The Other Wes Moore Critical Analysis

Despite an increase of education scores in the past decade, the United States still trenches behind many countries. Scores found in the Programme for International Student Assessment, the most popular cross sectional test, finds that the United State ranks thirty-eight out of seventy-one countries in test performances of english, math and science literary. But within the country itself contains a deeper issue. The term “achievement gap” is used to describe the polarity between the academic performances of minorities, such as Black and Hispanics, to those of Asians and White students; which are found to be much lower than the latter. Besides test scores, this achievement gap is most apparent in grades and drop-out rates as well. Although there

The story The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore provides an example of the achievement gap in action. In the book, two African American boys both named Wes Moore describe their lives, which had started off very similar. Yet despite having a similar upbringing, the two grow up to live entirely different lives; as the author becomes a successful entrepreneur while the latter is spending time in jail. Many would assume the difference to be caused by a contrast in personality but this is incorrect. The leading cause of their difference in future was a result of outside influences. From the environment to their mothers, it was the little differences that left a significant impact on the two lives and their choices. Ultimately, if it had not been for Joy Moore’s decision to send Author Wes Moore to military school then perhaps Author Wes would not have changed his behavior and would’ve ended up in a similar position as Prisoner Wes. Wes had a choice; and luckily for him it had been the correct one. And, like Wes, we all have multiple choices, but don’t we decide our choices based on our circumstances? We all do not live the same live and therefore do not make the same choices. So while many can base the achievement gap on things such as sheer laziness, it does not mean it’s fully true. Our circumstances are what push

People are not born knowing the difference of right and wrong. We depend on our parents to aid us throughout our youth and to act as a guidance towards our success. But how could we blame a student who does not have any priority with school when no one told them to prioritize it in the first place? It is undeniable that common sense should play a role, but at the same time isn’t common sense is implicated by nurture as well? This issue is most prevalent within Blacks specifically. In 2015, the Pew Research Center had found that while over fifty percent of White, Asian, and Latinos are residing in households with two married parents, only thirty-one percent of blacks are living with two married parents. Compared to other races, a majority of Blacks don’t have the same stability, and this can negatively impact them in many ways including financially. But at some point in their lives will also come negligence because of the lack of their other parent. In addition to the fact that they have already lost one parent already, they will also lose the emotional support from their remaining parent, who is more likely to be more focused on earning enough money. Parenting drastically influences who we become as people; and when they are not present or responsible, this takes a toll on students and affects not only their education, but their