The American Education System Essay -- Education Reform

To understand how to solve a problem, we must first understand what we are trying to fix. For example, can a carpenter without any medical experience repair a heart valve? Of course not, he or she must first obtain the proper education necessary to perform such a complex operation. The same can be said about the American education system. Throughout America’s history parents, educators, and government officials have been debating what changes must be implemented for American children to receive every opportunity possible to gain an education that will prepare them for the future. However, these cries for reform are so demanding that many times the reforms created to please the people are pushed through so fast that consequences are never completely considered. These latest cries for reform came after the annual report by Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was released in December 2010 stating that 15-year-old American students ranked average in mathematics, reading, writing, and science (Duncan, 2010). â€Å"Average† might not be much of an alarm to many; however, when companies, such as Microsoft, have to hire software engineers from other countries to fill positions because American’s are unqualified, it brings everything to another level (Guggenheim & Chilcott, 2010). The use of standardized, multi-choice, fill in the bubble tests to hold schools accountable for what is taught within their walls has become detrimental to the education system. Standardized testing is designed for a system of equality for which the school system is not. Teachers and schools cannot be held to the same accountability as other schools when there exists no equality in them in regards to budgets, resources, qualifications of teachers, ... ...earning, to be educated by those of a greater understanding. If children are to have the ability to contribute to society, and be able to succeed in life, a proper education must be made available to them. Not an education of learning how to take tests, but one of knowledge - an education given to them that teaches them how to apply mathematics in their lives, to use the sciences to understand the world around them, and to be able to read and be enlightened by its message. The public school is a place that students should want to go, hunger to go. It should not be a place of stress or fear due to an upcoming test. It needs to be a place where all have the freedom and opportunity to learn. Standardized tests had their moment in time; now the focus needs to be turned to a more in-depth education of understanding how to apply their knowledge to their everyday lives.