Author Archives: heekyoung lee

This chapter discusses the importance of the American educational value which is the role of the development of global economic market however the weakness of American educational system, the future of American nation is in danger because many competitors in the world overtake the variety fields of commerce, industry, science and technology. Therefore, federal government emphasizes the reform of educational system to improve the quality of education as well as the global economic market.

My interesting topic is applying religion in public schools with the purposes of teaching the moral and spiritual behavior for the students. But I disagree with this idea for the American education in public schools because U.S. is multicultural society so we should consider many different religions and for example, if the schools are applied the Christian religion; there are probably some conflicts between the parents and the children of Christian and other religions. The schools cannot force the students who are involved in other religions or non religious because the people have the right of religious freedom. I am a Christian and I attended third grade in a Private Catholic Junior high school in a country which is not U.S. because of the high prestige. But I did not see anything better than the public school in my country where I attended the first and second grades. Indeed, it was mandatory to take the bible class once a week but it did not help for all students to behave more with morality and discipline. So in my opinion, it does not really helpful the school systems to use the prayer and bible reading to manage the students’ attitude and behavior in the public school thus it is only acceptable the private school because it is optional but the purpose of the American public school is the equality for all students to give the education therefore, any religions should not involve in the public schools to respect other religions and to prevent the conflicts between each other. As historically we see that many wars of religion were occurred to take their power so religion in public school can create other problems instead of managing the students’ behavior. Are you agree that the students can change their behavior just being applied to use the prayer and bible reading in the public schools?

Karp discussed about AYP or “adequate yearly progress” which is the formula to measure the progress of the schools and students basis on the application of standardized test in order to improve education and to charge more liability to all schools, thus the schools receiving federal funds are forced to require for all students to take the standardized test and the basis of the students’ test scores evaluate the schools their progress of each year. Indeed, if any schools do not follow this mandated testing, they face a series of sanctions even possible school closure.

In my opinion it is completely wrong to evaluate the schools and the students how they are well-educated only depend on the standardized test scores because only basis on the test cannot measure the potential capacities of each student. So I emphasize that each school should be evaluated depending on how the educational system is well organized to help the students to find out their capacities for their future careers. Thus, the responsibility of school is contributing the enough resources therefore students are able to challenge their interests to discover and improve their potential capacities. But if the evaluation of schools are concentrated basis of the students’ standardized test scores, the schools become obsessed with test scores for being evaluated as the high prestige of school, indeed the teaching method will be concentrated more on the test taking skills and very limited of the teachers’ ability to serve the classes and increasing more students who become the disinterest of the study because of the pressure of the excessive tests. Also the students take more the method of learning by memorizing than understanding the subjects to pass the tests.

Are you agree that the students can be evaluated their success or fail in school only basis on the standardized test?

Meier discussed that big schools are not always better than small schools only because big schools can offer more specialized programs and protecting the minorities. The costs are higher than small schools and even big schools are created by kids their own small schools which are hold together by same classes or races. I agree that big schools are not always better. I think both have positive and negative side however, the most of parents prefer to send their kids to the big schools because they think that their kids are able to learn more because of the specialized programs that big schools offer them. But I cannot see any differences between the students who graduated in small or big schools. Indeed, I feel small schools have more connection between teachers and students so the teachers easily perceive the students’ concerns and their needs. Therefore, the students can easily follow the classes and adapt the environment of schools.

Jonathan Kozol discusses the failing of the American school system through his observation in the different cities of public school. The major problems are the segregation and inequality education between the schools of different classes and races as white or African and Latino American. Such as unequal distribution of funds, poor quality of environment, the failing of teaching method, the insufficiency of teachers and the irresponsibility of the teachers’ attitude for the education impede the poor children to progress their education as the result, only one of the students in a class may graduate from the college and some of them turn to the gangsters. Kozol tries to testify that the racial segregation occurs around the neighborhood however, people do not recognize because of indifference that the government neglects them just because of being poor and the minorities; therefore, African and Latin American children are not provided the adequate environment for taking the classes, including the lack of the basic tools for their learning. Thus he urges for some immediate solutions to prevent the growth of the deteriorated educational system for poor and the minorities and also against the possible consequence of increasing the minorities of crime.

First, I would like to focus about the poor quality of environment which impacts the life of African and Latin American causing them to lead the lower standard life and serious healthy problem. One of the examples is the people are exposed by air pollution and sewer water which contains the toxic substances and unsanitary system such as no regular garbage collection that all these conditions produce for them the series diseases and death. Indeed, the supply of the unfairness for the distribution of electric service and lack of the basic tools such as textbooks and other shortage of materials for the education cause the children in difficulty and lateness for learning or taking no interest in the study. Other problem that I want to mention is the short supply of teachers and the failing of teaching method. The number of children have no teachers frequently even substitute teachers because of the low salary that it is hard to keep teachers in public school especially who consider capable and youthful. Therefore, the most of teachers are old and they are not enthusiastic to teach the children, as the result, many children receive a diploma even though, they cannot read. So the children graduate the school without enough learning because of the failure of the educational system and unequal distribution of funds. All these innocent children just being poor and minorities, they have no dream for the future because they are isolated from the support of government and any other supporters. Therefore, they cannot continue their education and the majority of children are looking for something else for living from the early age and some of them become depraved because of their hard circumstances, committing the crime. We know that the children are our future and the education is the way to be bright future but the children without education, our future will be dark and more violence and without morality. According to the book, black in East St. Louis have very low income, therefore the majority of population lives on welfare but I think if the federal government supports the better distribution of funds for the education, their class standard will be increased and the people live not depending on welfare. Do you think it is the best alternative the maximum support of the federal government funds for the education to decrease the poverty and the crime? Or do you think it is more important that the government should make more effort to improve the environment for decreasing against the diseases and the crime? What is the best alternative to improve quickly their class standard?

Tatum said that we are unconsciously categorizing the people and before we define them base on limit information, because the cause of our stereotypes, omissions and distortions that we misinterpret the people and prejudice them. I completely agree that we often prejudice the people without knowing who they are because we are automatically categorizing the people with the same image because of certain information without reason and fact. For example, people describe good image for whites and bad image for blacks, even though, whites also commit a crime, because of the consequences of the racist society that whites are considered more superior than people of color. So I agree the definition of racism as a system of advantage based on race. Because whites get more advantages and power in the society than other people of color, and even other people of color like some South Americans and Asians offer more preference for whites than blacks. Indeed, they prefer to live in white neighborhood than in blacks neighborhood and they prefer to hire white employees, the reason that whites reflect the better image than blacks, therefore, other people of color give more advantages for whites. Tatum mentioned first page that racism still exist. Of course it still exists. But I advocate that we cannot judge that whites have only the responsibility of the consequence of racism. It does not matter, we are the race of white, black or yellow skin, racism is our responsibility to solve. First, we should reflect ourselves. If we do not change our stereotype and misbehavior to other people of color, the racism will be inherited to next generation. I like to point out one message from Tatum’s reading, when Tatum explained her younger son David about the brown and white eggs. They are different on the outside, but the same on the inside. I think it is very meaningful. We are physically different but we are same on the inside so we have the same right to be treated equally therefore, we should not categorize and prejudice the people just because of the physical appearance and only we can judge any individual base on the bad behavior. Therefore, I emphasize again that If we categorize the people, social segregation will be continued and next generation continues to be affected by racism. Do you think the more educations for the children are given will be helpful to decrease the racism in the future? Can we change our stereotype base on the special education of racism?

This chapter emphasizes the discrimination and the segregation of the educational system for immigrants after the global integration of world societies in United States and the struggle of the immigrants’ civil rights activism for equal educational opportunities and participation and control of their own educational system to protect their languages and cultures. I was very interested about the Native Americans and their indigenous educational rights because today the Native Americans are still not welcome to integrate in the social group comparing with other immigrants. They are still treated as inferior than others even though they inhabited for long-term of their lands indeed, the United States approved the Declaration of the rights of Indigenous people. This chapter discusses the Self-determination act which the Native Americans struggled for their right to treat equal citizenship and maximum participation in American life. The principle of the Indian Self-determination and Education Act were the Native Americans have the right to preserve their language and culture through the education as well as the right of the maximum participation and control in all aspects of their educational programs. Therefore, the Native Americans supported bilingual programs in Native American languages and English for their education to protect their culture, religion and language as well as to prepare both cultures successfully to adopt the universal values. Maybe the Native Americans are still refused from urban society however, they are free now and they still preserve their culture and language from dominant cultures, it is because of their strong solidarity and their bilingual education for the next generation to teach them the value of their race, culture and language as well as to protect from other dominant culture. Therefore, I believe that the bilingual education program can be great weapon to survive or becoming dominant. In my experience, I have never seen Native Americans in the United States but I saw some Indigenous people of South America. They are poor and low education, however, they can speak bilingual as Spanish and their language. So although they are low standard, they still preserve their language and they integrate with South Americans selling their crops to them through the Spanish communication. Other example that mentioned in this chapter, Mexican American became the part of dominant cultures and languages because they advocated the bilingual education system in school to teach their children Spanish and their history and culture. They showed the importance of their language and culture through the participation of political activities which reflected in the Democratic Party to support the bilingual education movement. United States is multicultural nations so bilingual education is really helpful to integrate with other cultural people and it help to respect other cultures and religions. I saw some parents are not teaching their language to their children so they can only communicate in English. Do you think these children appreciate less their origin culture than other children who have learn bilingual? If the Native Americans did not resist against their right to preserve their culture and language and they have adopted the American Culture, are they able to be freedom now and do they become much better social standard as other immigrants?

This chapter discusses that the federal government involved more deeply for changing the education system because of the cause of poverty after the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Moreover, the federal government advocated the importance of the military training for the national security. Thus, the men who participated the military services were supported the tuition, books and living expenses by government (GI Bill of Rights) and this advantage was applicable to rich and poor equally. Therefore, the men who were poor also could attend the college and they had more opportunity to get a job because of the higher education. I support this excellent idea because I believe that the military training is really necessary for the protection and the strength of the nation however, the military services takes the risk of the men’s lives so the federal government should provide the excellent benefits that it is valuable for men to serve the military services for the national security even though their lives are exposed to danger. I believe that the educational benefits are great idea for veterans especially for poor that they have the opportunity to enhance their social standard. Indeed exchanging these benefits between the government and the men lead to aid the economic growth and the power of nation. But one thing, I disagree that the government advocated the education should be focused more science and engineering courses because of the security and military needs. Thus, the government funds were supported more for scientific training and research, but this educational system can be caused the inflation of engineering or science occupations because even some students who are talent for other areas also will choose more engineering or science courses because they can get more support from government. As result, unemployment will increase again and other careers will be generated weakness. My question is what is the better solution to prevent not becoming unemployment after the students graduate in college and finding the job of their career???

This chapter also discussed about the SAT which is applied for the equal opportunity of all students to enter the college. The SAT determines whether the students have the enough aptitude for being able to enter certain colleges or universities. But I disagree because it is too early to analyze the capacities of students before the college education to determine they are able to success or not in college. It is really bad to prohibit the challenge of youth to enhance their future just base on the test. I met some people who had low grades in the high school, they got success in college, the reason that the students have to take all subjects in the high school even though they do not have the capacities for all subjects such as math or English, etc., however, in college and universities, they choose their majors base on their capacities that what subject they like more and what kind of career they want to work for their better future therefore base on the SAT should not predict the students’ capacities to success in college. Otherwise, I support certain aptitude tests base on their major for being able to accept a career job after the student graduate because the students should be prepared enough capacities to explore their careers in the field. My other question is depending on the result of low or high IQ test or any other aptitude tests can determine the student life will be fail or success?

This chapter emphasizes the advent of movies, radio, television and comic books are more influential than schools for the minds of children and youth. In my opinion, it is really true because children and youth easily absorb certain animations or impulsive TV programs. This is disadvantage that some of children and youth learn and tend to act exactly showed through the media such as the reality TV shows or criminal movie. Also through certain popular TV programs, the advertisement targeted these children and youth to consume more. However, the media is not always transfer the bad influence for children and youth. For example, the good animations make the children more creative and also they learn morality and discipline through them. For youth, through the cultural TV programs or documentaries, they motivate to help the poverty or they challenge some difficult experiences to improve the knowledge.

So I think it is really effective through the movies, the students can easily understand and analyze the subject matter. Therefore, the media is powerful influence to alter the children and youth’s behavior and their mind but it is not always impacts into the minds of children and youth. Do you think it is effective to educate children and youth using movies?

This chapter emphasizes the development of teachers’ unions and the conflict between teachers’ unions, administrators and school boards. After the scientific educational management plans were applied, school administrators increased their power but otherwise these reforms caused powerless among many teachers and they were treated with low salaries and a lack of retirement funds. Therefore, Teacher union such as NEA was created to protect their right and to upgrade the value of the teaching profession.

In my opinion, teachers should be treated with great conditions and benefits such as higher salaries and the guarantee of pensions. The major reason is that this profession is really hard and stressful because teachers need to manage many children with patience everyday so they should analyze each student’s character and how to control them during the classes. Therefore, teachers teach the students not only the subjects matter but also teach them the morality and interaction. I emphasize that this profession requires with patience, energy and high motivation to teach the children. But if they are not receiving any benefits for this profession indeed without guarantee for their seniority, they will have low motivation to teach the children and many teachers consider this profession a short career. The children are future but teachers make them great future so teachers have the right to be treated well.

This chapter emphasized new educational system such as scientific educational management was applied in the early twentieth century to provide an equal opportunity of education so after all students graduated in school, their social position were determined depending on their knowledge and skills that they had learned by competition in the market place. Indeed, the idea of scientific educational management was the schools were controlled by professionally trained school administrators, reducing in size of school boards and without the involvement of the political power that it had caused unfairness and inefficient distribution of human resources for poverty in the free market place. I emphasize that new educational system also had caused the problem that school administrators increased more their power, status and income because of the number of duties and their extensive area of involvement therefore, it might be resulted more benefits to them and their power could be used for the act of the corruption. However, it is really hard to maintain the balance for the equal division of the power. What is better solution for educational system to maintain the balance to prevent the power of certain area?

The scientific educational system also provided the development of standardized tests and the special classrooms for students with learning difficulties, behavioral and physical disabilities. I disagree that students are allowed to attend certain colleges or universities base on the standardized testing such as SAT because it does not mean that some students who got low scores have always less knowledge of the subjects matter than others. I think it is better idea that students can attend any colleges and universities that they have chosen but depending on SAT scores and base on students’ careers, colleges and universities support for students to have extra classes that students have the opportunity to improve certain subject matter that they need for their careers. Otherwise, I support the idea for special classrooms especially for students who consider with physical disabilities. This point of view, we should not believe that we are discriminating them. I just want to emphasize that they need better environment with special installation of the classroom so they can enhance their knowledge and skills without any inconveniences that it might interrupt their learning. But the students who have learning difficulties, it is not necessary to separate with other students. Only the schools have to support these students to follow their study with others, such as tutoring or extra classes will be very helpful to improve their study.

This chapter emphasizes human capital education that through the education, people get a job as well as it help to improve the economy. I would like to support this educational system that students obtain the experiences from Junior high school to make a choice between the educational and vocational career through the differentiation of curriculum and the facility of vocational guidance that it help students to select the course of study depend on their vocational interests and abilities. Indeed, students are training a specific task in high school after they are able to get for the specific job.  Therefore, students can contribute the maximum industrial efficiency to society and they also become a profession for a particular skill. Now many students in United States become unemployment or they have other jobs instead of their professional jobs after they have graduated because they only learn knowledge but they do not get enough training for their professionalization during the schooling so I would like to emphasize that the academic education needs to apply more training in the reality to improve students’ abilities.

The concept of early education was to provide equal opportunity by giving everyone a common or equal education however in the twentieth century the equal opportunity was to provide everyone the equal chance to promote their abilities for the better life. Therefore, the purpose for the movement of vocational education in the twentieth century was the development of human capital through the training of students to enhance their abilities for the development of the economy as well as wealth individual life. What should the educational system focus or change for the development of individual as well as the society?