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.

Kilbourne Blog Post

Blog 10/21/12 Kilbourne

                The article “Two Ways a Woman Can Get Hurt” Advertising and Violence by Jean Kilbourne is about the dangers of sex in advertising. She writes about the role these advertisements play in women’s lives. Advertisements for almost any product have used sexually explicit ads that are degrading to women in order to promote their product. Unfortunately these ads have a lot of unintended consequences, for instance they promote objectification, and violence toward women.

                Kilbourne uses many examples to explain how depicting women as sex objects is dangerous. She states that these ads promote violence towards women because they objectify them, making it easier for men to abuse women. She says that “Turning a human being into a thing, an object, is almost always the first step toward justifying violence against that person. It is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to be violent to someone we think of as an equal, someone we have empathy with, but it is very easy to abuse a thing” (585). Kilbourne makes a good point that even though the ads themselves don’t directly cause violence, they justify it, and embed it into society. These ads give the message to men that it is ok to harm women, and it gives the message to women that they are less than men and to expect to be abused.

                Kilbourne acknowledges that men are often objectified as well, and it isn’t ok, but it also isn’t as dangerous. The reasons for this are when men are objectified there never in any danger, and it holds little bearings with reality. When women are objectified it is more frightening because it is often true. The connection these ads have with reality are uneven between men and women, women are almost always the ones depicted in a way that is dangerous and far too close to reality.

                I personally agree with Kilbourne completely, women are unjustly treated as being inferior to men in every aspect of society. Even though I believe that society today has made great strides in the way that women are being treated. Unfortunately we still have a long way to go, women’s rights are still an issue today and are constantly being addressed in current politics. Recently the Lilly Ledbetter act was passed which makes it illegal for an employer to pay a woman less than her male coworkers for the same job. An issue that is often spoken about in the news today is issues regarding a woman’s right to choose what she is allowed to do with her body in the regards of healthcare, contraceptives, and abortions. There are controversial issues today regarding a woman’s rights, but there has never been political issues regarding a man’s rights as it relates to healthcare, and I don’t ever expect to see such a debate. I believe that these issues do relate to what Kilbourne is saying because it is primarily male politicians trying to make these decisions for women. These politicians objectify women, much like ads depict them. It’s unfortunate to see how society treats women at this point in history and believe that everyone should do their part to make a difference.

Proposition 30 Op-Ed Final Draft

Op-Ed Prop 30

Emilio Cantu-Gil

Professor Stacy Knapp

English 2B

October 14, 2012

                California is renowned for its world class educational system that educates millions of students every year. People travel from all corners of the earth to study here in the Golden State. Unfortunately, if the budget crisis continues, this won’t be true for much longer. California’s educational system has faced $20 billion in cuts in the past four years, and as a result over 30,000 educators have been laid off. California will suffer, taking its students down with it, unless California passes Proposition 30. Prop 30 is the only initiative on the ballot this November that protects school and safety funding. As a community college student I will be personally impacted by the passage of Prop 30, along with 15,000 other students whom I attend Cabrillo College with.

Proposition 30 is important for California and its citizen’s future, not only because it prevents further cuts to schools, ensures further funding for safety programs, but it also balances the budget. It accomplishes these goals by raising income taxes by 1% for only the wealthiest families making over $500,000, 2% for families making $600,000, and 3% for families making $1,000,000 or more. For individuals making $250,000 their income taxes will be raised by 1%, individuals making $300,000 will be raised by 2%, and individuals making $500,000 will be raised by 3%. It also raises sales tax for everyone a quarter cent for every one dollar you spend for the next four years. According to the California Labor Federation, California sales tax will still be lower under Prop 30 than it was last year. It is estimated that 90% of Prop 30’s revenue will come from California’s highest earners.

Prop 30, if passed, will prevent future cuts to schools by raising billions of dollars in revenue. This will allow for smaller classes, updated textbooks, more teachers and faculty. It ensures further funding for public safety programs by guaranteeing it in the states constitution. In addition safety programs will be localized so elected officials can decide how it best helps their community. It will also help fund certain prison programs. Prop 30 balances the budget by helping pay for years of debt that the state of California has accumulated.

The Independent Voter Network opposes Prop 30, and claims that the budget crises is the result of systematic, legislative and budgeting issues that can’t be fixed by a tax increase. Instead they believe we need to enable legislature without the “shackles” of term limits, so they can save California with supreme legislative power. They say that budgeting is a “nuanced process” that should only be handled by our elected representatives. If we as a state don’t like what are legislators are doing, we can simply remove them from office in a future election. Personally, I don’t believe the solution that is being proposed by the Independent Voter Network will effectively fix our state budget issues. If this was a valid solution to our budget issues, wouldn’t they already have been enacted? The budget crisis needs a more effective and immediate solution, and Prop 30 is that solution.

If Prop 30 doesn’t pass the consequences will be astronomical for students in the California educational system. Schools will suffer an additional $6 billion in cuts; $5.8 billion of those dollars will be cut from public education. Students attending the CSU system can expect a $150 tuition increase, and K-12 students will have their school year reduced by three weeks. According to the California Federation of Teachers, the cuts to Cabrillo College will result in a 7.3% reduction in funding. This $3.5 million dollar cut is equivalent to denying admission to 780 students, cutting one in thirteen classes, or eliminating five average-size programs. This will result in a reduction in support staff, reduced counseling, and cuts in services. These services include the Writing Center, Math Learning Center, Tutorials, Children’s Center, Financial Aid, Division Offices, The Library, Student Employment, Student Affairs, and other services that greatly support the students. Just the reduction in services will eliminate roughly 95 positions, and these are just the cuts that are occurring to Cabrillo. Imagine the devastating impact that these cuts will have on the other millions of students throughout the state. To me, and other students, this could mean that classes that we need to transfer may get cut, or it may take longer for us to complete our AA degrees. For other students it means that they’ll need to take out more loans because tuition has become more expensive, or they can’t get the occupational classes they need in order to go back to the work force. These cuts are very real and will be felt by every student and their family.

Prop 30 is supported by people and organizations that have California’s best interest at heart. According to yesonprop30.com and the California Labor Federation these groups and people include Governor Brown, the League of Woman Voters of California (LWVC), individuals in law enforcement, educators, community groups, the CSU board of trustees, Academic Senate, California Faculty Association, CA Student Association, CA Teachers Association, among others. These groups advocate and fight for Prop 30 because they all agree that passing Prop 30 is is the best thing for California’s students, and its future.

I cannot stress enough how vitally important passing Prop 30 is for the future of California’s education. This Proposition will protect and ensure continued funding for all levels of our educational system. If you are a student, this decision will directly affect your education as it does mine. If you are a parent, this will affect your child’s education, and the community you live in. If you are an educator or law enforcement professional, this will affect you and your community. If you are a California Citizen, and you care for our students, public safety, a balanced budget, and the future of California, there is absolutely no reason you shouldn’t vote YES for Proposition 30!

Works Cited

"Cabrillo With or Without Prop 30." PowerPoint. Cabrillo College. Cabrillo College Federation of Teachers, 27 Aug. 2012. Web. 2 Oct. 2012.

"Newspapers throughout the State Agree - Yes on Prop 30." YES on 30. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.yesonprop30.com/>.

"Proposition 30 Best Option Available to Fund Schools." The Modesto Bee. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.modbee.com/2012/10/13/2412776/yes-on-proposition-30.html>.

 "Take a Stand for Schools and Local Public Safety." California Labor Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.calaborfed.org/index.php/site/page/yes_on_prop_30_take_a_stand_for_schools_and_public_safety>.

"Unfiltered Political News. For You. By You." Independent Voter Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://ivn.us/2012/09/10/proposition-30-wont-fix-california-budget-issues/>.

Prop 30 Almost-Final Draft

Op-Ed Prop 30 Almost-Final Draft

Emilio Cantu-Gil

Professor Stacy Knapp

English 2B

October 14, 2012

                California is renowned for its world class educational system that educates millions of students every year. People travel from all corners of the earth to study here in the Golden State. Unfortunately, if the budget crisis continues the way it is, this won’t be true for much longer. California’s educational system has faced $20 billion in cuts in the past four years, and has laid off over 30,000 educators. California will suffer, taking its students down with it, unless California passes Proposition 30. Prop 30 is the only initiative that protects school and safety funding.

Proposition 30 is important for California and its citizen’s future, not only because it prevents further cuts to schools, but because it ensures further funding for safety programs, and it balances the budget. How it does this is it raises income taxes 1% for only the wealthiest families making over $500,000, 2% for families making $600,000, and 3% for families making $1,000,000 or more. For individuals making $250,000 their income taxes will raise 1%, 2% for individuals making $300,000, and 3% for individuals making $500,000. It also raises sales tax a quarter cent for every one dollar you spend for four years, which, according to the California Labor Federation, will still be lower than last year’s sales tax. 90% of prop 30’s revenue will come from California’s highest earners.

Prop 30, if passed, will accomplish a lot. It prevents future cuts to schools by raising billions of dollars in revenue. This will allow for smaller classes, updated textbooks, and more teachers and faculty. It ensures further funding for public safety programs by guaranteeing it in the states constitution. In addition safety programs will be localized so elected officials can decide how it best helps their community. It will also help fund certain prison programs. Prop 30 balances the budget by helping pay for years of debt that the state of California has accumulated.

The Independent Voter Network, who oppose Prop 30, claim that the budget crises are the result of systematic, legislative and budgeting issues that can’t be fixed by a tax increase. Instead we need to enable the legislature without the “shackles” of term limits, so they can save California with supreme legislative power. They say that budgeting is a “nuanced process” that should only be handled by our elected representatives. If we as a state don’t like what are legislators are doing, we can simply remove them from office in a future election. Personally I don’t believe the solution that is being proposed by the Independent Voter Network will effectively fix our state budget issues. The budget crisis needs a more effective an immediate solution, Prop 30 is that solution.

If Prop 30 doesn’t pass the consequences would be astronomical for California. Schools will have to suffer an additional $6 billion in cuts; $5.8 billion of those dollars would be cut from public education.  CSU students can expect a $150 tuition increase, and K-12 would get 3 weeks of school cut. I know that in my Jr. College, Cabrillo College, this would mean a 7.3% reduction in funding, that’s $3.5 million. This would be equivalent to not admitting 780 students, cutting one in thirteen classes, or eliminating five programs. This would result in less staff availability, reduced counseling, and cuts in services. These services include the Writing Center, Math Learning Center, Tutorials, Children’s Center, Financial Aid, Division Offices, The Library, Student Employment, Student Affairs, and others that greatly support the students. Just the reduction in services will eliminate roughly 95 positions, and these are just the cuts that are occurring to my JC, imagine how it affects all other schools in the state.

Prop 30 has the support from people and organizations that only have California’s best interest at heart. According to yesonprop30.com and the California Labor Federation these groups and people include Governor Brown, the League of Woman Voters of California (LWVC), individuals in law enforcement, educators, community groups, the CSU board of trustees, Academic Senate, California Faculty Association, CA Student Association, CA Teachers Association, and others. These groups advocate and fight for Prop 30 because they all agree that passing Prop 30 is is the best thing for California’s students, and its future.

I cannot stress enough how vitally important passing Prop 30 is for the future of California’s education. If you are a student this decision will directly affect your education as it does mine. If you are a parent, this will affect your child’s education, and the community you live in. If you are an educator or law enforcement professional, this will affect you and your community. If you are a California Citizen, and you care for your states future, there is absolutely no reason you wouldn’t vote YES for Proposition 30!

Works Cited

"Newspapers throughout the State Agree - Yes on Prop 30." YES on 30. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.yesonprop30.com/>.

 "Take a Stand for Schools and Local Public Safety." California Labor Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.calaborfed.org/index.php/site/page/yes_on_prop_30_take_a_stand_for_schools_and_public_safety>.

"Proposition 30 Best Option Available to Fund Schools." The Modesto Bee. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://www.modbee.com/2012/10/13/2412776/yes-on-proposition-30.html>.

"Unfiltered Political News. For You. By You." Independent Voter Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2012. <http://ivn.us/2012/09/10/proposition-30-wont-fix-california-budget-issues/>.

Prop 30 Rough Draft

Op-Ed Prop 30 Rough Draft

                California is renowned for its world class educational system that educates millions of students every year. People travel from all corners of the earth to study here in the golden state. Unfortunately if the budget crisis continues the way it is, this won’t be true for much longer. California’s educational system has faced $20 billion in cuts in the past four years, and has laid off over 30,000 educators. California’s educational system will suffer, taking its students down with it, unless California passes Proposition 30. Prop 30 is the only initiative that protects school and safety funding.

Proposition 30 is important for California and its citizen’s future, not only because it prevents further cuts to schools, but because it ensures further funding for safety programs, and it balances the budget. How it does this is it raises income taxes 1% for only the wealthiest families making over $500,000, 2% for families making $600,000, and 3% for families making $1,000,000. For individuals making $250,000 their income taxes will raise 1%, 2% for individuals making $300,000, and 3% for individuals making $500,000. It also raises sales tax a quarter cent for every one dollar you spend for four years, which will still be lower than last year’s sales tax. 90% of prop 30’s revenue will come from California’s highest earners.

Prop 30, if passed, will accomplish a lot. It prevents future cuts to schools by raising billions of dollars in revenue. This will allow for smaller classes, updated textbooks, and more teachers and faculty. It ensures further funding for public safety programs by guaranteeing it in the states constitution. It will also localize safety programs so elected officials can decide how it best helps their community. It will also help fund certain prison programs. Prop 30 also balances the budget by helping pay for years of debt that the state of California has accumulated.

If Prop #0 doesn’t pass the consequences would be astronomical for California. Schools will have to suffer an additional $6 billion in cuts; $5.8 billion of those dollars would be cut from public education.  CSU students can expect a $150 tuition increase, and K-12 would get 3 weeks of school cut. I know that in my Jr. College, Cabrillo College, this would mean a 7.3% reduction in funding, that’s $3.5 million. This would be equivalent to not admitting 780 students, cutting one in thirteen classes, or eliminating five programs. This would result in less staff availability, reduced counseling, and cuts in services. These services include the Writing Center, Math Learning Center, Tutorials, Children’s Center, Financial Aid, Division Offices, The Library, Student Employment, Student Affairs, and others that greatly support the students. Just the reduction in cervices will eliminate roughly 95 positions, and these are just the cuts that are occurring to my JC, imagine how it affects any other school in the state.

Prop 30 has the support from people and organizations that only have California’s best interest at heart. These groups and people include Governor Brown, the League of Woman Voters of California (LWVC), individuals in law enforcement, educators, community groups, the CSU board of trustees, Academic Senate, California Faculty Association, CA Student Association, CA Teachers Association, and others. These groups advocate and fight for Prop 30 because they all agree that passing Prop 30 is is the best thing for California’s students, and its future.

I cannot stress enough how vitally important passing Prop 30 is for the future of California’s education. If you are a student this decision could directly affect your education if it does mine. If you are a parent, this could affect your child’s education, and the community you live in. If you are, or care about educators and law enforcement professionals, this could affect you and your community. If you are a California Citizen, and you care for your states future, there is absolutely no reason you wouldn’t vote YES for Proposition 30!

Op-Ed Outline

Prop 30 Op-Ed Outline

                I would start the essay by introducing Prop 30 and its overall purpose. Then I’ll explain how it’s a controversial topic that has drastic consequences for the California Educational system because the results will effects millions of students and teachers. I’ll explain the current situation regarding California’s education system. It’s suffered from $20 billion in cuts in the past four years and 30,000 jobs have been lost. The results are higher tuition, less availability of classes for students, reduction in services that are being offered, and staff and lots of faculty layoffs. I’ll end the introductory paragraph by saying that 30 can make or break California’s higher education.

                The second and third paragraph would go further into detail about proposition 30. I would explain what would happen if prop 30 doesn’t pass.  For example, schools face an additional $6 billion in cuts. Schools will lose half a billion in funding, city police will lose 20 million grants, and UC tuition would hike up by 20%.

                The third paragraph would address the positive things that would happen if prop 30 were to pass. I would say that prop 30 would give billions of dollars in funding, guarantee public safety funding, and it would balance the budget.

                In the fourth paragraph I would explain how prop 30 directly affects everyone. I would explain how sails tax will increase a penny for every four dollars, and it would still remain lower than it was last year. Also I would say that income tax only affects people earning $500,000 or more. I would say that it would ask the wealthiest of Californians to pay their fair share.

                In my conclusion I would explain my credibility as a student who feels the effects of the budget cuts. Paying for tuition, getting classes, and my higher educational experience will be much be improved dramatically if Prop 30 passes.

Prop 30 Annotated Bibliography

Prop 30 Annotated Bibliography

1.

"Yes on Prop 30 -- Take a Stand for Schools and Local Public Safety." California Labor Federation. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://www.calaborfed.org/index.php/site/page/yes_on_prop_30_take_a_stand_for_schools_and_public_safety>.

This article is an opinion editorial supporting Proposition 30. The authors’ start the article by explaining how years of cuts have drastically hurt California’s educational system. They strongly use ethos and logos by claiming that Prop 30 will give California a chance to come back through three solutions. First Prop 30 will prevent the $6 billion in cuts that schools face if it doesn’t pass. Instead, Prop 30 will do the opposite and provide billions of dollars to funding education. Second Prop 30 will require that public safety is a priority and is required in California’s state constitution. This would make it so funding cannot be cut without a vote. As a result there will be more police to keep our streets safe. Third it will help California pay its deficit and balance its budget.

                Then the authors use pathos and ethos by saying that prop 30 will demand that the rich pay their share. This brings up strong feelings of fairness by making the rich pay a little more taxes. They also state that tax rates will be lower to the average person other than a slight rise in sales tax. The types of supporters for the proposition are listed as well to further support their argument; they say that they have broad support from educators, law enforcement, Governor Brown, community groups, healthcare advocates, and the League of Women Voters of California.

                The article was most convincing because of its use of ethos. Two pages of the text was dedicated to explaining in further detail how Prop 30 works, who supports Prop 30, how revenue won’t be lost, how it prevents school cuts, explaining its role in public safety, and how it will balance the budget. I found this article interesting and convincing and definitely will personally be a supporter of Prop 30.

2.

"Unfiltered Political News. For You. By You." Independent Voter Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Sept. 2012. <http://ivn.us/2012/09/10/proposition-30-wont-fix-california-budget-issues/>.

This article is an opinion editorial that opposes Proposition 30; it is significantly shorter than my previous article, and has fewer valid arguments to back up the author’s claims. The authors started the article by stating that California has a low credit rating, that California has had a $16 billion budget gap, and that Prop 30 will erase the deficit.

The article continued by stating facts about the spending cuts in California, such as funding in California has been decreasing since 2008, and that California is ranked 47^th in the country for Per-pupil spending. The article tries to claim that the reasons for these cuts are a result of systematic error that cannot be fixed by raising taxes. They continue the article by continually blaming spending cuts on the spending cuts and bad legislation.

The solution the article suggests is that California should remove term limits from the legislature in order to avoid further budget cuts. They end up stating that raising taxes makes sense, but that budgeting should be left to professionals and if we don’t like our legislators, we should simply remove them from office. Personally I think that the article contradicted itself and had a very weak argument.

RA #1

Rhetorical Analysis

Question 1

John Taylor Gatto wrote an article called Against School, which appeared in Harper’s Magazine in 2003. In this article he presents an argument on why he believes the school system is both childish and boring.

Gatto was a school teacher in New York for thirty years. During those years he has observed that there is boredom amongst the students and the teachers. If asked, the students would blame the curriculum and the teachers for their boredom. The teachers would blame the students. He realized at that point that something was wrong and needed to change.

Naturally Gatto would try to find different ways to teach that would motivate both him and his students. He said “Often I had to defy custom, and even bend the law, to help students break out of this trap.”(149) As a result, the school system retaliated, Gatto returned from a sick leave to find himself without a job. They had destroyed any evidence of him being granted the leave, and he had lost his teaching license. These acts by the school led Gatto to conclude that the school system is both childish and boring.

I agree with Gatto’s beliefs about the school system, I too think that it is childish and boring. I value a strong education, and I appreciate it, but I don’t agree with the way that we receive that education. I don’t think getting up at 6 a.m. every day, five days a week, for twelve years, only to do busywork for six hours is productive or healthy. I always got the impression that teachers were disappointed with the way they were required to teach, and that were being trained to think and to act in a certain way, rather than being educated. Although there were teachers, classes, and subjects that I enjoyed and were valuable to me. Overall I felt that I was trapped in a monotonous cycle and I wished there was a better way. Then I found one.

In eighth grade I received a lower back injury that forced me to lie off of sports. Classwork was easy, so I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I knew that I was to attend Aptos High School next year and I would have to take at least two years of Spanish. The Spanish courses at the High School were notoriously bad, so I decided to take Spanish at Cabrillo College. I knew that one semester of Spanish at Cabrillo would count for two years of High School Spanish and it is UC transferable. Ever since that class I took at least one class every semester, including summers, for the length of my High School career. I realized that the extra classes gave me an advantage over the other students, allowed me to get ahead in school, and study the subjects I’m actually interested in. I ended up graduating a year early from High School with 42 transferable units under my belt. Now I’m at Cabrillo for a year and I plan to transfer to UCSD next year.

Taking an alternative method to my education wasn’t easy though. The High School fought me the entire time, the only member of the high school that supported me was my counselor. The rest of the faculty thought that I was being selfish, and that I was only trying to cheat the system. They were never helpful, and were reluctant to accept my units and they tried to force me to take unnecessary placement tests although they couldn’t benefit me. If it wasn’t for the support of my parents and my counselor I would still be there today. So from my experience I also think that the school system is both childish and boring.

Op-Ed Link

http://ivn.us/2012/09/10/proposition-30-wont-fix-california-budget-issues/

Blog Post #2

Blog Post #2

This week I have decided to summarize the article that was assigned to my team. I am a Hawk, and we were assigned to read Against School, by John Taylor Gatto. The article was about the author’s negative opinion about schooling. He draws from his personal experience to make a compelling case about the faults of our school system.

Gatto was a teacher in Manhattan for 30 years in the best and the worst schools. During that time he claims that he “…became an expert in boredom.” (148) He explained that in the school system, boredom is extremely common amongst the students and the teachers. He claimed that the boredom is a result of the school system. So Gatto tried his best to break the conformity of the school system, in order to improve the educational environment for him and his students. He returned from a medical leave, to find that his job had been terminated by the faculty as a result of his nonconformity.

This unfortunate event caused Gatto to further question the educational system. He started to ask himself, “Do we really need school?” (149) He made sure to clarify that he he’s speaking of the school system not education. He makes a compelling argument that the purpose of schooling isn’t to educate, because people can educate themselves, or get homeschooled. He explains that their three reasons for mass schooling, and it’s to make good people, citizens, and to make each person their personal best. He continues to say that despite these goals, schools fail to achieve them.

Gatto refers to the writings of H. L. Mencken who wrote The American Mercury to claim that the schooling system may have a more sinister plot. Mencken linked the American mass schooling model with the educational system of the no-longer-existing, Prussia. He believed that our school system is Prussian in origin that is “deliberately designed to produce mediocre intellects, to hamstring the inner life, to deny students appreciable leadership skills, and to ensure docile and incomplete citizens.” (152) In other words to create a population of people who can’t think for themselves, therefore they are easy to control.

Gatto also refers to the writings of Alexander Inglis called Principles of Secondary Education. Inglis claims that the true purpose of education can be broken down into six goals. First is the adaptive function, which establishes obedience in students. Second is the intergrading function, which establishes conformity in students. Third is the diagnostic function, which establishes a student’s social role. Fourth is the differentiating function, which sorts students into their roles and assures that they’re treated accordingly. Fifth is the selective function, which refers to Darwin’s theory of natural selection and causes there to be an inferior group of students. Sixth is the propaedeutic function, which creates a group of students who are “superior” to the others In order to govern their roles.

Gatto says that these goals are meant to create a nation of consumers designed to for mass consumption. He also claims that by teaching your children to be adventurous, open-minded, and independent, they can avoid being brainwashed by the school system.

Awesome