The Role Of Government On Education Equality

1359 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Standardized testing in education

Role of Government in Education Equality
The United States of America is identified as one of the most powerful countries in the world. Unlike many other countries, America is well known for its free educational services from primary to secondary school. Pulliam & Van (2013) mentioned that the initiation of free public schools for all individuals situated in the period prior to the war of 1812. This validated the fight for education in America have started long ago during or even before the national period which occurred from 1776 until 1850. Two of the major combatants for free education were Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Rush. Thomas Jefferson believed that free education should be provided to all citizen, however, he opposed the idea of federal systems of schools (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). Similarly, Benjamin Bush primarily objective was to provide free education in all town that have more than 100 of families in residence (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2013). He believed that education should be free at all levels whether it was states, colleges or universities, and this way, we could prepare the world’s future leaders.
Years after the establishment of free public schools for all. The government had to ensure that all individuals benefit equally in all the educational system had to offer. Even though the system of public schools have been functional for years in all the 50 states, Americans are separated by many concerns and issues that surrounded the educational system (Pulliam & Van, 2013). A current issue is the use of standardized assessment for ranking, placement and performance outcomes. Another public issue is the discrepancy in school funds between the rich and the poor school districts (Pulliam & Van, 2013). Many states are ob...

... middle of paper ...

... for achievement fairness among the schools. Pulliam & Van (2013) mentioned an education bill that established national standards and testing was passed, then proceeds to congress, in January 2002 it became a law.
Moreover, many of our founding fathers attempted to promote a national system of education, unfortunately, they failed to do so. They feared that if communities, private families, churches, and society have the final say regarding education, the democracy has little chance of surviving (Pulliam & Van, 2013). Education was not part of the constitution when it was created. Thus, the right to create, maintain and govern schools that exist under the Tenth amendment fell to the states by default (Pulliam & Van, 2013). Even today, there is still on ongoing conflict concerning what legally pertaining the local school boards, the states and the federal government.

Show More
Related

  • Compare And Contrast The United States And Costa Rica Constitutions

    2059 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dr. Mason said that it is the states that provide for education. He said, “In the first state constitution of Massachusetts, past revolution in 1780, John Adams wanted in the state constitution a provision which you would create mandatory public education for our children” (NWOSU, 2010). The constitution over in Costa Rica has several areas that deal with public education. It establishes that public education is a function and at least six percent of the nation’s growth has to be devoted to the public education system of primary and secondary schools, said Dr. Carvajal, (NWOSU, 2010). This means that all of the funding and decisions in regards to public education come from the national government. The U.S. is different, because the states and local have a large

    Read More

  • Summarizing an Episode of The Story of American Public Education

    1857 Words  | 4 Pages

    --Noah webster also known as the "School Master of America", published the blue back speller to teach students about the U.S becoming America's textbook. Thomas Jefferson believed the survival of the democracy depended on the education of U.S citizens, no education for slaves, only three years for women, and only focused on finding smart white men. His ideas were considered radical. His bill for the education was defeated every time and he created the University of Virginia. His biggest belief was that public education was essential to a democracy. Horace Mann 1830-1840s, in Massuchusetts state senate, first secretary of education, and visited over 1000 schools reporting on their conditions resulting in him wanting to change public schools. He said governments have to make the changes. Through lectures and conventions he created the common schools which included everyone and was supported through taxes. He standardized al...

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of California's Charter Schools

    2349 Words  | 5 Pages

    An article from the Los Angeles Times showed that the majority of Californians give California schools “a grade of C or below” and half think that the quality of schools will continue to decline (Watanabe). While the economic downturn affected the public school system in a negative way, it was not the sole root of its problems. It just simply exacerbated existing issues. Because of widespread discontent with the public school system, many different solutions to reform the mainstream public school system have been brought up in public discourse.... ...

    Read More

  • The Common School Case Study

    1052 Words  | 3 Pages

    Thomas Jefferson was a man who believed that all American citizens need to be educated so that they may exercise their rights. He saw public education as essential to a democracy. One proposal he made for public education would guarantee that all children could attend public schools for three years. However, much like other early school reforms, this proposal received much rejection and was never brought into being. Despite this rejection, Jefferson still believed that America needed public education. Eventually, he opened the University of Virginia. Even though his bills and proposals to benefit public education never saw the light of day, he still made many contributions to public education by providing the foundation on how a democracy should handle educating its

    Read More

  • Unequal Education in America: Urban vs Suburban Education

    2470 Words  | 5 Pages

    The gap between the nation’s best and worst public schools continues to grow. Our country is based on freedom and equality for all, yet in practice and in the spectrum of education this is rarely the case. We do not even have to step further than our own city and its public school system, which many media outlets have labeled “dysfunctional” and “in shambles.” At the same time, Montgomery County, located just northwest of the District in suburban Maryland, stands as one of the top school systems in the country. Within each of these systems, there are schools that excel and there are schools that consistently measure below average. Money alone can not erase this gap. While increased spending may help, the real problem is often rooted in the complex issues of social, cultural, and economic differences. When combined with factors involving the school itself and the institution that supports it, we arrive at what has been widely known as the divide between the suburban and urban schools. Can anything actually be done to reverse this apparent trend of inequality or are the outside factors too powerful to change?

    Read More

  • The Death And Life Of The Great American School System By Diane Ravitch

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    She realized that choice and accountability were not the answer, but that curriculum and instruction were more viable solutions to America’s educational dilemma. Ravitch suggests that to abandon public schools is to abandon the institution that supports our concepts of democracy and citizenship and to the promise of American life (Ravitch, 2011, p. 12-14). The idea of school choice is rooted in Milton Friedman’s essay concerning the government’s role in education. Friedman asserted that society should support and contribute to the maximum freedom of the individual or the family. He maintained that the government should provide vouchers to help support parents financially on their children’s education, which parents could use at the school of their choosing; so long as the school met set standards. Therefore, this creation of choice would stimulate competition, which Friedman believed would increase the development and improvement of nonpublic schools, as well as, create a variety of school options (Ravitch, 2011, p. 115). As a result of the choice movement, the public received three versions of school choice: voucher schools, private schools, and charter schools. Each of these schools receives public funding, but do not operate as traditional public schools, and are not managed by a government agency (Ravitch, 2011, p. 121). Charter schools became the most popular choice of this new

    Read More

  • Inequality in American Education: A Contradiction to Actual Freedom

    2728 Words  | 6 Pages

    education that was proposed by Thomas Jefferson centuries ago. The states themselves allow free and

    Read More

  • Role of a Counselor in Closing the Achievement Gap

    949 Words  | 2 Pages

    Achievement gaps in schools across America impinge on racial-ethnic and socioeconomic status groups. For generations school systems focus on improving the achievement gaps for low-income and minority students. Statistics have provided evidenced that the school systems made enormous progress between 1970 and 1988, but came to a halt thereafter. Presently in the 20th century the gap has widened and the need for improvement is challenging for the school administr...

    Read More

  • The Segregation of America's School System

    1026 Words  | 3 Pages

    America’s school system and student population remains segregated, by race and class. The inequalities that exist in schools today result from more than just poorly managed schools; they reflect the racial and socioeconomic inequities of society as a whole. Most of the problems of schools boil down to either racism in and outside the school or financial disparity between wealthy and poor school districts. Because schools receive funding through local property taxes, low-income communities start at an economic disadvantage. Less funding means fewer resources, lower quality instruction and curricula, and little to no community involvement. Even when low-income schools manage to find adequate funding, the money doesn’t solve all the school’s problems. Most important, money cannot influence student, parent, teacher, and administrator perceptions of class and race. Nor can money improve test scores and make education relevant and practical in the lives of minority students.

    Read More

  • The American and Finnish Education Systems

    3133 Words  | 7 Pages

    Education is one of the cornerstones and pillars to the establishment and preservation of democracy. In history, countless scores of philosophers and political thinkers believed that only an educated citizenry can take on the quintessential task of upholding democracy. Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, stated that “an informed citizenry is the only true repository of the public will.” A renowned defender of public education, Jefferson proposed plans for an education system that included grammar schools in his presidency. As a result of these relentless policies for education, the United States expanded on the concept of public instruction through the establishment and upkeep of a practical education system. The United States continued this tradition and established a reputation as one of the best education in the world. Currently, this is no longer valid as other countries such as Finland, China, and South Korea are competing for the dominant position through rigorous reforms that aim to boost student performances (“Best Education”). Meanwhile, the American system is inefficient, inhibited by political obstacles and gridlock while Finland, the top ranked country in terms of schooling, is continuing to improve. According to the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) examinations that tested pupils across a variety of subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science of 2009, Finland’s students were ranked among the top (“PISA 2009”). The American students were ranked below average for industrialized countries in the world, revealing the reality of the educational crisis in the country. Finland’s education system, compared to the Americans, offers major differences that greatly ...

    Read More

  • Funding Inequalities

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    Frank Johnson, a writer for the National Center for Education Statics, “Disparities in Public School Spending.” Reported in 1995, public education expenditures per student are higher in the nation's smallest districts whereas students receive an average fully adjusted expenditure of $4,862 versus $4,216 in the largest district’s 10,000 students and above. (Johnson 4)

    Read More

  • Failing Urban Schools

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    Education is an integral part of society, school helps children learn social norms as well as teach them how to be successful adults. The school systems in United States, however are failing their students. In the world as a whole, the United States is quickly falling behind other countries in important math and reading scores. The United States ranked thirtieth in math on a global scale and twentieth in literacy. This is even more true in more urban, lower socio-economic areas in the United States. These schools have lower test scores and high dropout rates. In Trenton Central High School West, there was an 83% proficiency in literacy and only 49% of the students were proficient in math. Many of these students come from minority backgrounds and are often from low income families. There are many issues surrounding these urban schools. There is a severe lack of proper funding in these districts, and much of the money they do receive is sanctioned for non-crucial things. Schools also need a certain level of individualization with their students, and in many urban classes, this simply does not happen. While there are many factors affecting the low performance of urban schools, the lack of proper funding and distribution of funds, the cultural divide between teachers and students in urban districts, along with the lack of individualization in urban classrooms are crucial reasons to explain the poor performance in these districts. Through a process of teacher lead budget committees and further teacher education, urban schools can be transformed and be better equipped to prepare their students for the global stage.

    Read More

  • Income Inequality In Education

    479 Words  | 1 Pages

    Income inequality in the United States is directly correlated with education decline over the past 40 years. People with lower incomes tend to have less opportunities for a good education than those with higher incomes. American education, when compared to other nations, has dropped dramatically due largely to a rise in income inequality since the 1970s. Not only has economic inequality lead to academic decline and disparity, but academic disparity has also tended to lead to further economic inequality. Because of this, improving the American education system can effectively decrease the income gap. If done correctly, the usage of an alternative school model, specifically the private school model, rather than the usual public school model can reduce economic inequality.

    Read More

  • Essay On Horace Mann Education System

    1332 Words  | 3 Pages

    The new Public School System went from family and religious based to one based on the Prussian system of centralized government controlled training of teachers, unified curriculum, public control and public funding, compulsory attendance, no corporal punishment, and a nationalized system that was introduced to Horace Mann by Charles Brooks. Horace Mann brought this idea to America. Mann simply wanted to build a strong country in the mid 1800’s and saw education as the key. In the first few decades of the 21st century the goal is the same. The first school district of America collected information on what studies were the most successful while monitoring best practices. Horace Mann set the stage for people like John Dewey and Stanley Hall as well as others (Sanders, 2010).

    Read More

  • Equality of Opportunities in Education

    1424 Words  | 3 Pages

    To me, equality of opportunity in public education is where every single person deserves and is entitled to an equal chance to obtain a good education, grow and make positive progress throughout their time in school, and be successful in reaching their full potential later in life. These people should be treated identically, not differently due to their gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

    Read More

More about The Role Of Government On Education Equality

Open Document