Barry Doster
Prof. McIntosh
English 010-02
01 May 2013
Poor Education In America The educational system in America is unstructured. Failing grades and drop-out factories are bi-products of some American schools. A person could speculate that the amount of money and policies thrown toward public schools should have promoted positive change. It is not dubious to ponder whether the effort extended toward education has been in vain or not. However, the main effort perceived by the American public has been broken promises made by politicians. Despite the policies attempting to improve education, the quality of education in America is still very poor; moreover, the economy of America will suffer exponentially if action is not taken. The quality of education in America is largely based on a person’s financial status. The thought of a country having a price tag on quality education is unfair, however, very true pertaining to education in the United States. Minorities and people in poverty are educated unequally. “Only one-third of American students achieve proficiency in reading and math by our nation’s own standards. Two-thirds of African- American and Hispanic students achieve well below grade level” (Chubb 1). The need to be educated in the American work force is escalating exponentially. Ten years ago, a person could get a job relatively easy with a high school diploma, now it is hard to find a job with a college degree. So, American jobs demand more educated citizens that are not being produced by many public schools. The educational needs of children are being constantly replaced by the financial needs of academic institutions. An educational system which accommodates primarily to wealthier individuals is a broken system at best and is in need of proper assessment. In order for educators to be successful, an academic regiment should complement economic demand. The educational system in America was established to prepare people for industrial manufacturing. Schools were fashioned to resemble assembly lines, even implementing bells to dismiss class as in a factory. In the 1800’s schools were effective at supplying factories with a skilled labor workforce. Time has passed and the U.S economy has changed drastically, yet, educational standards remain the same; an emphasis on reading and math are still being placed in priority by the government. The NCLB (No The Child Left Behind) act prioritized math and reading, demanding an overall increase in proficiency. “The NCLB did not even question the way today’s schools are organized and operated or whether they have not changed to keep up with the times” (Wolk 18). Children should be taught more diversely now, since the economy is more diverse; to teach on a basis of supplying a demand for industrial jobs, the demand is no longer there. Subjects like: science, history, literature, and even art and music should be held at the same level of importance as math and literacy. The government should allow teachers and professors the scope and freedom to teach, emphasizing all subjects equally; students being taught a range of curriculum will be better prepared for career opportunities in the ever-changing economy of America. The NCLB policy regarded teachers and students alike, as failures; the policy pushed for students and teachers to set academic goals higher. The NCLB beget change, no doubt, but the change was not positive. Get tough policies and zero tolerance gave way to high-stakes testing, alienating students that needed the most help learning. Students that did not achieve quickly were placed on the back-burner; the policy was punishing students rather than helping them succeed. When the policy reached full-circle in the public school system the end result was an increase in student punishment and drop-outs. “250,000 more students were suspended out of school in 2006-2007 than there were just four years earlier, when NCLB was signed into law” (Wolk 20). The No Child Left Behind
