School In A More Rural Area example essay topic

In past years, educational programs offered very few options. However, in recent years many educational strategies have been implemented. Schools are now more diverse and function under the "school choice" policy. With "school choice", a market-based foundation is established which encourages competition between schools. Its decentralized foundation allows parents to select the school they would like their child to attend.

Since tax dollars follow the child, the hope is that schools will implement new programs, ideas, and special courses in an attempt to "attract tuition dollars" (Bowman and Kearney, 442). The end result is aimed to provide students with a higher education, centralized in a more diverse atmosphere. One result of the "school choice" program has been the formation of magnet schools. A popular pick among parents, these prestigious schools are very efficient at attracting students of similar interests but of varying backgrounds. These magnet schools most often times replace downtown urban schools.

Their hope is to attract children back into the city and provide more motivation to succeed. Similar to magnet schools are open enrollment schools. These schools give the option of attending public schools within the district or state. Despite ones ethnic background, race, or income, these open schools further expand ones educational options.

However, the broad choices offered by "open enrollment" schools sometimes cause problems. While in-district choice keeps tax dollars in the area, those that choose a school far away do exactly the opposite (which is drain tax dollars from the district). Another problem cause by open schools is racial imbalance. Most often white and middle-class children choose to leave their district and attend a school in a more rural area.

Although people argue that poor children also have the option of moving to a more rural area, they are usually restricted by their lack of transportation. Although some states like Washington help low income families with school traveling expenses, there are all the more states that do not. Another means of expanding educational options is through the voucher system. With this system "parents receive a certificate from the state or from their local school district that may be applied to paying tuition for a public or private school of their choice" (Bowman and Kearney, 444). These vouchers assist students in a low-performing school by allowing them to transfer to another school with a higher performance record.

While the voucher system was implemented for the good of a child's education, they have received much protest from voters and the courts. The proposal for this system has failed in several states including California and Michigan. In Cleveland, they shot down the voucher plan as they deemed it unconstitutional due to the fact that public money was being used to send children to in-district schools. In Florida, heated debates also followed as they too called the voucher system unconstitutional because it supplemented public schools with private ones. One of the oldest voucher experiments was conducted in Milwaukee. Here, the vouchers were specifically used to help children of low-income families who lived in the inner city.

Each of about 2,500 students was given 4,300 dollars for private schooling to help boost their education. While it has been shown that Milwaukee's voucher system does not foster any better of an education, it did seem to improve parent satisfaction and participation in their child's learning experience. Still, educational analysis has yet to prove that this system strengthens student achievement. Charter schools, currently present in 37 states, are another option to help increase educational possibilities.

While these schools run within the public-school system, they are independent bodies set up by a "charter, or contract, that specifies operating procedures and performance indicators" (Bowman and Kearney, 445). Because these schools operate independently, they lack resources and money. As a result, there is always the possibility that a charter school might fail terribly. However, by expanding school options, designing their own curriculum, and hiring / firing their teachers, charter schools promise to deliver positive results. Funded by public tax dollars, the main objective of a charter school is to develop parent communication and escalate the educational quality of a designated area. Apart from charter, open, and voucher systems, available also is home schooling.

Today, it is estimated that nearly 4% of children receive their instruction from home. The majority of these students come from religious backgrounds, having parents who distrust the moral values instilled in the public school system. Although this form of education is based at home, the curriculum and testing methods are all regulated by the state. If desired, children that are home schooled can still participate in public school activities (like sports). One advantage of home schooling is the level of attention given to the student.

Rather than having an over crowded classroom to deal with, teachers / parents are able to focus all of their attention on one child. This makes it harder for the child to wander off and not pay attention. Another advantage home schooling has lies in its flexibility. If a student learns better in the evening time, arrangements can be made to teach class at that time and vice versa. Also, teaching becomes much more effective.

With a class of 30, if a few children are unable to grasp the concepts before the test, then they simply fail. With home schooling, time can be taken to make sure the student understands everything (in a reasonable time of course) so he will not be left behind. Also, home schooling has not socioeconomic barriers. An education can be delivered to the rich just as easy as the poor. Most importantly, poor families without transportation are not at a disadvantage, hence the word home school. However, home schooling does have its problems.

In some circumstances I am sure that teachers and / or parents could become far more lenient than a public / private school teacher come test time. Also, although teachers can work at the pace of the student, this might form problems as the pace becomes too slow and the student falls behind in his / her course work. Lastly, virtual schooling is available to possibly provide a better education. This form of education closes distance barriers in places like Alaska and Wyoming where schools are many miles away. Virtual schooling also helps solve the problem of specialized teaching. In many places there is a lack of math and science teachers.

With virtual schooling, one highly qualified teacher can teach hundreds of students no matter if they live in the boon docks or the city. While this form of education sounds very appealing, it is available only to those students that have home computers with an internet connection (high speed most likely). Low income families are much less likely to have this luxury compared to middle and upper class people. With all of these choice options available, people still wonder if they will do any good.

Although some of these choice options might have what it takes to provide a higher education, it is still up to the parent to make wise decisions as to their child's future. Not only this, but parents must be motivated and informed, and there is little these choice options do in providing parents with rational decision making skills. Also, with all the desire to make a better education and raise test scores, many people are convinced that the government is losing sight of the children, pushing them too hard, and relying solely on tests to achieve their higher education goals. #2) During the 60's and 70's, correctional facilities aimed to rehabilitate their inmates. Today, prison officials realize that this fix em' and free em' policy is a futile effort, as they actually become more likely to commit crime after an extended stay in the pen. Consequently, jails are stuffed like a bean burrito.

There are simply too many criminals to fit in the can, and this poses a huge problem. Since authorities have no guaranteed solution, they must employ alternative measures. Among these are back-door, front-door, and capacity enhancement programs, designed to prevent the mess of a busted burrito. Back-door policy, the most conventional of the three strategies, is designed for criminals who have already been incarcerated. The purpose of the back-door program is to effectively release inmates on parole or probation so there will be sufficient space for the newly arrived guests.

While most states implement the early release program, it varies from state to state. Some areas simply chop off criminals last few months while others apply a formula to predict the possibility of a released criminal committing another serious crime. The fact is, probation and parole are not even that effective. Probation and parole officers are overwhelmed with responsibility. These officers can easily have well over 100 individuals to account for; a feat almost impossible to monitor. To help solve this problem, new approaches like electronic house detention (a. k. a house arrest) are being used.

Thanks to technology, parole officers can take a breather and let computers go to work. Offenders are given ankle bracelets that act as a g. p.'s device. Their every move can be tracked, recorded, and if needed, reprimanded. Vocational programs are another means of reducing the sentences of inmates. These programs are like teaching tools, used to help prisoners when they get out. Instead of simply throwing them back on the street, the vocational program teaches them a craft or skill they can use upon their release (to make money and not commit crime).

Not only do these programs help inmates after they get out, but also keeps them busy while they serve their time. Another advantage of this system is that working inmates can earn wages. This money helps reduce the cost of their incarceration as it pays room and board. Some of the money also helps provide restitution for the families of their victims. While the back-door approach is a very effective means of reducing correctional overcrowding, it is highly protested by the public.

Citizens want revenge for the violent crimes committed by inmates, not their early release. Freeing them early often times makes matters worse as "public outcries are certain to follow when an offender released well before expiration of his sentence commits a highly publicized violent crime" (Bowman and Kearney, 470). #3) Violent crimes are one of the many problems in which statistics are readily available. For example, "The United States Department of Justice estimates that more than 60% of all felonies are committed by previous felons, many of them recently released from prison" (Bowman and Kearney). While African Americans account for roughly 13 percent of the nation's population, they make up over 50% of total incarcerations. This trend can be explained by low level educations, poverty, and hard drug use which consequently drive up criminal activity.

As it turns out, these factors are most prevalent in black communities. These trends can be reduced if the economy is boosted. When people actually have enough money to eat, they will be less inspired to commit crime. Each state has judges, and each judge has his own discretional powers (not as much now that determinate sentencing is in place though). One judge in a southern state might believe a criminal deserves 40 years in prison, while one from the north believes he only should get 20. This indeterminate form of sentencing could theoretically account for the discrepancies in national crime statistics, as a more stringent judge would put more inmates in jail and for longer periods of time (and vice versa).

However, a more commonplace form of sentencing is determinate. Different from indeterminate sentencing, offenders are slapped with a compulsory term. Most states do not even offer a chance at parole until criminals have served at least 85% of their sentence. Depending on the severity of ones crime, 21 states serve up a hot platter of life without parole. Obviously, this form of sentencing is designed to keep one judges discretion consistent with another's. Another advantage to indeterminate sentencing is that it "eliminates the need for parole" (Bowman and Kearney, 466).

If a prisoner has the possibility of parole, he must earn it by good behavior and work ethic. As the public demands a more thorough means of retribution, it is no wonder prisons have become overcrowded. Judges use determinate sentencing, which not only convicts more criminals, but also puts them away for longer periods of time. What people do not realize is that we must pay for an increase in justice. As we put more and more criminals behind bars, we lose more and more tax dollars. Prison costs skyrocket when overcrowding results and most often times we are unequipped to deal with it.

While capital punishment is the ultimate price to pay, so to is the cost to fire up Florida's "ole's parky". It is estimated that tax payers cough up more than 3.2 million dollars after court processes, appeals, and imprisonment options hit rock bottom. Aside from death row, as the general population swells, so to does the cost to support them. They need medicine, food, shelter, clothing, shoes, etc, etc. On average, it costs about 75,000 dollars to imprison someone for a year. While this price comes with its own education, it is basic at best.

Making matters worse is the "three strikes your out" policy. Enacted in over 25 states, this legislation mandates harsh "sanctions for habitual felons who are convicted of a third violent or serious crime" (Bowman and Kearney, 466). This is a grueling policy, as even a small, third strike, can land you a 25 to life years. In Redondo Beach, California, a man received 25 years for stealing a pizza. To support this legislation, California alone pays upwards of 5.5 billion dollars a year. Since the number of hearing has increased, more judges and courtroom officials must be put on the pay role.

It is all to frequent that a third strike is a non-violent drug related crime. Consequently, they are put in jail and must be financially supported for at least a quarter of their life. Apart from non-violent drug offenders are senior citizens. Some people believe that once they reach a certain age they will be far less able / driven to commit another crime. While the courts decide whether or not they will let them go, we continue to pay for their bills in jail (which are 3 times that of a younger inmate).

When government officials sentence more and more criminals, they fail to foresee the future. If courts are to use the determinate method of sentencing, state governments should first make sure they have the money to back their policy. Until then, jails will remain overcrowded and senior citizens will continue to drain our tax dollars.