the education system to provide their children with a good education. In this paper I will be discussing the public school education system ranging solely up to high school in Brooklyn New York and giving a general idea of the New York education system as well.

Horace Mann, an American politician and education reformer, helped establish the common school movement. It was this common school movement that revolutionized the teaching and structure of schools across America. After visiting nearly one thousand schools within 6 years, he found that the facilities were in poor condition, lacked many educational tools such as textbooks, and were built on inequality. It was Mann, who established the first normal school back in 1839 with the idea that these schools would provide education and equality to all boys and girls. “Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, the balance-wheel of the social machinery. (p. 183),” said Mann. It was his belief that everyone was entitled to the same content in education. Oftentimes, wealthy children would stay in school longer than the poor children, who couldn’t afford to go at all. The “great equalizer” of education meant that education through common school would be available and equal for all, whether rich or poor. As historian, Kathryn Kish had pointed out, “ The equalizing capacity of the school was something that he very much believed in. The common school became for him the place where we all came together,

With the many diverse characteristics of the Unites States, perhaps the most troubling is the rising gap in the distribution of wealth. As the wealth gap in the United States rises exponentially, the gap in the quality of public schooling rises with it. For a country that prides itself in prestigious outlets of education, the system of public schooling seems to be miserably failing. Public education, a system that some fight to destroy while others fight to preserve, is perhaps the only source of academic opportunity for many individuals living in this country. The fact that someone can live in a certain area and receive a higher quality of public education than someone else living in a different area in the same country—even in the same state—is a problem that should not trouble a ‘progressive’ democratic society. Unfortunately, areas of lower socioeconomic status receive much less funding than areas of higher socioeconomic status, where property taxes account for 45% of funding in public school districts. Naturally, the impoverished residents of poor neighborhoods pay a harsh price in this situation, sending their children to an underfunded school with little to no resources, where sometimes teachers must supply the classroom from their own pocket. As Rogerson and Fernandez note, “a system that allows the accidents of geography and birth to determine the quality of education received by an individual is inimical to the idea of equal opportunity in the marketplace”

In present day, most people to become successful in the future need to have an education. In the mid 1800’s, education was a very rare thing in America, and only children with rich parents could afford it. This issue was because there was only private schools in the country, making education a very difficult thing to achieve if someone’s family was not very wealthy. In 1848, Horace Mann stated: “ It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility towards the rich; it prevents being poor”(document 7). When he says this, he is hoping that all people can have the opportunity to be able to get and education. This argument is brought up very frequently in politics mostly by the democratic party so all people can have a chance at having a future with the job they want.

Education…beyond all other devices of human origin, is a great equalizer of the conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery. I do not here mean that it so elevates the moral nature as to make men disdain and abhor the oppression of their fellow men…But I mean that it gives each man the independence and the means by which he can resist the selfishness of other men. It does better than to disarm the poor of their hostility toward the rich: it prevents being poor. –Horace Mann, 1848

The idea of education has advanced throughout history, constantly shifting by societal ideals and human evolvement. This change is especially prominent during the 1800s and continues to alter to this very day with education policies. Public education first began during the Industrial Revolution. During this crucial time in history, many children were required to get an education in order to learn the trades of the growing economy and business as opposed to getting hurt in from hazardous machinery. These skills were limited reading, writing, and math. Ultimately, from this concept, public education was founded and from then, our society has grown into a well-educated community in which every individual has a role into making an impressive,

Without education, a society would have not have the proper tools needed to produce literature, write documents, or carry out worldly affairs. These shortcomings would lead to bigger problems as other countries advanced in greater educational feats. In 1831, a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville published a book proclaiming America exceptional after observing the American lifestyle firsthand. De Tocqueville is justified in his claim, as the public school reform movement greatly benefited the American society as a whole. Horace Mann, a main educational reformer, can be credited for advocating the need of a uniformed public school system. His persistence and the modifications made during the public school reform movement display America’s

“The public should no longer remain ignorant, that such education should be paid for, controlled, and sustained by and interested public, that this education will be best provided in schools that embrace children from a variety of backgrounds, that this education must be non-sectarian, that this education must be taught by the spirit, methods, and discipline of a free society, and that education should be provided by well-trained, professional teachers. Mann worked for more and better equipped school houses, longer school years (until 16 years old), higher pay for teachers, and a wider curriculum” (Mann XXIV).

This article gives a very detailed rundown of the history of American education. It begins in the 18th century where “formal schooling was not widely available” and progresses up to modern education where every student attends a primary and secondary school. There are many comparisons between the centuries and decades that allow insight into the immense change that has occurred since the 1700s.

American public education has undergone a dramatic transformation over the past several hundred years. This transformation not only includes technology and appearance, but diversity and policies as well. However, an age-old question is still being pondered today. What is the purpose of American public education? Although you may have your own answer for this question; not everyone may agree with you. This is where the problem resides. How can one purpose be suitable for everybody? The point of this paper is to informatively examine and explain the purpose of American public education through different perspectives.

George Washington, the first president of the United States once wrote in a letter to George Chapman that, “the best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail.” Although the people who received an education and the type of education they received in the eighteenth century vastly differed from the education that exists today, it is clear that from the foundation of this nation education has been seen as a fundamental necessity. When running for office, many political candidates address the value and significance of a strong education system. Yet, at the end of the day significant change in the system rarely occurs

The United States does not have an obligation to help poor countries. Although the U.S. has a high gross domestic product and strong military, it still hasn’t been able to succeed in other areas. In order to help others, you need to help yourself. Until every aspect of the United States is in order, we should not supply any other countries with help. The United States also has a failing public education system, citizens with food insecurities, and aging infrastructure. Giving aid can do more harm than good to a developing country. Instead of giving handouts, the U.S. should allow poor countries figure things out for themselves. “The American way” doesn’t work for everyone and countries, without help, should figure out what kind of system

Public education is a good that is privileged to everyone in the United States. While education may seem extensive and unnecessary, especially to youth, achieving an education has benefitted people through the history of the U.S., which in turn benefits the U.S.’s welfare. When Thomas Jefferson advocated the opening of public schools in the early 1800s, his plan was only half fulfilled; only wealthy communities could afford public schools (Watson 2). This remained true until the early to mid 1900s, where schooling became accessible for all, regardless of skill level or income. Since the mid 1950s, the U.S. has made tremendous leaps in not only technology, but also in the stabilization of the government and economy; these successes can be attributed to education. If that privilege to learning was no longer given, the U.S.’s development would be lost.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) over 49.4 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools for the 2011-2012 school year. Of these 34.9 will be in prekindergarten through eighth grade and 14.5 will be in grades nine through twelve. An additional 6 million students are expected to attend private schools (NCES, 2012).