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Education in America

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Submitted By SoFocused
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William Smith
“Education in America”
Composition I
Mrs. Jackson

“Education in America” Composition I America’s education system is failing. There are many factors that contribute to this failure. Politics stand out as the most damaging issue. With politics of course comes money and economics. None of which help America’s children receive a quality education. Do we blame the system or our communities? Poverty, absenteeism, and lack of parent involvement also play a role in the breakdown of education. President George W. Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act. Really who would argue against a law named that. The law has a noble principle goal which is to improve proficiencies and close the achievement gap for minority and economically disadvantaged kids. No Child Left Behind also set a bar for academic achievement. The course of action to achieve these goals is where the law lacks. NCLB places an emphasis on standardized testing. States get funding based on how well their schools perform. School districts produce better results by in turn limiting the curriculum to what’s on test. Students are robbed of a well rounded education. No matter what the lesson plan consists of schools need money. Think about it, would a plumber work without a wrench? Would you see landscapers without lawnmowers? Our teachers are trying to do their jobs without all the necessary tools of the trade. Children fall behind in math because there aren’t enough rulers. Grow up less with less exercise because the gym teacher was lost in budget cuts. In science class kids are cheated the opportunity to see what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar. There are 4,768 schools in New York State where 51.9 billion dollars were spent on education.( CCD, 2009) A logical thinker would divide the two numbers and figure that’s a close estimate how much my neighborhood

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