NAME Is America Failing Its Students?

[Pages:3]NAME

Is America Failing Its Students?

Thesis Statement: America's deficient education system is a repercussion of its societal beliefs and issues.

I. America, as a society, does not regard education as being of the upmost importance. A. America's schools do not give the students the best education possible 1. Teachers lack the essentials to provide a good education. a. Many teachers are under qualified to teach their subjects; those who aren't pursue a career in their respective fields. b. Some teachers are motivated by salaries and bonuses, rather than a desire to know their students and give them the best education. 2. No Child Left Behind a. NCLB targets students who fall behind and tries to help educate them to close the achievement gap. i. Students who perform well in school are penalized, because teachers now focus on math and writing rather than other subjects to help others do better on standardized tests. ii. To prevent loss of government funding, states implemented more lax education standards, so that more students pass

b. NCLB fails to adequately measure student performance and also makes school less engaging.

B. The education system is hindered by societal issues. 1. Poverty a. 12.8 million children go to school while living under the poverty line b. Poverty results in lower self esteem, significantly lower performance in school, lack of teamwork and creating friends. 2. Diversity in schools a. Diversity in schools results in a larger achievement gap. b. English is not the main language of the student population, thus teaching becomes significantly harder. 3. Privatization and exploitation of education a. Colleges flaunt their athletic programs and invest their time and money in academic facilities, rather than focusing on education. b. Many private companies are opening charter, for-profit, and deregulated public schools.

II. Solutions to improve the education system. 1. Educate to Innovate

a. Educate to Innovate promotes corporate and nonprofit groups to offer prize money to companies to create videogames emphasizing math and science.

b. The plan is designed to ask private sector to provide funding for education, and also for scientists to work with students on projects.

2. Reform NCLB a. Obama plans to allow schools to evaluate their students on subjects other than math and reading. b. Obama also plans to reform NCLB to consider attendance and graduation rates when evaluating schools.

1. Race to the Top a. Race to the Top awards federal grants to states that overhaul their education system b. Money is used as an incentive for states to compete and collaborate in order to create the best educational reform plan

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