The Secret To Fixing Bad Schools Summary

Horace Mann, often credited with leading the Common School Movement, was an American politician and educational reformer. Since he was a kid, he was drawn to education in a different way, giving it such importance that when in university, Mann developed an interest

The essay by kozol shows the harsh reality about the uneven funds and attention given to the schools were many poor and minority students attend. During a visit to Fremont high school in 2003, Kozol claims that school that are in poverty stricken areas appear to worse than school that are in high class neighborhoods. Throughout the essay, kozol correlates between the south central Los Angeles high school and the wealthy high schools that are in the same district. When he learned the graduation requirement at Fremont and the classes the school had offer to accomplish this requirements, Kozol was amazed at how academically pointless the graduation requirements at Fremont and the classes to accomplish them were. Kazol compared this to AP classes

During the 1920s, the Chicano movement faced many political challenges. One of the many problems was many teachers didn 't put in effort to teach Chicanos. In addition, schools had student’s graduate high schools without even being ready for college. One example of the political challenges the Chicano movement suffers is discussed in the History of a Barrio by Richard Romo the author asserts; “the Los Angeles School District maintained separate schools for Mexicans on the premise that Mexicans had special needs” [Romo 139]. In other words, this demonstrates that school districts separated Chicanos from normal classes because they had trouble learning.

The Utopian Dream Equality of opportunity is the pinnacle of educational goals, or as Horace Mann stated, the “great balance wheel of society” (Spring, 2016, p. 5). Horace Mann can be considered the father of common schools due to his actions while serving on the board of education starting from 1837. Through these newly set-up common schools, everyone was to receive an equal and common education (Spring, 2016, p. 68). Mann had a belief that common schools would be the framework to build our nation upon. To be honest, he was not far off either.

One problem still stood and that was that many children did not have any access to education. A Massachusetts lawyer by the name of Horace Mann, led movements to try to create new common schools for all children. Mann believed that available public education for children of every social class would revive social equality and give them an equal chance to excel in social mobility. These schools would also keep society in order by disciplining children and building their individual character and teaching them to obey authority. By 1860, with the help from generous labor unions, factory owners and middle-class reformers, every northern state had school systems for all children of every social

In ”Guiding a First Generation to College”, Tina Rosenberg discussed that how to help high-achieving poor students to get into College. In the paper, “About 30,000 students from poor families score in the top 10 percent on the SAT or ACT college entrance exams and yet don’t go to selective schools. And nearly a quarter of low-income students who score in the top 25 percent on standardized tests never go to any college.” In fact, there are many resources can help reduce the yawning dimensions of the college gap. Tina Rosenberg points out one big part of the divide is the information disconnect.

It was called The Common School Period because education transformed from a completely private, costly thing to a luxury that was available to the common masses. With public education, social class separation was not as extreme as it had been in the past, but still continued to occur in some areas. The people in the lower classes originally gained minimal instruction, such as learning how to read and write, calculate, and receive religious instruction, while the upper classes were more entitled to pursuing a higher education in secondary schools and even continue their schooling at the university level. Though some social class separation still lingered, education was made mostly to fit common standards. In 1837, Horace Mann, one of the great education reformers, created grade levels, common standards to reach those said grade levels, and mandatory attendance.

Susan Eaton’s work, The Children in Room E4, shows the racial and economic segregation that is very prominent in Hartford, Connecticut. Stemming from the availability of jobs and the housing market, Hartford has turned into the segregated city it currently is today. Especially in Hartford’s urban schools, economic and racial segregation is the constant truth that lurks in every corner, over every teacher’s shoulder, in every student’s face. This ugly truth has resulted in an unequal educational system between schools that are only miles away. Though the state has been made aware of the unequal opportunities between urban and suburban schools, little change has been seen to benefit the children of Hartford.

However, throughout Moore’s essay the reader may question the validity of what he says because of his sarcastic and domineering tone towards the “stupidity” of all Americans. The U.S does not prioritize education, and Moore provides legitimate facts that support the underfunded school systems. Schools decrease learning material by allowing “70 percent of those who graduate from America’s colleges are not required to learn a foreign language” overall limiting all American college graduates by only speaking one language opposed to the rest of the world being able to speak multiple languages. The government underfunds teacher’s salary’s, therefore, having no motivation to do their best in inspiring the future generations to become successful limits our society as a whole. One of Moore’s best points to support the lack of governmental intervention on education can be seen in the money the government spends on their own officials, such as a Congressman who makes around “$145,100” compared to the “average teacher salary of $41,351” (Moore 129).

When Mann turned twenty years old he was admitted into Brown University. There he studied politics, education, and social reform. At his graduation he even gave a speech on how education, philanthropy, and republicanism could help mankind flourish (“Horace Mann Biography”). So even though one of the most educationally, influential men in the industrial revolution did not have a proper education growing up he still pursued his abilities and helped change public

He uses ethos, credibility, by being named the “father of American public education”. He uses pathos through, “But is it not true that Massachusetts in some respects, instead of adhering more and more closely to her own theory, is becoming emulous of the baneful examples of Europe?”(Mann 150), by create a feeling of wonder and questioning equality. Mann uses logos when he said, “surely nothing but universal education can counterwork this tendency to the domination of capital and servility of labor”(Mann 151) because it presents logic that education will overcome the discrimination between the bourgeoisie and proletariat. The use of appeals supported Mann’s argument because it provided reliability, emotion, and

By the 1950’s, America’s illusively plaid appearance was being disrupted by a growing multitude of problems: increasing visibility of poverty, rising frustrations from African American communities, and a growing angst concerning America’s position in the world. In response, the United States’ leaders sustained their constitutional promise to promote the general warfare of society, by confidently indorsing policies that directly attacked these problems-to the best of their ability. When President Lyndon Johnson, Kennedy’s successor, sworn into office, he believed in the active use of power and legislation. “Between 1963 and 1966, he compiled the most impressive legislative record of any president since Franklin Roosevelt” (Brinkley 784). Among

Horace Mann, a Brown University-educated lawyer, believed that the common school was a method to improve society. The best government, he felt, was a society in which people governed themselves through representatives that they had elected. In order to elect the proper officials, voters had to make informed and educated decisions. The only way that this was possible, according to Mann, was if voters were “literate, diligent, productive, and responsible citizens” (Gutek, 106). While Mann himself associated with the Whig ideology, he wanted the common school to be unbiased.

In today’s society, education is a very important issue in households. In America, citizens are blessed with free education up until high school, and then the opportunity to further their education in college is open. However, in many countries and cultures people-especially women- must fight for their right to an education. Horace Mann believed and ensured that every child received a basic education from local taxes. So if countries are denying its people of education, are Horace Mann’s theories of education correct?

As Americans, we view the Constitution as a stepping stone to making the great country we live in today. Yet, we the people of the United States failed to realize another component in order to form a perfect union. Which is to establish and promote equal opportunities for a quality education for all. However, we live in a society where social locators such as class, gender, and race are huge factors in the determination of one’s educational future.