America Needs Equally Funded Schools

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Competition is in nearly every aspect of American life. Some may even say that American culture thrives on competition. Throngs of spectators herd into public arenas to watch favorite sports teams compete. Parties are hosted to watch televised competitive sporting events. Businesses coerce consumers to enter shopping facilities through the means of competitive sales ploys. It is only natural that the competitive spirit extends into the education arena. Americans strive toward having the best education system in the world. There are even lists published each year naming the best and worst schools in the country. The flaws in the education system become unveiled upon a close inspection of the nation’s worst schools. The natural competitiveness of Americans pushes the culture into attempting to fix any flaws through the agenda of education reform. Education reform is currently a hot-button issue, with an exponential number of proposed solutions. One particular solution to America’s education crisis is the proposal of equally funded schools. The Inequalities of Public Schools In 1991, author Jonathan Kozol shocked the nation by exposing the educational injustices wrought upon children of minority heritage. In his book, Savage Inequalities, Kozol examined the U.S. education system, uncovering the flawed and unequal funding of public schools. Kozol primarily focused on a select number of U.S. urban schools, about 30 neighborhoods, located in New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Illinois, and Texas (Beauford, n.d.). He found 95% to 99% of the school population in these urban settings was non-white and “the urban schools he visited were overcrowded and understaffed, and lacked the basic elements of learning—including books a... ... middle of paper ... ...cation/ [Review of the book Savage Inequalities, by J. Kozol]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Savage-Inequalities-Children-Americas-Schools/dp/0770435688 Stager, G. (2006). Jonathan Kozol takes on the world. Retrieved from http://www.districtadministration.com/article/jonathan-kozol-takes-world Teacherken, (2013). Badass Teachers Association-the website. Retrieved from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/01/1220252/-Badass-Teachers-Association-the-website Thomas, P. L., EdD. (2012). Charter schools not the answer, especially if we fail to identify the question. Retrieved from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/16/1074948/-Charter-Schools-Not-the-Answer-Especially-if-We-Fail-to-Identify-the-Question# Woodruff, J. (2008). How do we fund our schools?. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wherewestand/reports/finance/how-do-we-fund-our-schools/197/

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