American Education System Research Paper

To the naked eye, it would appear that the public education system of the United States has improved significantly since 1950. Segregation has been outlawed. The spending inequalities between schools have been reduced (Galston). The U.S. has the best universities in the world (Galston). There are now more school days, more spending, and higher teacher salaries (America’s). Technology has progressed significantly with the ability for rapid communication and electronics in the classroom. As a whole, the population has become more educated than it was before (America’s). Surely as a country, it must be heading in the right direction to a world-class education system. In reality, the system is heading in the opposite direction. Those that are wealthy …show more content…
This cycle primarily affects those from poorer areas, and because of this cycle they are unable to improve their socioeconomic status. Poor education is the root of the cycle, where millions of people are caught up in it at any given moment. Those with parents who are poor and lack a comprehensive education do not attend good schools. The students are oftentimes behind their more-privileged peers before school even begins, and this gap widens throughout their education. In turn, they are unable to get well-paying jobs, and pass on this unfavorable situation to their children. There is an astounding lack of upward mobility in terms of education. According to The New York Times, “Only 5 percent of Americans ages 25 to 34 whose parents didn’t finish high school have a college degree” (Porter). There is very little chance for those kids to have hope to surpass the achievements of their parents, and not only is this mentality devastating, it is even worse for the U.S. compared to other countries. “the average across 20 rich countries in an analysis by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development is almost 20 percent” (Porter). Clearly, this is a serious threat to the American Dream, in which anyone has the ability to move up the social ladder with hard work. The prerequisite of being born rich in order to do so, was clearly excluded. The ideals of freedom and hard-work may not be as present and valued in the United States as one may think. This lack of mobility to become well-educated if one’s parents are not well-educated is the fundamental idea that drives the dangerous cycle. Chances are, that if someone does not have a high school or college diploma, they will not be able to land a well-paying job.This would cement their stance on the importance of enlightenment, because they saw the benefit of an education on their own lives.