Through my junior theme research on income inequality, I have found one of the most contributing factors to be America's education system. It is not the total mess that I began to belief in the start of my studies. The problem isn't the quality of education in general, it is the gap between the schools in wealthy areas and in poorer areas.
Walking through New Trier, there are kids on their own iPads, at least 100 computers in the library alone not to mention the ones in science rooms, labs, and offices, an endless library of all the recourses we could ever possibly need, and a unbeatable staff that is there for what seems to be our every need. New Trier, a public school, has all these yet other schools in the center of chicago, not more than 30 minutes away, lack books. This gap of material and recourses between schools is to me one of the biggest problems.
In addition to the material difference comes to difference of teachers. The teachers at New Trier at are a much higher level than other schools not only academically but also in a way that encourages the students to pursue academics and get excited about school. In "So Rich, So Poor", Peter Edelman addresses education in a chapter. He makes some claims and gives statistics that are almost too dire to believe. He calls the less regarded schools that cater to inner city poor kids "dropout factory(s)", the kids simply do not see the payoff of going to school. It almost seems to be that the staff pushes the students out of school instead of helping them achieve their academic goals. The teachers suspend kids for "discretionary offenses" that weren't really discretionary. For example, speaking out in class would not lead to the suspension of a kid at New Trier but it may in another school. The statistics show that 23% of kids who are suspended end up in Juvenile Justice where as only 2% of the rest end up in Juvenile Justice. Although this 23% is not a huge percent, is is 21% more that teachers could be keeping out of jail.
In order to even out this education gap leading to a lower income inequality gap, students in these less fortunate schools need a sense of effect and reward. Something to show them that school is beneficial to them. In addition, it is necessary that recourses and technology is spread out more evenly between schools.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Is America Plutocrazy?
Recently, I came a cross an article by Michael Brenner with overwhelming evidence that America is not a republic but a plutocracy. Although it is clear that the author of this article was very opinionated, I could not help but find the mountains of evidence persuading. He seems to address every aspect of a plutocracy and how America fits into that category, he goes on for pages. To challenge your view of what America calls its government, read this article.
Throughout my research for my paper I have come across a common problem of billionaires lobbying and paying for campaigns. As Robert Reich says in "Inequality for All", it seems to be that in these days you can "buy your own president!" Once a billionaire funds for a certain campaign, that candidate is in moral debt to them. The billionaire will have control over them or at least some of the decisions they make in office. After searching for Obama's lobby reform, I found that Obama is trying to combat this aspect of the plutocracy. In his words, he "will not drown out the voices of the American people.” Although his efforts to end this issue have not been as successful as he expected, the simple effort shows something about both sides of it.
When Brenner addresses the end goal of a plutocracy, he says it is to "legitimize itself by fixing in the minds of society the idea that money is the measure of all things." This point was the one that mainly made me question my own views. In this country, prices are on nearly every item and based on what you can buy, you might as well have your own price tag. Is America not a materialistic nation? Does wealth not determine your class and how much you are worth? Although I was reluctant to think that this was true, I could not deny it when looking around my own neighborhood.
Taking into account the opinions of Brenner and matching it up to reality was hard to do without doing an immense amount of individual research on America. Still, Brenner left me questioning the society I live in and whether it really is a republic, or actually a plutocracy.
Throughout my research for my paper I have come across a common problem of billionaires lobbying and paying for campaigns. As Robert Reich says in "Inequality for All", it seems to be that in these days you can "buy your own president!" Once a billionaire funds for a certain campaign, that candidate is in moral debt to them. The billionaire will have control over them or at least some of the decisions they make in office. After searching for Obama's lobby reform, I found that Obama is trying to combat this aspect of the plutocracy. In his words, he "will not drown out the voices of the American people.” Although his efforts to end this issue have not been as successful as he expected, the simple effort shows something about both sides of it.
When Brenner addresses the end goal of a plutocracy, he says it is to "legitimize itself by fixing in the minds of society the idea that money is the measure of all things." This point was the one that mainly made me question my own views. In this country, prices are on nearly every item and based on what you can buy, you might as well have your own price tag. Is America not a materialistic nation? Does wealth not determine your class and how much you are worth? Although I was reluctant to think that this was true, I could not deny it when looking around my own neighborhood.
Taking into account the opinions of Brenner and matching it up to reality was hard to do without doing an immense amount of individual research on America. Still, Brenner left me questioning the society I live in and whether it really is a republic, or actually a plutocracy.
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