It is not a secret that our American Education system has a multitude of issues,even teachers such as Diane Ravitch, a professor at New York University, are willing to admit there are faults. Diane Ravitch was the assistant secretary of state for President George H.W. Bush. She believes American Education puts an unnecessarily large emphasis on tests. Numerous schools have attempted to evaluate their teachers by their student's test scores but Ravitch argues this puts too much pressure on tests and leads teachers to teach lessons adjusted towards the tests instead of adjusting the tests to the class. She goes as far to say the American Education system is a 'hoax' because there is no evidence behind the program. Ravitch believes the "American Education should provide equality of educational opportunity, not a market-based system where some lose and everyone else loses." She opposes the Race To The Top (RTTT) because it rewards states that promote standards for student preparation for college. According to Ravitch, this puts a view on the children as "global competitors" and does not allow the children to fully live out their lives. Lastly, Ravitch also argues closing of schools that are'under performing' does not solve the problem. The students at the schools have low test scores and Ravitch believes these students have needs which must be met. Closing the schools do not help the children, rather it ignores the problem. There are many educators, parents, and students who agree with Diane Ravitch that the American Education System is in need of an update in order to strengthen our schools.
Citations:
1) http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_
