FInal Essay Revised

December 2, 2012

Dear Mr. President:

Ultimately education is an opportunity for success. For some it is simply an opportunity to realize their goals and achieve happiness. For many it is an opportunity for them to climb out of poverty, and achieve the American dream. I believe this opportunity should be the same for all students in the United States, but unfortunately it isn’t. Not all students receive an equal opportunity for education, poor children, minorities, and immigrants happen to get the worst education. These students typically live in low income areas and urban environments. The schools in these neighborhoods get a fraction of the education funding being given to schools in suburban, high income, areas where the students and their families tend to be more educated and have access to resources (3). The success of a student is based on many factors, not just their schools funding. Other factors include poverty of the students, and the quality of the teachers also has a major effect on the quality of education children receive. So why would we burden those students further with insufficient funding? My parents came out of poverty through education. Through their experiences I have come to learn the importance of education and understand how difficult it is for someone in poverty to succeed in school. Policy regarding funding for urban schools need to be improved, funding for urban schools must be greatly increased so the students in these schools can have the same opportunity to succeed as any other student, in any other school.

In urban areas, where schools get the least funding, there is a large population of lower class, and migrant students. The American Psychological Association refers to someone who is a part of the lower class status as someone with low Socioeconomic Status or low SES (1). Students with low SES are automatically at a disadvantage when it comes to education. These students tend to be a part of households where there may be low literacy, chronic stress, and the parents may not have the time availability to provide the type of support conducive to their child’s learning(1). A study of American kindergarten students showed that that 36% of low SES parents read to their kids daily, versus 62% of high SES families (1).  A student’s initial reading competence is directly related to the literacy environment of their home, parents stress, and how many books they own (1). All of these factors influence a student’s preacademic skills (1). When students enter into a school environment they may have a lack of academic confidence due to inadequate preparation for the school environment (2). These students tend to acquire language skills more slowly; they may have delayed letter recognition, delayed phonological awareness, which result in difficulties with reading; they may have issues with addition, subtraction, and word problems (1). There is a strong link between students that come from low SES environments and learning disabilities. These children are twice as likely to show behavioral problems as well (1).

These issues associated with children from low SES environments occur at no fault from the children themselves. Lee Warren is Associate Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University wrote about low SES students in her essay called Class in the Classroom she said “working class students are keenly aware of the value of higher education, tend to be highly motivated, and know how to work hard. They are often characterized by fierce determination and goal-orientation. They have strong work ethic and often manage hair-raising schedules of work, family, and college, pulling off the demands of each with grit and clear sense of purpose” (2). Students from low SES backgrounds need extra support, from their schools and teachers, to help them rise above the challenges they face. That’s why the urban schools, in poor neighborhoods, that low SES students are more heavily enrolled in should be funded more, if not at least the same, as the schools in suburban, more affluent neighborhoods.

In urban schools the lack of sufficient funding causes the students in these schooled to be trained by overworked, underpaid, and often times unqualified teachers to teach in overcrowded classrooms with insufficient supplies. A teacher in an urban school gets paid 20% less than teachers in suburban schools (3). Teachers in urban areas also face a higher cost of living. The difficulties of working in these schools cause most teachers to leave their profession within years. As a result urban schools constantly have new teachers coming in that face a variety of challenges.

Since many of the students need extra support because of their socioeconomic background these teachers are forced to offer extra support for many students in overcrowded classes. New teachers face stress, fatigue and aren’t given the necessary emotional support to cope with it. This is why new teachers are unwilling to teach in urban schools because they fear the environment and the challenges they will face. They fear having to deal with run-down classrooms, outdated textbooks, and insufficient classroom equipment. Often times good teachers that are in these schools will simply move to a different school district where they will get paid more, and face less difficulty (3). It is a fact that because of insufficient funding that minority, and low SES students are more likely to be taught by an under-qualified teacher (3). Quality teachers have the greatest impact on improving a student’s performance; there should be more of them in urban schools, where they should get paid more, not less, for their extremely hard work.

Schools in urban, poor neighborhoods need to get the funding that they so desperately require so that the students within these schools have the same opportunities to succeed as any other student in any other school. It is essential for the success of these students, and for the continued prosperity of this nation.

Unequal opportunity in education revised

December 2, 2012

Dear Mr. President:

Ultimately education is an opportunity for success. For some it is simply an opportunity to realize their goals and achieve happiness. For many it is an opportunity for them to climb out of poverty, and achieve the American dream. I believe this opportunity should be the same for all students in the United States, but unfortunately it isn’t. Not all students receive an equal opportunity for education, poor children, minorities, and immigrants happen to get the worst education. These students typically live in urban environments. The schools in these neighborhoods get a fraction of the education funding being given to schools in suburban areas, where the students and their families tend to be more affluent (3). The success of a student is based on many more factors rather that fall within the issue of funding, poverty of the students, and the quality of the teachers also have a major effect on the quality of education children receive.

In urban areas, where schools get the least funding, there is a large population of lower class, and migrant students. The American Psychological Association refers to someone who is a part of the lower class status as someone with low Socioeconomic Status or low SES (1). Students with low SES are automatically at a disadvantage when it comes to education. These students tend to be a part of households where there may be low literacy, chronic stress, and the parents may not have the time availability to provide the type of support conducive to their child’s learning(1). A study of American kindergarten students showed that that 36% of low SES parents read to their kids daily, versus 62% of high SES families (1).  A student’s initial reading competence is directly related to the literacy environment of their home, parents stress, and how many books they own (1). All of these factors influence a student’s preacademic skills (1). When students enter into a school environment they may have a lack of academic confidence due to inadequate preparation to the school environment (2). These students tend to acquire language skills more slowly; they may have delayed letter recognition, delayed phonological awareness, which result in difficulties with reading; they may have issues with addition, subtraction, and word problems (1). There is a strong link between students that come from a low SES environments and learning disabilities. These children are twice as likely to show behavioral problems as well (1). These issues associated with children from low SES environments occur at no fault from the children themselves. Lee Warren is Associate Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University wrote about low SES students in her essay called Class in the Classroom she said “working class students are keenly aware of the value of higher education, tend to be highly motivated, and know how to work hard. They are often characterized by fierce determination and goal-orientation. They have strong work ethic and often manage hair-raising schedules of work, family, and college, pulling off the demands of each with grit and clear sense of purpose” (2). Students from low SES backgrounds need extra support, from their schools and teachers, to help them rise above the challenges they face. That’s why the urban schools, in poor neighborhoods, that low SES students are more heavily enrolled in should be funded more, if not at least the same, as the schools in suburban, more affluent neighborhoods. The funding for urban schools need to be greatly increased, so the students in these schools can have the same opportunity to succeed as any other student, in any other school.

In urban schools the lack of sufficient funding causes the students in these schooled to be trained by overworked, underpaid, and often times unqualified teachers to teach in overcrowded classrooms with insufficient supplies. A teacher in an urban school gets paid 20% less than teachers in suburban schools (3). Teachers in urban areas also face a higher cost of living. The difficulties of working in these schools cause most teachers to leave their profession within years. As a result urban schools constantly have new teachers coming in that face a variety of challenges. Since many of the students need extra support because of their socioeconomic background these teachers are forced to offer extra support for many students in overcrowded classes. New teachers face stress, fatigue and aren’t given the necessary emotional support to cope with it. This is why new teachers are unwilling to teach in urban schools because they fear the environment and the challenges they will face. They fear having to deal with run-down classrooms, outdated textbooks, and insufficient classroom equipment. Often times good teachers that are in these schools will simply move to a different school district where they will get paid more, and face less difficulty (3). It is a fact that because of insufficient funding that minority, and low SES students are more likely to be taught by an under-qualified teacher (3). Quality teachers have the greatest impact on improving a student’s performance; there should be more of them in urban schools, where they should get paid more, not less, for their extremely hard work.

(Teachers in urban areas also face a higher cost of living. The difficulties of working in these schools cause most teachers to leave their profession within years. As a result urban schools constantly have new teachers coming in that face a variety of challenges. Since many of the students need extra support because of their socioeconomic background these teachers are forced to offer extra support for many students in overcrowded classes. New teachers face stress, fatigue and aren’t given the necessary emotional support to cope with it.)

Schools in urban, poor neighborhoods need to get the funding that they so desperately require so that the students within these schools have the same opportunities to succeed as any other student in any other school. It is essential for the success of these students, and for the continued prosperity of this nation.

Formal Paper 2

Unequal Opportunity in Education

Ultimately education is an opportunity for success. For some it is simply an opportunity to realize their goals and achieve happiness. For many it is an opportunity for them to climb out of poverty, and achieve the American dream. I believe this opportunity should be the same for all students in the United States, but unfortunately it isn’t. Not all students receive an equal opportunity for education, poor children, minorities, and immigrants happen to get the worst education. These students typically live in urban environments. The schools in these neighborhoods get a fraction of the education funding being given to schools in suburban areas, where the students and their families tend to be more affluent (3). The success of a student is based on many more factors rather that fall within the issue of funding, poverty of the students, and the quality of the teachers also have a major effect on the quality of education children receive.

                In urban areas, where schools get the least funding, there is a large population of lower class, and migrant students. The American Psychological Association refers to someone who is a part of the lower class status as someone with low Socioeconomic Status or low SES (1). Students with low SES are automatically at a disadvantage when it comes to education. These students tend to be a part of households where there may be low literacy, chronic stress, and the parents may not have the time availability to provide the type of support conducive to their child’s learning(1). A study of American kindergarten students showed that that 36% of low SES parents read to their kids daily, versus 62% of high SES families (1).  A student’s initial reading competence is directly related to the literacy environment of their home, parents stress, and how many books they own (1). All of these factors influence a student’s preacademic skills (1). When students enter into a school environment they may have a lack of academic confidence due to inadequate preparation to the school environment (2). These students tend to acquire language skills more slowly; they may have delayed letter recognition, delayed phonological awareness, which result in difficulties with reading; they may have issues with addition, subtraction, and word problems (1). There is a strong link between students that come from a low SES environments and learning disabilities. These children are twice as likely to show behavioral problems as well (1). These issues associated with children from low SES environments occur at no fault from the children themselves. Lee Warren is Associate Director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University wrote about low SES students in her essay called Class in the Classroom she said “working class students are keenly aware of the value of higher education, tend to be highly motivated, and know how to work hard. They are often characterized by fierce determination and goal-orientation. They have strong work ethic and often manage hair-raising schedules of work, family, and college, pulling off the demands of each with grit and clear sense of purpose” (2). Students from low SES backgrounds need extra support, from their schools and teachers, to help them rise above the challenges they face. That’s why the urban schools, in poor neighborhoods, that low SES students are more heavily enrolled in should be funded more, if not at least the same, as the schools in suburban, more affluent neighborhoods. The funding for urban schools need to be greatly increased, so the students in these schools can have the same opportunity to succeed as any other student, in any other school.

                In urban schools the lack of sufficient funding causes the students in these schooled to be trained by overworked, underpaid, and often times unqualified teachers to teach in overcrowded classrooms with insufficient supplies. A teacher in an urban school gets paid 20% less than teachers in suburban schools (3). Teachers in urban areas also face a higher cost of living. The difficulties of working in these schools cause most teachers to leave their profession within years. As a result urban schools constantly have new teachers coming in that face a variety of challenges. Since many of the students need extra support because of their socioeconomic background these teachers are forced to offer extra support for many students in overcrowded classes. New teachers face stress, fatigue and aren’t given the necessary emotional support to cope with it. This is why new teachers are unwilling to teach in urban schools because they fear the environment and the challenges they will face. They fear having to deal with run-down classrooms, outdated textbooks, and insufficient classroom equipment. Often times good teachers that are in these schools will simply move to a different school district where they will get paid more, and face less difficulty (3). It is a fact that because of insufficient funding that minority, and low SES students are more likely to be taught by an under-qualified teacher (3). Quality teachers have the greatest impact on improving a student’s performance; there should be more of them in urban schools, where they should get paid more, not less, for their extremely hard work.

                Schools in urban, poor neighborhoods need to get the funding that they so desperately require so that the students within these schools have the same opportunities to succeed as any other student in any other school. It is essential for the success of these students, and for the continued prosperity of this nation.

Second Formal Paper Annotated Bibliography

1.       "Ensuring Equal Opportunity in Public Education." Center for American Progress. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2008/06/10/4567/ensuring-equal-opportunity-in-public-education/>.

This article is an opinion editorial about fixing the issues of equal opportunity in education. The authors’ start the article by explaining how America’s educational system is broken and even though education is free, it isn’t the same across the US. They strongly use ethos and logos by showing significant data between the inequalities between the types of education kids get between urban areas and more affluent areas.

                Then the authors use pathos and ethos by saying that unequal education will cause kids to be left behind. This brings up strong feelings of fairness by making the poor suffer from a worse education.

                The article was most convincing because of its use of ethos. Two pages of the text was dedicated to explaining in further detail how inequality in the quality of kids education effect the future of America. Personally I want to do whatever is necessary to ease the issue of unequal education.

2.       Chaltain, Sam. "Your Education Is Not an Equal Opportunity." CNN. Cable News Network, 16 May 2011. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/16/chaltain.equal.education/index.html>.

This article is an opinion editorial about fixing the issues of equal opportunity in education. The authors’ start the article by explaining how America’s educational system is broken and even though education is free, it isn’t the same across the US. They strongly use ethos and logos by showing significant data between the inequalities between the types of education kids get between urban areas and more affluent areas.

                Then the authors use pathos and ethos by saying that unequal education will cause kids to be left behind. This brings up strong feelings of fairness by making the poor suffer from a worse education.

                The article was most convincing because of its use of ethos. Two pages of the text was dedicated to explaining in further detail how inequality in the quality of kids education effect the future of America. Personally I want to do whatever is necessary to ease the issue of unequal education.

3.       "Equal-Opportunity Education: Is It Out There?" Equal-Opportunity Education: Is It Out There? N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.gallup.com/poll/8731/equalopportunity-education-there.aspx>.

This article is an opinion editorial about fixing the issues of equal opportunity in education. The authors’ start the article by explaining how America’s educational system is broken and even though education is free, it isn’t the same across the US. They strongly use ethos and logos by showing significant data between the inequalities between the types of education kids get between urban areas and more affluent areas.

                Then the authors use pathos and ethos by saying that unequal education will cause kids to be left behind. This brings up strong feelings of fairness by making the poor suffer from a worse education.

                The article was most convincing because of its use of ethos. Two pages of the text was dedicated to explaining in further detail how inequality in the quality of kids education effect the future of America. Personally I want to do whatever is necessary to ease the issue of unequal education.

Second Formal Paper Proposal

Formal Paper Proposal

                                  For my second formal paper I would like to research and write about education reform. It would relate to the essays by Michael Moore, and John Taylor Gatto. I would research different forms of education and alternative forms of education and attempt to find solutions to the major issues concerning Americas Current education system. I think that education in the U.S. is a major issue currently, and I would also do research on how important education is for a country and its citizens. I would draw a connection between education as a potential solution to current global issues, such as poverty, hunger, intolerance, civil rights issues, global warming, and even issues regarding genocide and tyranny. Education is a subject that is very important to me and that I feel very strongly about. I believe that in the U.S. we should have education reform and equal opportunity for all citizens. Globally I believe that all nations should educate their people, I could address issues of education in regards to poverty in third world countries, education of women is a major issue that needs to be addressed, and I believe that keeping a population uneducated as a form of oppression is a global problem.  Ever since I was a little kid I have been fascinated by Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and he once said this about education in Cuba “The walls of the educational system must come down. Education should not be a privilege, so the children of those who have money can study.” My views on education reflect this nationally and globally and I would like to address it in my second formal essay.

Death of Macho RA

Death of Macho RA

                The Death of Macho is an essay by Reihan Salam. The Death of Macho is about men’s dysfunctional “macho” mentality, how it could have affected the recent economic collapse, and how women are gaining power all over the world because of it. I believe that the intended audience is middle class working families because of the language that he uses, and the issues he speaks about affect those most. I also think he is speaking to middle class families because it refers to a power switch between men and women. The purpose of this article is to address the issues around “machismo” and how we can avoid the issues that it is greatly involved in. He claims that there is a power shift starting around the world from men to women.

                The first writer’s strategy is the audience that Reihan Salam chooses. I believe that his audience is working men and women. I think that the audience doesn’t know much about the topic based on the time period it was written in. I think that what he says influences his audience because more women are becoming the bread winners of the family and the change is positive and significant. For working men it shows that the “machismo” model of leadership isn’t effective and can only hurt the country.

                The second strategy is the context and situation of the writing. The situation that caused this piece of writing is the economic collapse of 2008. He claims that the “Macho Man” mentality could have a large influence the men in Washington, and that the death of Macho is having a dramatic effect on many men who are out of the work force. He stated “Long periods of unemployment are a strong predictor of heavy drinking, especially for men ages twenty-seven to thirty-five, a study in Social Science & Medicine found last year.” (633).This information is significant because it shows the dysfunction of society and presents an overlooked problem that needs to be addressed about male psychology regarding their masculinity.

                The third strategy is Salam’s development of ideas. He develops his ideas using great examples in regard to the acceleration of women into positions of power, how the macho mindset effects male leadership, how macho is becoming less evident in society, and how this is affecting men. He asks the question “How will this shift to the post-macho world unfold?” (633). He states that it depends on whether men are able to adapt, or whether they simply resist. For the sake of society Salam makes it clear that we should adapt.

                I agree with what Salam is saying, personally I agree with and support the changes that society is making. I believe that if men are able to give up this negative macho mindset that the world could prosper. Women and Male leaders can work together to utilize each other’s best qualities and hopefully we won’t make the mistakes we have made in the past.

Rhetorical Analysis #2

From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos Rhetorical Analysis

                I read the essay From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos by Joan Morgan. It is about how the pervasive sexism and misogyny in the Lyrics of Hip Hop. The purpose of this essay is to not only address the issue of sexism in Hip Hop, but to understand and analyze it. She argues that by understanding what is happening in the Hip Hop culture to create such a negative view of women, we can change these bad institutions within the culture, which will result in a change in the way women are represented. Her intended audience for this essay is definitely anyone involved with the Hip Hop culture, particularly black men and women because of the terminology and her writing style.

                Writer’s Strategy 1 Purpose: The purpose of this essay was to try to understand the reason for the sexism and misogyny in Hip Hop. I believe she addresses the issue by going deep into the culture in order to understand where this negative view of women comes from. She analyses the conditions that many black and brown people live in here in America. I interpreted the essay as her saying that the attitudes that are demonstrated towards women can are translated to other aspects of the lives of black men. They treat the men around them and even themselves in similar regard as they do women. Society might have caused black people to have a negative view of themselves, as a result there is more black on black violence, substance and alcohol abuse, and sexism towards women.

                Writer’s Strategy 2 Rhetorical Appeals: Joan Morgan uses all three appeals in order to make her point, but the two appeals that are used the most are ethos and pathos. She uses ethos when she describes her experiences her friend and family had. For example she explains what happened with a family friend of hers “She was a troubled young woman with a history of substance abuse, aggravated by her son’s murder two years ago. She was found beaten and burned beyond recognition. Her murderers were not ‘skinheads,’ ‘The Man,’ or ‘the racist white power structure.’ More likely than not, they were brown men whose faces resembled her own.” (603). This example not only shows her credibility, but it also makes an emotional connection to her audience. She is effectively able to show her own experiences to the Hip Hop and black community and she appeals to them emotionally in order to drive her point.

                Writer’s Strategy 3 Style: Joan Morgan’s style of writing was specific for members of the black community that are connected to the Hip Hop culture. She used slang and terminology that seemed specific to the audience she was targeting. She would use terms such as “sistas” to refer to black women, and she referred to a black man as “a brother”. This type of language was used throughout the essay, this suggest to me that she is aiming for a very specific audience.