In the end, she warns that the outcome will produce students who are not able to comprehend complex knowledge and schools that limit history, science, the arts, civics, and many other components of the curriculum that provide college preparatory instruction. Ravitch notes that the United States, compared to other nations, is not following a model that will produce effective change. She explained, “High-performing nations make sure that students have access to a rich and balanced curriculum, not just a steady diet of test preparation and testing” (p.
As in the article “Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes” by Max Roosevelt, it is understandable that the students will want to receive a high grade for putting in an extreme amount of effort; although most teachers and/or professors don’t see it that way. They see it as your paper must be error free in order to receive the highest grade possible. To students creating the perfect paper seems impossible, even if they have all the right points and arguments. Furthermore, the teachers/professors really don’t know how much effort the student has put into the paper so they couldn’t grade on effort. For some students it may come naturally to just be able to create great essays so for them it seems to be a breeze.
Gerald Graff points out the pressure that society and school put on students to be academically intelligent. Students must have the perfect grades and attend the highest ranking school. Students also have to go to extreme measures to just get through one class because they know that failing is not a option. As Graff says, “To say that students need to see their interests “through academic eyes” is to say that street smarts are not enough” (p.303). I agree with what Graff says and also agree when he says, “The challenge, as a college professor Ned Laff has put it, “is not simply to exploit students’ nonacademic interests, but to get them to see those interests through academic eyes” (p.302).
Stating that forward progress with the children is essential in this crucial time was seen as an insult to the teachers. The new “full school day” implemented for the upcoming years was passed upon the teachers by Mayor Emanuel in attempts to meet national standards of school times. This was just the tip of the iceberg in Rahm’s overhaul to make the school systems more efficient. Other reforms included: pruning out underperforming/under attended schools, cutting funds to up to par institutions, removing the set raises over time for teachers, and making teachers evaluations based solely upon student scores. "We have been telling our parents and the city to prepare for this," Lewis said.
Early education programs such as, the Head Start program was on top of the list for budget cuts. That would affect the kick start to learning that has been around for generations of young learners to take advantage of. Most American families are in favor of having an early learning program in their community. Studies show that kids the kids that participate in an early learning program develop a greater aptitude for learning and are accepted to better universities. Seems like the GOP does not understand that even though the average family can’t afford to send their kids to a top tier university does not mean they do not want to take advantage of early learning.
Herbert supports this thought stating “I don’t think Mr. Vander Ark was engaging in hyperbole. The public needs to understand the extent of the high school dropout crisis, and its implications for the long-term future of the U.S”. (Herbert 1) All in all, I believe what Tom Vander Ark describes about the scary level of income stratification on educational stratification relates to Herbert’s essay because they both stress that there is no balance. Also the low income class must pursue education and stop dropping out to obtain a position of leadership in the country. Leadership in the country will support the importance to fix problems like education, employment, economical structure and much
In “Generation R”, Peck writes in a situation about the thought of new generation. Some instances show that young adults are not ready to face their independent lives. Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology, is found that young people who graduated from high school dislike the idea of work for work’s sake, and expect jobs and career to be tailored to their interests and lifestyle. They also have very high material expectations, and believe financial success is extremely important. Twenge says, “There’s this idea that, ‘Yeah, I don’t want to work, but I’m still going to get all the stuff I want” (Peck 303).
Douglas argued that w/c parent’ attitudes prevent children form being successful in education. Middle class children parents are more interested in their children’s education, and were more encouraging and more willing to help them. Sugarman supported Douglas’ theory that the w/c and m/c had different attitudes, which can affect their education. There were four key features of his theory; Fatalism (The w/c believe that everything happens for a reason, even failing an exam. With this frame of mind, they lack the motivation to do better and succeed.
Goodman seems to believe it is the students and their parents, as Goodman states, “Perhaps the chief objectors to abolishing grading would be the students and their parents.”(p.213). I think parents main concern with abolishing grading would be the fact that they cannot see how their kids are doing in college. And I think a student’s main concern with it would be that they do not really know how they are going to be judged as far as knowledge of the subjects they are studying. Plus you have to take into consideration that they are the ones who are paying tuition (the reason the school runs in the first place). And in our society, testing has become the means for everything, even getting an entry level job.
T.S. Elliot once wrote “It is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time -- for we are bound by that -- but from the intellectual and emotional limitations of our time” (Infinity Web Development, LLC, 2002-2010). The Americans should bring back the perception that “there is nothing we can’t be" stems from our ancestral heritage. Since the majority of the early settlers could not read or write, they worked hard to make sure the kids of the future all had a chance to learn. They believed they had a responsibility to improve themselves, to be the best they could be, to improve their abilities, and to help thy neighbors.