Academia in America

Taken from:www.outofourmindstoyours.wordpress.com 

In the article of "Left Behind, Way Behind," Bob Herbert explores a report that would institute a new educational program to boost America's grades, so to speak [Argument! 327, 28].  As noticed by many, the United States and its educational capabilities increasingly place lower than the schools in other countries.  For example, argues Herbert, as America ranks as 24th out of 29 countries in areas such as math literacy or problem-solving, there must be something wrong with American schools [327].  Herbert thus encourages this new report, which recommends longer, individual study hours, the lengthening of school days and years, more qualified teachers, and (as an effect) a bigger budget for the schools in America [327].  While these stipulations initially sound beneficial, they will actually destroy America and discourage its students rather than create more Albert Eisteins and Steve Jobs.  By going through each stipulation, one can see the damages of its focus and what the United States should do instead.

Taken from: www.golibrarians.wordpress.com

First of all, Bob Herbert believes that hard work will make students, and their country, successful.  He remarks, "It's the kids who are logging long hours in the college labs, libraries and lecture halls who will most easily remain afloat in ... the American work force" [Argument! 327].  While this is partially true, students (and in particular the school children that he is discussing) will not succeed by simply studying over long periods of time.  Instead, these children need guidance in their academia, and they should be meeting (in shorter periods of time) with tutors, study groups, and parents who can help them understand their work and achieve it.  Besides the lack of guidance in the above statement, the focus of time, and not of interest and active learning, makes the entire idea disturbing.   If the goal is to make America better academically and achieve a higher high school graduation rate, teachers and policymakers should cater to interest and a love of learning to keep kids in school.  Success, in other words, is not compatible with busy work done in a library.

Taken from: www.123rf.com

Besides lengthening study hours, Bob Herbert also proposes the increase of the number of school days in a year and the amount of hours at school daily.  In addition to increasing the time at school, he wants the time to be more worthwhile; in his ideal program, there is "voluntary, rigorous national curriculum standards in core subject areas" [Argument! 327].  Time is thus the method to increase American academics, and if combined with better books, it will be the key.  Yet this is too ideal; students in the United States will not do better if they are forced to spend more time in school and with "better" books.  Instead, like adult workers whose output decline in quality when pushed too far, students will only get worse, receive lower grades and care even less about school and learning than ever before.  The recurring idea from Dilbert sums this all up and especially applies to the notion of lengthening school days; that is, "Work Smarter, Not Harder."

Taken from: www.foxnews.com

But what is the meaning of working "smarter?" From the perspective of Bon Herbert, it is all about hiring superior and highly-qualified instructors.  He argues that America must "take seriously the daunting (and expensive) task of getting highly qualified teachers into all classrooms" [Argument! 327].  Nevertheless, instead of pushing qualifications and further expenses, America should encourage and hire teachers that engage students, care about their progress and impart the love of learning to the future generations.  Teachers who make scholars, instead of robots, are the most qualified of all, so they are the kind that the United States should be hiring.  This process of improving teachers would not involve large sums of money, however; one just needs to place the instructor into a field (or grade/age) they love, give them some freedom to ignite their passion of teaching, and away will go the teachers and all of their classmates.   

Taken from: www.stjoseph-academy.com

In short, by teaching the students to love knowledge and work smarter (this is not busy work) as well as by igniting the teachers’ passion and parental involvement, American schools can have success in the 21st century.  Or, in shorter form, the love of learning is the key.  Indeed, students who love learning are the best; they will grow up to be more productive and imaginative than others, and they will serve their country well.  Then, the teachers and parents who are excited about what the students are learning will additionally play into getting better grades for the United States, for excitement is contagious, and it will spread from instructor to student to classmate and so on.  Thus, if these ideas and principles are implanted, America will be much better.  This great country will never be “left behind” again; in its place, America will be far, far ahead.

Works Cited

Herbert, Bob. “Left Behind, Way Behind.” Argument! 10th ed. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, 2011. 327-28. Print.