Self-Analysis

For the past few weeks, through the process of researching and writing for this blog, I’ve learned so much about public schools and the activities going on in them.  Before I wrote this blog, all I heard was bad news about kids not performing well on standardized tests and not reading on grade level.  I often wondered why this was so common. Even though I had a slight interest in why this was occurring, I never seriously got into the issue or did any research until now. Since then, I’ve learned so many interesting things and broadened my knowledge about the public school system.  Many of my previous posts talked about why many of America’s schools are in terrible conditions. From high schools not setting high standards for students down to budget cuts that cause teachers to lose their jobs, there are numerous reasons why public schools have become the way they are.  Even though I cannot get into all of the reasons, it appears that the economy, teachers, and politics are all major factors contributing to the decline.

  


From doing my research, one interesting ideology that seems more apparent is that those who make the most money seem to benefit the most from the current system.  To clarify, those who are privileged or come from prestigious families have the best access to everything, including education and the world seems to operate with this ideology. Those with money have access to better health care, healthier food, and they have access to better schools and are more likely to obtain a higher education. This thought leads to why we should change the direction we are going in education. One thought that I brought out in my implications post is that if the system doesn’t change, the achievement gap will increase and a new caste system will develop.  Students of all backgrounds attend public schools and without change the middle class and the wealthy will only have access to higher education and continue to get ahead in the world while the lower class will be left behind.  If this happen, obviously, the wealthy will remain at the top with all the advantages and control, leading to our country having somewhat of a caste system and possibly no longer a democracy.  This thought might be a little extreme, but the possibility is real if the situation doesn’t change.

In retrospect, from being engaged with this project I’ve changed by gaining knowledge and a better understanding of the situation.  Doing a lot of research has caused me to think more deeply and analyze the issue more thoroughly.  It forced me to think about how this situation has affected me in my own personal life as well as how it will affect my children, my grandchildren and future generations. Finally, researching and writing this blog has made me reflect more in a broader sense in addition to helping me recognize biased sources.  I am more aware of what I choose to view and read as well as I have the ability to determine whether the information is accurate or not. To conclude, doing this project has helped me to become more of an educated citizen.