American Dream Failure

Growing up, I was always told that if you have to work hard in life you can achieve your goals. However, that is not always the case. The American Dream is slipping away and the forgotten America is trapped in a cycle of poverty; one they cannot escape on their own when they are surrounded by financial extortionists, corrupt workers in the justice system, unmotivated teachers and those who put the blame solely on people like poor single mothers. People allow misunderstanding and judgement to leave to one’s straddling the poverty line enveloped by a sense of hopelessness and shame.
Many factors such as race, gender, and class make the American Dream less of a reality. However, high education, or even a diploma from high school, makes it more

attainable as long as you are willing to work for it. So if this is the case, then why is our education system lacking the money and resources it needs? In The Working Poor, Shipler concluded that, “Schools are where dreams and disappointments come together, where children are believed or defeated, where lights are ignited or extinguished” (Shipler 251). Our schools are supposed to be a safe haven for kids to escape the reality of their lives at home. This is where they are supposed to be cared for and given support in order to realize that they can have a better life if they work for it. Yet, these kids only think about survival and do not see that their education is beneficial in the long run (Shipler 239). While it is important for parents to teach their kids good work ethic, it is also up to the teachers. In large, poor public schools, many are unmotivated and the students don’t get the encouragement they undoubtedly need. Shipler illustrates how the blame should also fall on the lack of funding the system gets. A step in the right direction would be pouring more resources into education and schools for skilled laborers. Perhaps, a vocational program or job training to help the working class attain the higher paying and needed jobs. Some people fall into the trap of poverty because of uncontrollable circumstances, but the reforming of education system is a link that not only betters society, but makes the American dream attainable.