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Analysis Of Diane Ravitch's Essentials Of A Good Education

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With the law “No Child Left Behind,” which requires states to test basic skills of students in order to qualify for federal funding, came a push for education to focus on mathematics and reading and cut back on other courses not being tested. Schools began to realize that the success of students in mathematics and reading was all that mattered, and eventually, students lost their chance of becoming well-rounded citizens by being taught in a wide variety of subjects. In the article, “Essentials of a Good Education” by Diane Ravitch, Ravitch addresses the law “No Child Left Behind,” standardized testing, and how public education has decreased our students’ ability to become effective citizens in society. In her article, Ravitch lacks true evidence and is opinionated, but she still presents a very convincing article based on her own political views and thoughts on education.
Although Ravitch does not present any evidence or counterclaims to her argument, her opinion is still a valid source of information. Ravitch is a professor at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Not only is she a teacher and has experienced education first-hand, but she has also published more than twenty books and 500 articles on school and education reformation. …show more content…

Ravitch states that with the law, “No Child Left Behind,” there was a cut back in every subject besides mathematics and reading since schools received funding based on how well students performed in these subjects. Eventually, teachers not in the tested subjects were laid off, and students were unable to get the diverse curriculum that they deserve. Without a rich education, our students are not able to have bigger decision-making skills, and are instead equipped with basic math and reading

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If you were to change something about the education system in the U.S, what would you change? How would you critique the quality of education? Education historian Diane Ravitch answers these questions in her excerpt that was published in 2014, “The Essentials of a Good Education.” In her text Ravitch argues that the education system is flawed and that the vision of a good education is unfair and unequal. Ravitch supports her claim by providing examples of the negative effects of the educational system and using historical context.

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Steven Singer attempts to contradict the narrative presented by many right wing politicians that claim the American school system is failing in his article, “U.S. Public Schools Are Not Failing. They’re Among The Best In The World” (Huffington Post February 13 2017). In this piece Singer works to argue the claims that have been made against the US public school system; he defends the system by listing the various positives in the system, and exercises pathos by shining light on how America guarantees the right of education to all students regardless of social class or race; Singer uses this point throughout the article by justifying the fact that our test scores are not up to par with other countries by reiterating the fact that because we

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Unlike Guggenheim, Ravitch is realistic in terms of the pros and cons and is willing to admit that no academic system is perfect. Based on Ravitch’s fact-checking analysis on the documentary, it is apparent that Guggenheim uses incorrect and distorted facts in his argument. Ravitch essentially discredits his film while at the same time providing a neat and balanced solution to America’s schooling problem. As Ravitch points out, public schools do not discriminate based on race, class, disability, or language: something that the charter system can do.

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In 2007 when Diane Ravitch descended from her 20,000-foot view of the education reform landscape to examine what was going on at ground level, she did not like what she saw: children suffering nose-bleeds and vomiting from test anxiety, school personnel and parents humiliated by test results designed to satisfy the failure quotas imposed by cynical and self-serving corporate privateers and political ideologues; educators being blamed for the effects of poverty that no amount of good teaching could fix alone; untrained beginners replacing education professionals in schools that needed the most caring and experienced teachers; schools that had functioned as community centers of identity and activity being closed; a pathological fixation of quantifiable

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In Chapter 2, a specific reform that was discussed in American education were both accountability and choice, how the standards movement turned into the testing movement. This reform was introduced through President George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind program and a Nation At Risk report. My thoughts on this reform are much similar to the author of the book, Diane Ravitch. She states her opinion throughout the chapter as well as the whole book. I agree with her that there should be a curriculum taught not just test taking.

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In “Testing in Schools,” an article published in 2001 by Kenneth Jost, an author for Supreme Court Yearbook and The Supreme Court From A to Z on CQ Press develops understanding standardized testing from grades 3rd-8th. Jost establishes the history behind standardized testing including the popular No Child Left Behind law passed in 2001 by President Bush, the supporter for testing he gives credit to John A. Boehner and non-supporters for testing by Robert C. Scott. Definitely, there’s useful background information to outline through the history of problems with standardized testing. However, Jost reveals the pros and cons of standardized testing. In addition,Jost provides statistics with visuals, surveys and a timeline that tie into the information

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In my opinion, public educational curriculums and accountability guidelines should be established at the state and local levels where parents/guardians play an integral role in the decision making process. I do not believe standardized tests alone are an accurate measure of a student’s knowledge; their classwork, projects, and literary works also represent a student’s talent and capabilities. In agreement with Robert Schaeffer, a representative for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, that federal mandated programs such as the No Child Left Behind and The Race to The Top high-stakes tests foster the temptation to cheat because they serve as means to both punish and reward students, teachers, and principals based solely upon test scores (Schaeffer,

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Ever since the first American schools were established in the 17th century, millions of students have been enrolled in the public schooling system since then. However, since the years have passed, the main focus on schooling has been shifted. What once was a place to learn and build upon already acquired knowledge has turned into a setting of extravagant tests. The American public schooling system’s prioritization of standardized testing wastes classroom time, does not teach students the required life skills they need to succeed in life, causes unhealthy stress and is not an accurate measurement of student progress.

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However, many of the teachers disagree with the government’s form of standardized testing. Many believe that these test are pointless and should not be what measures a student’s intelligence. One teacher such as Jesse Hagopian stated that standardized tests don’t “…cultivate the type of thinking we need, and it doesn’t bring in the resources that we need to make students successful.” (Rich 1). It was later found that there was a connection between teacher pay and student standardized test results.

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Imagine observing a classroom of students, heads down, furiously working against the clock to fill in bubbles on their Scantrons. Anxiety and pressure permeate the atmosphere of the classroom, for the students realize the seriousness of standardized tests. An ethical dilemma affecting my community is one that pertains to America’s education system. The trouble is that through Common Core curriculum and extreme emphasis on test scores, students are taught to conform, and their individual strengths are often stifled. This is limiting the success of America’s students, and therefore, limiting America’s future as a whole.

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Standard testing is a very controversial and important subject because it deals with the progression of the American education system. The practice of these assessments has been highly scrutinized not only for the way it has changed the format of classrooms, but also for its accuracy, pressure, and abundance. In 2001, standardized testing became federally mandated through the No Child Left Behind Act by former president George Bush Jr. According to research from the Council of the Great City Schools, students have been taking “an average of 113 tests from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade” (K. Hefling). These numbers have increased to the point where parents have opted for their children to not attend standardized exams.

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Steele’s “The New Sovereignty”, Dewey’s “My Pedagogic Creed”, and Emerson’s “The American Scholar” discuss their own ideas on how education should affect society. When the three articles are combined and examined together, all authors agree that education has an important function in changing society for the better, but focus on different aspects of society that should change. Steele talks about integrating education and lessening the divide between individuals in the education system as a way to learn equally and most effectively. Furthermore, Steele (1992) states that focusing on collective entitlements based on any type of group, such as gender or ethnicity, are always undemocratic.

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The philosophical beliefs of Socrates are easily noted as the basis for all of sociological advancements in ancient philosophy. Deviating from his early upbringing, Socrates valued the idea of materialism, and soon fell into the field of education, where he was able to bestow upon his students his wisdom and knowledge on topes that were otherwise unheard of. With the help of his pupil Plato, the philosophies of the teacher were soon spread out into the world for all to admire and study. It was not until after his death, however, that his theories were published, and soon after he was gone did the outbreak of philosophical advancements occur. Aristotle, an aspiring philosopher, was lucky enough to study the works of the phenomenon, and carried

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Therefore, the curriculum will continue to narrow even more than it did under George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Program, as a result of the link created between teacher wages and student scores. Furthermore, there will be less time available for the arts, as most arts classes do not have standardized test to evaluate student performance (Ravitch).

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