The Reality Of The U.s. Education System

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.

America is viewed as the most advanced and developed country in the world. It owns some of the largest businesses and companies known to man. It is on top of every new technological advancement that has touched the Earth. It is the country that boasts of having the best and most efficient military in the world. The list goes on and on. And although a lot these claims made by America is true, none can doubt that this country has its fair share of flaws. A flaw in the American system is the lack of education many people receive. I am making this claim because the number of people I see in the street that are poor. These people don’t have access to quality education which prevents them from getting jobs. In the essay, I will dissect this issue

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

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 United States of America used to be known as one of the greatest countries to be apart of. From the jobs to the economy to education people loved to be apart of the American culture. The problem many Americans are facing today is poor education. Since America is viewed as a high profile country many people have prominent expectations on what they are receiving, specifically the education. The fact is that there are major problems with all levels of the education system today. Starting with early education, teachers are quick to say children needs to be medicated or put into special education. Proceeding to the general or high school education where kids are graduating but not prepared for what’s after. Lastly how higher education or college can hardly be afforded in today’s society. As a result of the failing education system, many parents blame the child or society when in actuality the failing system is corrupted by some teachers, lack of preparation, and lack of affordability in higher education.

Education is a necessity across the globe, from America to Africa to China. Some education systems, however, are more successful than others and hold differing views and approaches to education. Culture greatly impacts education, which in turn impacts further opportunity. As unfair as it may be, a child’s cultural background largely determines their level of success. The American education system is lacking when compared to various other world cultures, and this is causing the socioeconomic gap to grow. Because of this inadequate education, more and more families are dipping beneath the poverty line. This could be due to poor discipline as well as the diversity of students. The diversity of the students results in a wide array of needs that are not being met by the public education system. This issue could be minimized by working to create a more inclusive academic environment to ensure equality and success.

Over the course of many years, several things have changed, including technology, science, and people; however, our culture and idea of education have not. Some of these problems include teachers that are not being as valued as they should be and students who are changing both physically and mentally, but are still not being supported by our education system. The education system itself is also problematic as well, but it can be fixed with a change in our culture. Teachers and students are the base of the education system, and by not helping them, the system is not helping itself. Students are gaining new emotions and viewpoints, but the education system has had a hard time keeping up, even teachers are changing but are still undervalued.

There are many life issues and affairs people have to adapt too while maturing and growing up. These could include: learning about what kind of person they aspire to be, where they have the desire to live, or what it's like to pay bills. Yet, when and where does one learn to digest all this information? Certainly not in the American education system. Research suggests that Leon Botstein's claim- rules of high school are not the rules of life and that schools need to bring more real world into them- is true and that the American educational system needs to be revised and refined.

The American education system is set up to create a clear division between the social classes. The quality of the education that children receive depends on whether they attend an elite school or urban schools. Elite schools are located in upper class neighborhoods. Students who attend elite schools receive high quality education. Demographically, the majority of students who attend elite schools are Caucasian. This does not necessarily have much to do with the skill level of the students who apply to the school. More often than not, the application process for these schools is discriminatory. Urban schools on the other hand, are inner city schools known for their diverse population of students who come from middle and lower class

states in a possibility towards this issue is that “But maybe the U.S. spends more because it needs to spend more? The U.S. has more inequality and more poor people than those countries. Just as some countries naturally need to spend more on health care than others, the U.S. might naturally need more education”(Smith). This reason could be why education cost so much and how we must change that. In America, it is irrationally unfair for the people who have their shoes shined when walking. If one wants a bright future, one must start out small and work their way up, and be better than greedy

This paper is designed to address four major controversies concerning the practice and effectiveness of the current United States education system and discuss potential solutions to these issues. The four controversies we will be addressing are;

In my lifetime, I intend on changing America by reforming our educational institutions to teach the ability to learn, rather than the ability to test. In order for America to more comfortably adjust to globalization, I believe our education system should focus on teaching students how to adapt and learn rather than how to take a standardized test.

Is the current structure of the America’s educational system holding us back from making progress? This topic is a current debate within educational and political circles, yet a solution to America’s educational crisis has not been established. One party feels that schools should be nationally controlled or moved to the private sector and only through aggressive reform can real progress be made. The opposite side of the argument feels we should hold onto America’s traditions, and the constant inconsistencies and reforms have caused the educational crisis. Unfortunately the U.S political climate controls our system and treats students as another campaign point. The U.S. educational system needs some aspects of educational control under a standardized, national system while other aspects of education should remain in the hands of local communities to uphold the diverse cultural needs of America’s students.

Not everyone is lucky enough to have the money to go to a private school so most kid now a day are going to public schools. Americans public education system is flawed and it needs to be fix for America to become a more successful country. There are a few different ways to go about improving Americas education system one of the ways is to get rid of standardized test across the nation. The seconded way to help fix the education system is Having better teachers that are more willing to teach can help fix the education system. Public schools are constantly closing and overcrowded class rooms is another problem with the American public-school system.

The culture in and surrounding Uganda has fascinated me for a year or two now. I went to Kabale Uganda for a mission trip during my spring break of senior year. I was able to teach the students there for two weeks with my team and fell in love with it instantly. That trip spurred my desire to teach in less fortunate countries once I finish college.