America! The land of opportunity, or is it? Someone who took the time to look at our educational system might not think so. The educational system was set up in this country to educate citizens, so they would be able to participate within society, but over the years that idea has seemed to fade. In “The Educated Student: Global Citizen or Global Consumer?” Benjamin R. Barber points out the importance of education and why our public educational system was developed. He states “Whether you look at Thomas Jefferson in Virginia or John Adams in Massachusetts, there was widespread agreement that the new republic, for all of the cunning of its inventive and experimental new Constitution, could not succeed unless the citizenry was well educated.” Now when you look at our educational system you wonder what that education is really for; do we really get to participate, and if so, how? Many people see education as a way for the government to control citizens than let them actually make changes in this country. John Taylor Gatto says in Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why, that our educational system actually keeps people from growing up, and creates a bunch of obedient children. Gatto says that “I had more than enough reason to think of our schools with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers as virtual factories of childness.” I know I don’t look back on my experience in the public schools and get happy thoughts. Instead I look at Gatto’s description and think about my own experience of educational prison! I was never taught to grow up, think for myself, on the other hand I was taught to be dependent on a system that wants me to be that exact way; obedient! During this process of making us subservient citizens we are also keep unequal by our educational system. The way funding is set up to the schools in this country does not provide the opportunity for all schools to be entirely equal because schools are funded mostly by the community they are located in and that may vary significantly from community to community. Financial background has everything to do with the person you will become because it determines the resources that will be available to you. This is why the educational system set up by our government has failed us as Americans in so many ways, for it has created a bunch of obedient servants who are separate not equal.
Over the course of history education has gone through many changes, although it started with a specific goal in mind, which was to prepare children for their futures. Education was something that mainly took place in the home in the days of the settlers, and the education that one would receive would be determined by many factors. It was not the traditional type of education we know of today, rather it was practical. A person learned what they needed to survive. If you were female, you learned to cook and tend to the house. If you were male then you would usually learn the trade of your father, or become an apprentice. As things progressed in our history and we were developing our system of government it was thought that education was a major factor, and when I take a look at our Constitution I know why. The wording alone is enough to confuse the real meaning for me. It was thought by our founding fathers that an educated citizenry would help keep this country in the hands of the people and keep Britain out. They also saw it as a basic right that everyone would be able to obtain, hence public education, funded by a government of the people for the people. But something happened along the way. Over the history of this country education evolved, but not necessarily in a good way.
In the early 1900’s education became more controlling through different theories, or systems of education. Gatto gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia, which was purposely set up to control citizens in that country. As shocking as this may be it makes sense, and I believe it to be true. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” Many “experts,” as well as myself, would agree that our government is trying to keep us manageable. Just think back to first grade and how often you got in trouble for not raising your hand before speaking, or getting up from your desk, even if the teacher was not acknowledging you in the first place. Another reason children get in trouble in school is by stating opinions that vary from the teachers. I can remember being told I was off topic because my views didn’t match that of the teacher, or I was just asking for an expansion of their views. In The Function of the Schools Noam Chomsky says that the model for education today is set up like an educational assembly line. That we don’t encourage our children to think for themselves, but tell them learn this and if you don’t then you’re a behavior problem. So now that we are obedient servants that know nothing, and are kept manageable by our government can it get any worse? The answer is yes it can.
Education is also something that keeps the citizens in this country unequal, and has been for some time because of the way the funds are distributed. Schools in this country are supposed to be funded by property taxes, as well as the tax revenues from local businesses. Anyone can take a look around from city to city and see how that can make a difference in the amount of money schools are getting in each. In basic terms if the city looks good then the schools probably are too, but if it looks bad then most likely the quality of the schools are suffering as well. The government is then supposed to step in with more money to make things equal. In Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol tells us about the foundation program which was set up, in the 1920’s, to make education equal for children of different social classes. This program gives money to schools in poor neighborhoods to make up for the lack of tax revenues for their own communities. The big problem is that the schools in wealthy communities also get money from the government which is not needed. Kozol also talks about some of the conditions of the schools in poorer communities, not enough books for the overcrowded classrooms, bathrooms which are so bad I would rather not mention, and the level of education itself. Over the years I have seen this scenario time and time again. I grew up in a city where there were more people than money, so my school and education suffered, but I knew other people living in wealthier communities who attended schools that were clean and didn’t have class sizes of 35 plus. Even if we are being taught to be obedient servants we should be able to be equal ones. Historian Joel Weinberg once said that the state could have done a better job if they didn’t even try at all. If the state treasurer would have randomly thrown checks from an airplane then things would have been more equal than they are right now.
In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”
These words were written to give citizens in this country a different life then the oppression that they had come from, but they no longer apply for the people today. I don’t feel like my country has given me my basic right of “Liberty” or helped me on my own “pursuit of Happiness,” actually it is the opposite. My government offered a free education to me, but it was not entirely free. It was forced, and came with many laws and rules. It did not help me to participate in society, but rather taught me not to want to. The only thing our educational system offers now is a way for the government to compare the progress of children in this country to others. It is important for us to look good even if we really are not. Even in a country like Cuba where people live under a horrible dictator, or at least that is what we are told, there is a 98% literacy rate. Can we say the same about our literacy rate? Definitely not! In China children learn multiple languages at a young age. We cannot say the same about our own children. In fact some children here don’t even know how to use their native language, English. It is time for a new assessment of how children are educated within our schools. We need to do away with standardized testing, or at least the way it is used. We should be using that information to place children in classes with other children who are at a similar level, rather than placing them in classes determining where they should be because of age. Teachers should not be given a chance to become slackers through the use of tenure. We need to force our government to fund schools equally, so every child has similar opportunities; rich or poor. We need to force parents to be more involved in their children’s education, and why it should be valued. Also we need to provide an education to children that is worth valuing, and prepares them for a bright future. Children are our future, they are the people that will be providing for people like me in my old age, and I know I would rather have that be someone who has received a valuable education then not.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Essay#2- draft 2
America! The land of opportunity, or is it? Someone who took the time to look at our educational system might not think so. The educational system was set up in this country to educate citizens, so they would be able to participate within society, but over the years that idea has seemed to fade. In “The Educated Student: Global Citizen or Global Consumer?” Benjamin R. Barber points out the importance of education and why our public educational system was developed. He states “Whether you look at Thomas Jefferson in Virginia or John Adams in Massachusetts, there was widespread agreement that the new republic, for all of the cunning of its inventive and experimental new Constitution, could not succeed unless the citizenry was well educated.” Now when you look at our educational system you wonder what that education is really for; do we really get to participate, and if so, how? Many people see education as a way for the government/media to control citizens than let them actually make changes in this country. John Taylor Gatto says in Against School: How public education cripples our kids, and why, that our educational system actually keeps people from growing up, and creates a bunch of obedient children. Gatto says that “I had more than enough reason to think of our schools with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers as virtual factories of childness.” I know I don’t look back on my experience in the public schools and get happy thoughts. Instead I look at Gatto’s description and think about my own experience of educational prison! I was never taught to grow up, think for myself, on the other hand I was taught to be dependent on a system that wants me to be that exact way; obedient! During this process of making us subservient citizens we are also keep unequal by our educational system. The way funding to the schools in this country does not provide the opportunity for all schools to be entirely equal because schools are funded mostly by the community they are located in and that may vary significantly from community to community. Financial background has everything to do with the person you will become because it determines the resources that will be available to you. This is why the educational system set up by our government has failed us as Americans in so many ways, for it has created a bunch of obedient servants who are separate not equal.
Over the course of history education has gone through many changes, although it started with a specific goal in mind, which was to prepare children for their futures. Education was something that mainly took place in the home in the days of the settlers, and the education that one would receive would be determined by many factors. It was not the traditional type of education we know of today, rather it was practical. A person learned what they needed to survive. If you were female, you learned to cook and tend to the house. If you were male then you would usually learn the trade of your father, or become an apprentice. As things progressed in our history and we were developing our system of government it was thought that education was a major factor, and when I take a look at our Constitution I know why. The wording alone is enough to confuse the real meaning for me. It was thought by our founding fathers that an educated citizenry would help keep this country in the hands of the people and keep Britain out. They also saw it as a basic right that everyone would be able to obtain, hence public education, funded by a government of the people for the people. But something happened along the way. Over the history of this country education evolved, but not necessarily in a good way.
In the early 1900’s education became more controlling through different theories, or systems of education. Gatto gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia, which was purposely set up to control citizens in that country. As shocking as this may be it makes sense, and I believe it to be true. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” Many “experts,” as well as myself, would agree that our government is trying to keep us manageable. Just think back to first grade and how often you got in trouble for not raising your hand before speaking, or getting up from your desk, even if the teacher was not acknowledging you in the first place. Another reason children get in trouble in school is by stating opinions that vary from the teachers. I can remember being told I was off topic because my views didn’t match that of the teacher, or I was just asking for an expansion of their views. In The Function of the Schools Noam Chomsky says that the model for education today is set up like an educational assembly line. That we don’t encourage our children to think for themselves, but tell them learn this and if you don’t then you’re a behavior problem. So now that we are obedient servants that know nothing, and are kept manageable by our government can it get any worse? The answer is yes it can.
Education is also something that keeps the citizens in this country unequal, and has been for some time because of the way the funds are distributed. Schools in this country are supposed to be funded by property taxes, as well as the tax revenues from local businesses. Anyone can take a look around from city to city and see how that can make a difference in the amount of money schools are getting in each. In basic terms if the city looks good then the schools probably are too, but if it looks bad then most likely the quality of the schools are suffering as well. The government is then supposed to step in with more money to make things equal. In Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol tells us about the foundation program which was set up, in the 1920’s, to make education equal for children of different social classes. This program gives money to schools in poor neighborhoods to make up for the lack of tax revenues for their own communities. The big problem is that the schools in wealthy communities also get money from the government which is not needed. Kozol also talks about some of the conditions of the schools in poorer communities, not enough books for the overcrowded classrooms, bathrooms which are so bad I would rather not mention, and the level of education itself. Over the years I have seen this scenario time and time again. I grew up in a city where there were more people than money, so my school and education suffered, but I knew other people living in wealthier communities who attended schools that were clean and didn’t have class sizes of 35 plus. Even if we are being taught to be obedient servants we should be able to be equal ones. Historian Joel Weinberg once said that the state could have done a better job if they didn’t even try at all. If the state treasurer would have randomly thrown checks from an airplane then things would have been more equal than they are right now.
In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”
These words were written to give citizens in this country a different life then the oppression that they had come from, but they no longer apply for the people today. I don’t feel like my country has given me my basic right of “Liberty” or help me on my own “pursuit of Happiness,” actually it is the opposite. My government offered a free education to me, but it was not entirely free. It was forced, and came with many laws and rules. It did not help me to participate in society, but rather taught me not to want to. The only thing our educational system offers now is a way for the government to compare the progress of children in this country to others. It is important for us to look good even if we really are not. Even in a country like Cuba where people live under a horrible dictator or at least that is what we are told, there is a 98% literacy rate. Can we say the same about our literacy rate? Definitely not! In China children learn multiple languages at a young age. We cannot say the same about our own children. In fact some children here don’t even know how to use their native language, English. It is time for a new assessment of how children are educated within our schools. We need to do away with standardized testing, or at least the way it is used. We should be using that information to place children in classes with other children who are at a similar level, rather than placing them in classes determining where they should be because of age. Teachers should not be given a chance to become slackers through the use of ten year. We need to force our government to fund schools equally, so every child has similar opportunities; rich or poor. We need to force parents to be more involved in their children’s education, and why it should be valued. Also we need to provide an education to children that is worth valuing, and prepares them for a bright future. Children are our future, they are the people that will be providing for people like me in my old are, and I know I would rather have that be someone who has received a valuable education then not.
Over the course of history education has gone through many changes, although it started with a specific goal in mind, which was to prepare children for their futures. Education was something that mainly took place in the home in the days of the settlers, and the education that one would receive would be determined by many factors. It was not the traditional type of education we know of today, rather it was practical. A person learned what they needed to survive. If you were female, you learned to cook and tend to the house. If you were male then you would usually learn the trade of your father, or become an apprentice. As things progressed in our history and we were developing our system of government it was thought that education was a major factor, and when I take a look at our Constitution I know why. The wording alone is enough to confuse the real meaning for me. It was thought by our founding fathers that an educated citizenry would help keep this country in the hands of the people and keep Britain out. They also saw it as a basic right that everyone would be able to obtain, hence public education, funded by a government of the people for the people. But something happened along the way. Over the history of this country education evolved, but not necessarily in a good way.
In the early 1900’s education became more controlling through different theories, or systems of education. Gatto gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia, which was purposely set up to control citizens in that country. As shocking as this may be it makes sense, and I believe it to be true. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” Many “experts,” as well as myself, would agree that our government is trying to keep us manageable. Just think back to first grade and how often you got in trouble for not raising your hand before speaking, or getting up from your desk, even if the teacher was not acknowledging you in the first place. Another reason children get in trouble in school is by stating opinions that vary from the teachers. I can remember being told I was off topic because my views didn’t match that of the teacher, or I was just asking for an expansion of their views. In The Function of the Schools Noam Chomsky says that the model for education today is set up like an educational assembly line. That we don’t encourage our children to think for themselves, but tell them learn this and if you don’t then you’re a behavior problem. So now that we are obedient servants that know nothing, and are kept manageable by our government can it get any worse? The answer is yes it can.
Education is also something that keeps the citizens in this country unequal, and has been for some time because of the way the funds are distributed. Schools in this country are supposed to be funded by property taxes, as well as the tax revenues from local businesses. Anyone can take a look around from city to city and see how that can make a difference in the amount of money schools are getting in each. In basic terms if the city looks good then the schools probably are too, but if it looks bad then most likely the quality of the schools are suffering as well. The government is then supposed to step in with more money to make things equal. In Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol tells us about the foundation program which was set up, in the 1920’s, to make education equal for children of different social classes. This program gives money to schools in poor neighborhoods to make up for the lack of tax revenues for their own communities. The big problem is that the schools in wealthy communities also get money from the government which is not needed. Kozol also talks about some of the conditions of the schools in poorer communities, not enough books for the overcrowded classrooms, bathrooms which are so bad I would rather not mention, and the level of education itself. Over the years I have seen this scenario time and time again. I grew up in a city where there were more people than money, so my school and education suffered, but I knew other people living in wealthier communities who attended schools that were clean and didn’t have class sizes of 35 plus. Even if we are being taught to be obedient servants we should be able to be equal ones. Historian Joel Weinberg once said that the state could have done a better job if they didn’t even try at all. If the state treasurer would have randomly thrown checks from an airplane then things would have been more equal than they are right now.
In 1776 Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence and it states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, —That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”
These words were written to give citizens in this country a different life then the oppression that they had come from, but they no longer apply for the people today. I don’t feel like my country has given me my basic right of “Liberty” or help me on my own “pursuit of Happiness,” actually it is the opposite. My government offered a free education to me, but it was not entirely free. It was forced, and came with many laws and rules. It did not help me to participate in society, but rather taught me not to want to. The only thing our educational system offers now is a way for the government to compare the progress of children in this country to others. It is important for us to look good even if we really are not. Even in a country like Cuba where people live under a horrible dictator or at least that is what we are told, there is a 98% literacy rate. Can we say the same about our literacy rate? Definitely not! In China children learn multiple languages at a young age. We cannot say the same about our own children. In fact some children here don’t even know how to use their native language, English. It is time for a new assessment of how children are educated within our schools. We need to do away with standardized testing, or at least the way it is used. We should be using that information to place children in classes with other children who are at a similar level, rather than placing them in classes determining where they should be because of age. Teachers should not be given a chance to become slackers through the use of ten year. We need to force our government to fund schools equally, so every child has similar opportunities; rich or poor. We need to force parents to be more involved in their children’s education, and why it should be valued. Also we need to provide an education to children that is worth valuing, and prepares them for a bright future. Children are our future, they are the people that will be providing for people like me in my old are, and I know I would rather have that be someone who has received a valuable education then not.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Essay #2 Draft 1
America! The land of opportunity, or is it? Someone who took the time to look at our educational system might not think so. The educational system was set up in this country to educate citizens, so they would be able to participate within society, but over the years that idea has seemed to fade. In “The Educated Student: Global Citizen or Global Consumer?” Benjamin R. Barber points out the importance of education and why our public educational system was developed. He states “Whether you look at Thomas Jefferson in Virginia or John Adams in Massachusetts, there was widespread agreement that the new republic, for all of the cunning of its inventive and experimental new Constitution, could not succeed unless the citizenry was well educated.” Now when you look at our educational system you wonder what that education is really for; do we really get to participate, and if so, how? Many people see education as a way for the government/media to control citizens than let them actually make changes in this country. John Taylor Gatto says in How public education cripples our kids, and why, that our educational system actually keeps people from growing up, and creates a bunch of obedient children. Gatto says that “I had more than enough reason to think of our schools with their long-term, cell-block-style, forced confinement of both students and teachers as virtual factories of childness.” I know I don’t look back on my experience in the public schools and get happy thoughts. Instead I look at Gatto’s description and think about my own experience of educational prison! I was never taught to grow up, think for myself, on the other hand I was taught to be dependent on a system that wants me to be that exact way; obedient! During this process of making us subservient citizens we are also keep unequal by our educational system. The way funding to the schools in this country does not provide the opportunity for all schools to be entirely equal because schools are funded mostly by the community they are located in and that may vary significantly from community to community. Financial background has everything to do with the person you will become because it determines the resources that will be available to you. This is why the educational system set up by our government has failed us as Americans in so many ways, for it has created a bunch of obedient servants who are separate not equal.
Over the course of history education has gone through many changes, although it started with a specific goal in mind, which was to prepare children for their futures. Education was something that mainly took place in the home in the days of the settlers, and the education that one would receive would be determined by many factors. It was not the traditional type of education we know of today, rather it was practical. A person learned what they needed to survive. If you were female, you learned to cook and tend to the house. If you were male then you would usually learn the trade of your father, or become an apprentice. As things progressed in our history and we were developing our system of government it was thought that education was a major factor, and when I take a look at our constitution I know why. The wording alone is enough to confuse the real meaning for me. It was thought by our founding fathers that an educated citizenry would help keep this country in the hands of the people and keep Britain out. They also saw it as a basic right that everyone would be able to obtain, hence public education, funded by a government of the people for the people. But something happened along the way. Over the history of this country education evolved, but not necessarily in a good way.
In the early 1900’s education became more controlling through different theories, or systems of education. Gatto gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia, which was purposely set up to control citizens in that country. As shocking as this may be it makes sense, and I believe it to be true. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” Many “experts,” as well as myself, would agree that our government is trying to keep us manageable. Just think back to first grade and how often you got in trouble for not raising your hand before speaking, or getting up from your desk, even if the teacher was not acknowledging you in the first place. Another reason children get in trouble in school is by stating opinions that vary from the teachers. I can remember being told I was off topic because my views didn’t match that of the teacher, or I was just asking for an expansion of their views. In The Function of the Schools Noam Chomsky says that the model for education today is set up like an educational assembly line. That we don’t encourage our children to think for themselves, but tell them learn this and if you don’t then you’re a behavior problem. Chomsky talks about The Closing of the American Mind which is Allen Bloom’s model of education and is quite popular. I have heard this model mentioned by many different authors in the field of education. Chomsky says “what that book is basically saying is that education ought to be set up like some sort of Marine Corps, in which you just march the students through a canon of “great thoughts” that are picked out for everyone.” He says that with this model “that the effect of that is that students will end up knowing and understanding virtually nothing.” So now that we are obedient servants that know nothing, and are kept manageable by our government can it get any worse? The answer is yes it can.
Education is also something that keeps the citizens in this country unequal, and has been for some time because of the way the funds are distributed. Schools in this country are supposed to be funded by property taxes, as well as the tax revenues from local businesses. Anyone can take a look around from city to city and see how that can make a difference in the amount of money schools are getting in each. In basic terms if the city looks good then the schools probably are too, but if it looks bad then most likely the quality of the schools are suffering as well. The government is then supposed to step in with more money to make things equal.In Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol tells us about the foundation program which was set up, in the 1920’s, to make education equal for children of different social classes. This program gives money to schools in poor neighborhoods to make up for the lack of tax revenues for their own communities. The big problem is that the schools in wealthy communities also get money from the government which is not needed. Kozol also talks about some of the conditions of the schools in poorer communities, not enough books for the overcrowded classrooms, bathrooms which are so bad I would rather not mention, and the level of education itself. Over the years I have seen this scenario time and time again. I grew up in a city where there were more people than money, so my school and education suffered, but I knew other people living in wealthier communities who attended schools that were clean and didn’t have class sizes of 35 plus. Even if we are being taught to be obedient servants we should be able to be equal ones. Historian Joel Weinberg once said that the state could have done a better job if they didn’t even try at all. If the state treasurer would have randomly thrown checks from an airplane then things would have been more equal than they are right now.
Over the course of history education has gone through many changes, although it started with a specific goal in mind, which was to prepare children for their futures. Education was something that mainly took place in the home in the days of the settlers, and the education that one would receive would be determined by many factors. It was not the traditional type of education we know of today, rather it was practical. A person learned what they needed to survive. If you were female, you learned to cook and tend to the house. If you were male then you would usually learn the trade of your father, or become an apprentice. As things progressed in our history and we were developing our system of government it was thought that education was a major factor, and when I take a look at our constitution I know why. The wording alone is enough to confuse the real meaning for me. It was thought by our founding fathers that an educated citizenry would help keep this country in the hands of the people and keep Britain out. They also saw it as a basic right that everyone would be able to obtain, hence public education, funded by a government of the people for the people. But something happened along the way. Over the history of this country education evolved, but not necessarily in a good way.
In the early 1900’s education became more controlling through different theories, or systems of education. Gatto gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia, which was purposely set up to control citizens in that country. As shocking as this may be it makes sense, and I believe it to be true. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” Many “experts,” as well as myself, would agree that our government is trying to keep us manageable. Just think back to first grade and how often you got in trouble for not raising your hand before speaking, or getting up from your desk, even if the teacher was not acknowledging you in the first place. Another reason children get in trouble in school is by stating opinions that vary from the teachers. I can remember being told I was off topic because my views didn’t match that of the teacher, or I was just asking for an expansion of their views. In The Function of the Schools Noam Chomsky says that the model for education today is set up like an educational assembly line. That we don’t encourage our children to think for themselves, but tell them learn this and if you don’t then you’re a behavior problem. Chomsky talks about The Closing of the American Mind which is Allen Bloom’s model of education and is quite popular. I have heard this model mentioned by many different authors in the field of education. Chomsky says “what that book is basically saying is that education ought to be set up like some sort of Marine Corps, in which you just march the students through a canon of “great thoughts” that are picked out for everyone.” He says that with this model “that the effect of that is that students will end up knowing and understanding virtually nothing.” So now that we are obedient servants that know nothing, and are kept manageable by our government can it get any worse? The answer is yes it can.
Education is also something that keeps the citizens in this country unequal, and has been for some time because of the way the funds are distributed. Schools in this country are supposed to be funded by property taxes, as well as the tax revenues from local businesses. Anyone can take a look around from city to city and see how that can make a difference in the amount of money schools are getting in each. In basic terms if the city looks good then the schools probably are too, but if it looks bad then most likely the quality of the schools are suffering as well. The government is then supposed to step in with more money to make things equal.In Savage Inequalities Jonathan Kozol tells us about the foundation program which was set up, in the 1920’s, to make education equal for children of different social classes. This program gives money to schools in poor neighborhoods to make up for the lack of tax revenues for their own communities. The big problem is that the schools in wealthy communities also get money from the government which is not needed. Kozol also talks about some of the conditions of the schools in poorer communities, not enough books for the overcrowded classrooms, bathrooms which are so bad I would rather not mention, and the level of education itself. Over the years I have seen this scenario time and time again. I grew up in a city where there were more people than money, so my school and education suffered, but I knew other people living in wealthier communities who attended schools that were clean and didn’t have class sizes of 35 plus. Even if we are being taught to be obedient servants we should be able to be equal ones. Historian Joel Weinberg once said that the state could have done a better job if they didn’t even try at all. If the state treasurer would have randomly thrown checks from an airplane then things would have been more equal than they are right now.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Difficulty Paper #2
In chapter one of They Say I Say Gerald Graff, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel Durst talk about how people write their own opinions without giving any other people’s views to support them. The authors say that without giving sources for your claim your agreement is not valid, or at least people might not think it is. They say “that to give writing the most important thing of all—namely, a point—a writer needs to indicate clearly not only his or her thesis, but also what larger conversation that thesis is responding to.” I don’t have difficulty in this concept, but I am still a little unclear, after reading this chapter, of how much of what “they say” needs to balance with what “I say?” How much support do I need to justify my argument? The authors introduce templates to achieve this task, and while handy, they’re kind of generic. I don’t feel like using them will help me relate my ideas, or maybe there is a bigger picture that I’m missing. There are twelve more chapters to expand my mind, so maybe it’s to come in time. The templates seem to indicate that every statement that uses “I say” must come with a “they Say.” But that seems like a lot of someone else’s information competing with my own, and it is my essay; Right? I tried, after reading this chapter, to go back and re-read one of my essay’s, and keep in mind what they had said about including support. I had quotes and used paraphrasing, but was it enough? It seemed to me like I had enough support, and I thought maybe I have just learned this lesson during my experience of writing and probably through reading as well. Now I feel unclear of my ability to support my argument, and wonder what others would think. What would the authors say if they read my essay? Difficult as it is to produce, I know why there is a need for a strong thesis. I can read other peoples paper and can usually pick out a thesis right away, if there is one. With my own writing I always question the clarity. I have read many essays and said “what’s the point?” but with my own writing I know what the point is supposed to be before I even write, so the question is “did I get that across.” I’m sure the authors have more to teach me, and hope that in time my difficulty will become clear.
3. My own experiences in high school affirm Gatto's argument that schools function to "habituate" students to authority.
Gatto says that public schools are machines that produce obedient citizens that conform to society. I agree with this because my experience in public school was this way. I never felt like school helped me to find my path in life. It told me to get a job, whatever that may be, and pay my taxes. There were no inspirational classes though, that would teach me what kind of job I might like. I learned only the basics of math, reading, and writing, and the way those subjects were taught were by the book. There were no inspirational ways of thinking involved either, just memorization. Well what if I am not good at memorization, like so many other Americans? In my experience I was just out of luck. The only time I was inspired was when I dropped below a C average, and I wouldn’t be able to graduate; and how was I inspired? Do better, that is what I was told, but there was nothing about how I should achieve that.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Difficulty Paper #3
John Taylor Gatto says in How public education cripples our kids, and why, that teachers and students are bored in the public schools. He says if you ask the students why they are bored, they would blame the teachers, and if you ask the teachers why they are bored, they would say it is because of the students. I agree with this. I was very bored in the public schools. I felt like teachers taught some predetermined curriculum that they were forced to teach. There was no imagination involved, and definitely no practical skills were gained. Gatto talks about something his grandfather said to him at age seven about boredom, which was “The obligation to amuse and instruct myself was entirely my own, and people who didn’t know that were childish people, to be avoided if possible.” It is a person’s own responsibility to entertain oneself, and an important lesson to learn, for there may not always be someone around to take care of that for you. The difficulty I have with that statement is that these people should be avoided; what?! If this is an important lesson then shouldn’t we be teaching it, not avoiding the person who lacks those skills? He then goes on to talk about teaching that lesson to a few of his students during his thirty year teaching period. Maybe it’s just me, but that seems like a contradiction.
Gatto then talks about the history of our educational system, and how originally it was set up to educate citizens to participate within society. This is something that we all learn in elementary school when we learn about the Constitution, but we don’t learn how the system has evolved over the years to become a factory line that produces obedient, childlike, citizens that can be controlled. Gatto says that if people never grow up then they will never question the system, such as government and big business. He gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia. I found this very interesting, and as shocking as Gatto did when he first learned this. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” When look back on my own experience in the public schools, I feel like I was an obedient drown after I left. Thankfully I can say that has changed over the years by continuing my own education and a little luck in the people that I have encountered in my life. But what about the people who were not so lucky?
Gatto Says it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children methods to counteract the teachings in the public schools, but I think that is unfair. Why should parents send their children to school at all if they hold all the responsibility for their children to learn? If this is the case than public schools would only serve the purpose of a giant daycare. Shouldn’t we be trying to change the system if it is faulty? I have read so many articles like this one and they all talk about how the system is flawed. But no one ever talks about how to fix it. I feel like all these teachers, rather than just writing about it, should do something. What have they done? Even if it failed shouldn’t the attempt for change be mentioned? I think so because it inspires people to keep trying. Maybe if all these writers of, how education fails our children, would get together then their joint effort could force a change. We can’t just give up on public schools and tell parents to fix their own children, for than the system has failed altogether and should just be disbanded entirely.
John Taylor Gatto says in How public education cripples our kids, and why, that teachers and students are bored in the public schools. He says if you ask the students why they are bored, they would blame the teachers, and if you ask the teachers why they are bored, they would say it is because of the students. I agree with this. I was very bored in the public schools. I felt like teachers taught some predetermined curriculum that they were forced to teach. There was no imagination involved, and definitely no practical skills were gained. Gatto talks about something his grandfather said to him at age seven about boredom, which was “The obligation to amuse and instruct myself was entirely my own, and people who didn’t know that were childish people, to be avoided if possible.” It is a person’s own responsibility to entertain oneself, and an important lesson to learn, for there may not always be someone around to take care of that for you. The difficulty I have with that statement is that these people should be avoided; what?! If this is an important lesson then shouldn’t we be teaching it, not avoiding the person who lacks those skills? He then goes on to talk about teaching that lesson to a few of his students during his thirty year teaching period. Maybe it’s just me, but that seems like a contradiction.
Gatto then talks about the history of our educational system, and how originally it was set up to educate citizens to participate within society. This is something that we all learn in elementary school when we learn about the Constitution, but we don’t learn how the system has evolved over the years to become a factory line that produces obedient, childlike, citizens that can be controlled. Gatto says that if people never grow up then they will never question the system, such as government and big business. He gives examples of events in history that show that our educational system moved toward a system similar to what was already being used in Prussia. I found this very interesting, and as shocking as Gatto did when he first learned this. Gatto states “But what shocks is that we should so eagerly have adopted one of the very worst aspects of Prussian culture: an educational system deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens 11 in order to render the populace “manageable.”” When look back on my own experience in the public schools, I feel like I was an obedient drown after I left. Thankfully I can say that has changed over the years by continuing my own education and a little luck in the people that I have encountered in my life. But what about the people who were not so lucky?
Gatto Says it is the responsibility of parents to teach their children methods to counteract the teachings in the public schools, but I think that is unfair. Why should parents send their children to school at all if they hold all the responsibility for their children to learn? If this is the case than public schools would only serve the purpose of a giant daycare. Shouldn’t we be trying to change the system if it is faulty? I have read so many articles like this one and they all talk about how the system is flawed. But no one ever talks about how to fix it. I feel like all these teachers, rather than just writing about it, should do something. What have they done? Even if it failed shouldn’t the attempt for change be mentioned? I think so because it inspires people to keep trying. Maybe if all these writers of, how education fails our children, would get together then their joint effort could force a change. We can’t just give up on public schools and tell parents to fix their own children, for than the system has failed altogether and should just be disbanded entirely.
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