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Olivia Ogilvie

Professor Nick Gorrell

English 2010

14 April 2015

Education in America: a Broken System?

Americas education system is like a poorly tuned engine; it has a definite purpose, yet it

is not being executed in a way that allows it to run with optimal performance. Like an engine,

there are many different parts of the school structure that make up the whole education system; if

those parts are not well maintained, the whole engine fails which is what is the current state of

education in America. John Taylor Gatto shares this view in his essay, Against School, where he

examines many issues with the current American Schooling System. The way in which the

United States of America has applied education has always been a topic of discussion among the

public and policy makers because there is always a need for reformation; hence there have been

many different attempts at reform.Ideas such as No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top and

the new Common Core program have all been implemented in an attempt to correct the failing

systems. These will be discussed later in this paper.

There are many goals in place for the schooling system, yet there has been little progress

in actually reaching those goals; therein making the system fail its students, which is then failing

the rest of the country. The level of achievement American schools produce is not keeping up

with the rest of the world, which compromises Americas ability to compete with the rest of the

world and remain in a position of global power.

The United States education system is unlike that of many other countries. Here the

federal government only contributes roughly 10% of the national education budget; the rest of
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the funding is the responsibility of the state and local governments (Corsi-Bunker 1). In 2015,

over 50 million students attended school for the fall 2015 term and roughly $634 billion was

spent. (NCES). This creates a disparity among states because there is no standard across the

nation. This leaves a lot of room for problems like biased teaching. Each state has its own

Department of Education with laws that regulate finances, who is hired for the school staff, the

required attendance policies, the curriculum and much more. The individual states have control

of what is taught in their schools and how the schools funding is used. The only established

standard across the nation is that of the education system being divided into different blocks such

as elementary school, middle school and junior high school, high school and higher education

(college). Public schools in the United States have to rely on property taxes of their state to pay

for the many school expenses (Corsi-Bunker 1). As a result of this, schools in America reflect the

financial capabilities and values of their communities, creating inequality in education, supplies

and opportunity. For example, a school in uptown New York is going to be able to afford better-

qualified teachers, better supplies and resources than a school in the Bronx.

The states also determine how many years are compulsory. This is from 5 to 16 years of

age in most states, however, in some states it is required to stay in school until the age of 18

(Corsi-Bunker 1). These compulsory laws contribute to a view that schooling is a burden and not

a privilege or beneficial use of a persons time. In Chelsea Lauren Chicoskys, Restructuring the

Modern Education System in the United States: A Look at the Value of Compulsory Education

Laws, she looks at why this is such a prevalent view of the schooling system. Chicosky explains,

with every rightexcept educationcomes an implicit, opposite right (2). With the right to

vote comes the right to not vote, or with the right to free speech comes the right to not speak. Yet,

with the right to an education, there is no oppositional right to be ignorant or not gain an
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education. Each child from the age of 5 to at least 16 is forced to attend some sort of schooling.

As a result of these laws, the attitude toward the United States education system is disturbing and

as a result of this attitude academic achievement is diminished. Chicosky argues that,

nevertheless, the states compulsory education laws are ineffective because even when students

are present, if there is little or no motivation or desire to learn or do well, these students will

not learn (5-6). Being forced to attend school is not helping students learn, it is having the

opposite effect; causing unmotivated students to be a distraction to those who actually see

education as a value and privilege not an obligation. Chicosky believes that it is not feasible to

completely abolish the compulsory laws within the education system- but believes that

eliminating compulsory education for older students is a feasible solution (7). By eradicating

these laws the motivation for attending school would be completely different. Instead of

attending school because of a fear of breaking the law, students would attend because of an

intrinsic a desire to learn and increase their knowledge.

It is important to understand why the public education system was created in the first

place to how it came to this point and the direction the system needs to move. Historically

education was there to help produce productive and contributing members of society

(Chicosky 6). Children were to be taught to read and write so they could read and understand the

laws of the states and religion. Horace Mann, who was a Secretary of Massachusetts Board of

Education said that education [is] so important that the government [has] a duty to provide

education to every child(Chicosky 7). Thomas Jefferson wanted public education to be available

to ensure that there was a preservation of freedom and happiness and to allow everyone to

protect the new government (Chicosky 7). Because of these early American views and ambitions

there was a supported need for the compulsory laws. Now however, there is no longer a need for
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those laws beyond elementary education as it has proven to be ineffective. This is not to say that

there is no need for education past that of grade six, however the laws that are in place hinder the

learning that occurs in secondary schools. The position of this paper is that taking away the

forcefulness of the school system will change the attitude the students feel towards it, therefore

changing the outcome of the system. It is important to note that there is a difference between

education and schooling. Many of the greatest American minds never attend secondary school;

names such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln,

John Rockefeller, Mark Twain to name a few (Gatto 154). These minds did not have the

compulsory laws force them to attend school after the younger formative years yet they actively

pursued education. With the lack of factory-like education they were able to stretch further and

become great contributors to the world.

If one looks at the international statistics comparing the United States to other countries

in math, science, reading, dropout rates, and employment after schooling, one sees the evidence

of struggling educational structure in the United States (Chicosky 9). According to the most

recent data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the United States

rank 26th in mathematics, 17th in reading and 21st in science of thirty-four developed countries

and economies (Chicosky 4). These rankings show a disconnect between the education being

received and the desired results of that education. If there is not a change to the education

system, these rankings will continue to drop as other countries continue to rise by educating their

students in an effective manner. Benjamin Franklin believed that the measure of successful

education is what one does with his or her skills and knowledge after obtaining that education

(Chicosky 7). Due to a lack of implementation of education skills the United States is not
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producing a successful education for its students, which leads to their poor placement in a

competitive world.

There is a definite need for a change in the school system. What really needs to be taught

is being ignored, and instead students are being forced to memorize mindless facts that they will

later forget because they will never have a use for them. This form of mindless schooling is

factory-producing children who are taught to conform because they know no other way. Gatto

quotes Alexander Ingles book Principles of Secondary Education where Ingles discusses the

actual purpose of American schooling and breaks it down into six basic functions; the

adjustive/adaptive function, the integrating function, the diagnostic and directive function, the

differentiating function, the selective function and the propaedeutic function (156). The second

functioned mentioned best illustrates the issues with the mindless schooling that is occurring. It

could also be called the conformity function as its intention is to make children as alike as

possible (Gatto 156). As the school system is producing these almost clones they are making

children predictable and easy to manipulate. They are not being taught what the students need,

instead they are being taught what society needs.

There are no classes on how to be a true friend, or how to fundraise money for a charity,

for example. One is not taught how to buy a home or love a child. Never is it discussed how to

navigate a bureaucracy or talk to someone who is suffering from depression. Kids leave high

school without being able to file their taxes or apply for a loan (which they will end up having to

do, because they cant afford college). How are these kids who are growing up to be the future of

America, going to get through life without being taught how to do so? According to one article,

our society is doing it wrong. Instead of numbing children down with tests on subjects like

math, language and history, we should create an interactive learning environment in schools
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where craftsmanship and problem-solving are valued as highly as the ability to absorb and

regurgitate information. (Veerman). Not only does the education system avoid teaching the

essentials for survival it is subjective based on class standing and affluence. There is an

inequality in the school system that is negatively affecting its pupils and their chance for success

after completing school.

To gain a greater understanding of this problem a look at some countries that are doing

education the right way. South Korea and Finland for example are two countries that are known

for their impressive education systems. The Koreans remarkably are 100 percent literate and they

are at the forefront of international comparative tests of achievement (Choi 1). What have they

done to get to this place? Success comes with a price. Students in Korea are under enormous,

pressure to be the best students possible. In their culture talent is not a gift; their culture believes

in hard work and diligence, there is no excuse for failure. Students study year round, if not in

school then with a tutor. They strongly believe that with hard work and determination comes

success (Choi 1). This is a very different view from that of the American system where students

begin counting down the days until summer just weeks after school starts- which may be true for

Korean students as well, however when summer arrives, any thought of school or studying is

pushed to the back of their mind.

In the American culture it is viewed negatively to be pressured by anyone to be

something, which is far from the views of most Koreans. They receive pressure to perform not

only from their parents but from their peers as well. Excelling in school is viewed as most

important, where in America; many students strive for a C. The Korean education system

teaches their students the importance of working hard for what you want, they teach how to truly
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learn something and to persevere even after failing. These are all values that are not taught in the

U.S. education system, yet are important for ones life long after they are done with school.

The Koreans strict and rigorous schooling system is not the only way to ensure a

successful education. The Finnish people take another approach and are equally, if not more,

successful. Finlands school days are shorter than most, yet they are filled with school

sponsored extracurriculars, because the Finns believe important learning happens outside of the

classroom (Choi 3). They understand that not everything can be taught in the confines of a

classroom. Education in Finland is not a separate part of life but it is central to their community.

Education is about creating an identity, says Choi, in Finland one learns and gains an education

to find themselves (3). This is, again, a very different view from that of the U.S. where education

is seen as something that is forced and not something that makes up who the students are.

Perhaps the most important part of the Finnish education is the fact that a third of the classes that

students take are electives of their own choosing. The students get to decide which matriculation

tests they want to take, making their education system a low-stress culture that allows a variety

of different learning experiences. Something that is unheard of in America.

Thanks to laws such as No Child Left Behind and the most recent Common Core act,

there are standardized tests that force all students to try and learn all the same information in the

same way. Common Core has forced all states to adopt the same curriculum standards and

submit to a national or state test based on those standards (Pense, Freeburg, Clemons 157). A

ridiculous notion when everyone is not the same and all learn in different ways. There are many

who agree that this new reform is negatively affecting the already struggling education system.

As a result of Common Core tests being implemented in the classroom, outrage and distrust of
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the government has resulted; so much so, that some states are debating whether to withdraw from

the Common Core program (Pense, Freeburg, Clemons 158).

The students have no real desire to try hard when there is no interest in the subject and no

motivation to learn. Owing to these laws and because schools efforts to educate children are

often unobservable to parents and oversight officials there is almost an incentive to provide

less-than-desired efforts in educating students (Cebula, Mixon, Montez 348). Taking this route

has put so much emphasis on test results being the only way to discover ones intellectual ability

that it takes away from the actual learning process. Students are so focused on memorizing

information for just a short term, as soon as they take a test, the information they learned is

then replaced with the reviews for the next test.

With so much going against the students, one would think that the teachers would be

doing all they could to help the students succeed. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Richard J.

Cebula, Franklin G. Mixon Jr. and Mark A. Montez studied the correlation between teachers

salaries and academic performance. They find that higher teacher salaries improve teacher

quality and lead to better education outcomes, (Cebula, Mixon, Montez 349). They presented an

experiment that showed that payment of monetary incentives (such as cash bonuses) to math

and language arts teachers led to significant improvements in test-taking rates, conditional-pass

rates, and mean test scores (Cebula, Mixon, Montez 349). This means the opposite is also true,

without any incentive to go beyond their required job, teachers have a lack of interest in doing

so. As teachers are rewarded fairly for their work, their students succeed. Cebulas, Mixons and

Montezs research results show clear evidence that education outcomes are positively related

to both teacher pay and teacher quality (355). Teachers, in comparison to other careers that

require four-year degrees, are near the bottom when it comes to compensation.
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As a result of the lack of adequate payment, too many teachers today are guilty both in

their laxity in the classroom and in their failure to raise and enforce the standards of their

profession (Schroth 25). These teachers have no motivation to push their students past the bonds

of the Common Core requirements which leads to students graduating high school without

having the ability to read a book all the way through, without having any grasp on grammar and

with no desire to even turn in the next assignment. Teachers these days fail to challenge every

student to do his or her very best (Schroth 25).

Looking back at the Finnish and Korean school systems, this is a major difference. In the

two countries previously mentioned, the educational leaders do all they can to push their students

to be the very best they can be. Although there are different cultural aspects, the concept is the

same; push the students to be their best and they will succeed. Too often, in America, being

average is what is aimed for instead of going above and beyond that. As a result of the lack of

strong educators only 30 percent of American children learn to read beyond the basic level

(Schroth 26). Obtaining a teaching degree is surprisingly easy, which allows for more

lackadaisical teachers to come forward. In 509 institutions, 44 percent of the education graduates

received honors, compared to 30 percent of other students (Schroth 25). As a result, word spreads

that getting an education degree is an easy college path. However, when considering the

responsibility of forming young minds, it should be the most rigorous.

There are several issues with the current education system in America, which has seen

many failed attempts at improvement. With better teacher salaries and training comes better

student scores. With more competitive schools and updated core requirements comes better-

educated, more intelligent students. Creating opportunity from these kinds of improvements will

help the United States remain a key player in the international arena.
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Works Cited

Chicosky, Chelsea Lauren. "Restructuring The Modern Education System in the United States: A

Look at the Value of Compulsory Education Law S." B.Y.U. Education & Law Journal

(2015): 1-75. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Apr. 2015.

Corsi-Bunker, Antonella. Guide to the Education System in the United States. International

Student & Scholar Services. University of Minnesota. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.

Choi, Amy S. "What the Best Education Systems Are Doing Right." Ideas.Ted.com. TED, 4 Sept.

2014. Web. 12 Apr. 2016.

Croft, Sheryl J., Mary Ann Roberts, and Vera L. Stenhouse. "The Perfect Storm of Education

Reform: High-Stakes Testing and Teacher Evaluation.h." Social Justice1st ser. 42 (2016):

70-92. EbscoHost. Web. 7 Mar. 2016.

Cebula, Richard J., Franklin G. Mixon, Jr., and Mark A. Montez. "Teachers Salaries and Human

Capital, and Their Effects on Academic Performance: An Institution-level Analysis of

Los Angeles County High Schools." Journal of Economics and Finance 39.2 (2015):

347-56. Business Source Premier. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

Pense, Seburn L., Beth Winfrey Freeburg, and Christopher A. Clemons. "Implementation of

Common Core State Standards: Voices, Positions, and Frames." Career & Technical

Education Research 40.3 (2015): 157-73. Education Full Text. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

Schroth, Raymond A. "Teacher, Heal Thyself: Fixing the Nation's Education Crisis Requires

Elementary Thinking." America 214.2 (2016). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 18

Apr. 2016.

Veerman, Leonie. "We're All so Well Educated, but We're Useless." The Guardian. Guardian

News and Media, 25 Feb. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

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"Fast Facts." National Center for Education Statistics. U.S. Department of Education Institute of

Education Sciences National Center for Education Statistics. Web. 20 Apr. 2016.

Gatto, John Taylor. "Against School." Rereading America. Ed. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen,

and Bonnie Lisle. 7th ed. New York: Bedford/ St. Martin's, 2007. 152-59. Print.