School Vouchers The Wrong Choice Essays -- essays papers

School Vouchers: The Wrong Choice Susie is a young girl who lives in Florida. Since kindergarten, she has attended a nearby private school. Her parents willingly pay her tuition, even though doing so forces them to cut other corners. They do not mind these sacrifices, since they know that their daughter is getting the best education they can give her. Jesse lives downtown, in the inner city. She attends the local public school and struggles through her classes. Her mother would like to send her to a private school, where there is less violence and a calmer atmosphere, but cannot afford it. Then, Jesse’s mother learns that a voucher system has put into place for the entire state of Florida. Jesse’s inner city, spray-painted elementary school received a failing status, so she can receive a voucher to attend the school of her choice. With the money she receives from the voucher, Jesse’s mother is able to send her daughter to the same private school that Susie attends. Is it fair that Susie’s parents pinch pennies while Jesse’s mother send her on the bus for free? While meaning well, does the voucher system inadvertently discriminate against children like Susie whose parents must work extra hours to put their children through private school? Is the voucher system really the answer to the problems with American education today, or a way to transfer them somewhere else? American public schools have always had their flaws. In the nineteenth century, colleges complained of under-prepared freshmen; students who could not write an essay or even spell. A main controversy was bilingual education for newly naturalized immigrants. As America entered the early 1900s, the debate turned to the use of entertainment in the classroom. Teachers felt that they must put on a show in order to keep the attention of their pupils. The abandonment of phonics in the 1920s and 30s was believed to be the reason why the job market consisted of those with inadequate educational preparation. Social promotion and the replacement of the â€Å"three R’s† with emotional stability and attitude courses were the causes of concern in the 1940s. The 1950s brought an awareness of low standards. It was found that American children were lagging behind the average standards of the rest of the world. Safety in schools also became an issue; incoming teachers were warned of the â€Å"ph... ...(Roberts, Glenn 23). Instead of taking this money away form the nation’s failing schools, it should be pumped into them and put to work. Education tax dollars should be put to work solving the problems in American schools. The voucher system is an escape out the back door. It simply transfers all of the issues out of the public schools, placing them in the hands of the private community. Bibliography: Works Cited Kaczor, Bill. â€Å"Judge Throws Out Florida Voucher Law.† Tallahassee Democrat, 15 March 2000. Roberts, Nanette M. and Glenn, Charles L. â€Å"School Vouchers: Two Views.† Sojourners (January - February 1998): 22-25. Rothstein, Richard. The Way We Were?: The Myths and Realities of America’s Student Achievement. [Online] Available http://www.tcf.org/publications/education/way.we.were/Foreword.html, May 1, 2000. Tyack, David. â€Å"Choice Options: School Choice, Yes - But What Kind?† The American Prospect Online, January - February 1999, 42. [Online] Available http://www.propect.org/archives/42/42tyack.html, May 1, 2000. Whitmire, Richard. â€Å"Milwaukee Voucher study Says Public Schools Not Harmed.† Gannett News Service, 3 February 2000.

Pray the Devil Back to Hell Essay

Recently we watched â€Å"Pray the Devil Back to Hell† in English class. A few of the social issues addressed were: poverty, peace and women’s rights. The women were so fed up with how their president has been treating everyone. He got young children to run around with guns and hurt innocent people. Everyone was so below poverty that children were starving to death and there was nothing the parents could do because they themselves were starving. The women wanted so badly to have peace to stop the war, the fighting, and the poverty. The women just wanted a say in what was happening around them, to get a chance to stop it all. Prior to watching this movie I didn’t know how badly the women and children had it. I didn’t know how below poverty the how whole country was. Another thing that I really didn’t know is how much forgiveness the women had for those who did such bad things to others. The women and children were placed last compared to the men and the higher people of the government and because of that they had so much hardships put on them due to starvation. For me I would find it very hard to just forgive and forget the things that had been going on for so long. I would find it hard to trust people because I wouldn’t feel safe around them knowing that not that long ago they were shooting, killing, and raping innocent people. I thought the movie was moving, empowering and touching. One part that was really emotional for me was when the one lady was telling a story about a woman who witnessed her husband being killed and her daughter being rapped. Anyone who can go through that much pain, disaster and hardship is a strong individual. If I were in their place I don’t know how I would be able to go through all of that day in and day out and there never be a hope of it getting better. Those women though they stuck it out and prayed so much that things got better and that just shows how amazing all of them are. This movie is one of those movies that will be hard to forget because the amount of pain in it. When you see something so catastrophic it is hard to forget. To me this movie really teaches you to stay strong, keep motivated and most importantly that anyone can be successful. This movie taught me so much about prevalence and how the power of good over comes evil. Those women prayed so much that they got so much accomplished and they got so many things to change for the better. In my future I will use this movie as a motivation tool and as a way to remind myself that even though times are hard they will get better you just have to hold on. Also in the future I will use this movie to show that anything is possible if you have help from those you love and believe in. Overall I thought this was a really good movie. I thought it taught you a lot about diversity, women’s rights, poverty and peace. The movie was a very touching and inspiring movie; there is also a lot of emotion due to what they had to deal with on an everyday basis. To me the movie and their stories really teach you that you should be aware of your surroundings and to be helpful in your community.

Billy Sunday Essay - 2426 Words

Billy Sunday For almost a quarter century Billy Sunday was a household name in the United States. Between 1902 when he first made the pages of the New York Times and 1935 when the paper covered his death and memorial service in detail, people who knew anything about current events had heard of the former major league baseball player who was preaching sin and salvation to large crowds all over America. Not everyone who knew of the famous evangelist liked him. Plenty of outspoken critics spoke of his flashy style and criticized his conservative doctrines. But he had hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of loyal defenders, and they were just as loud in their praise as the critics were in their criticism. Whether†¦show more content†¦He also studied Scripture and became unusually generous toward the needy. Furthermore, Sunday was constrained by an obsession to tell others how he had finally found inner peace and a more purposeful life. At first through lectures and then in sermons, he related how Jesus Christ gave him a new life of meaning, peace, and hope. This same gospel, he said, would similarly transform others. The evidence is overwhelmingly that it did. If Billy Sunday was sincere devoted, and motivated, he was also a product of his times and an example of the culture and morals of middle America. On the other hand, Sunday took many stands against popular beliefs, and he persuaded multitudes to join him in a war against many of the modernistic ideas of the time that he saw as evil. As he once summarized his opinion so well, â€Å"What this world needs is a tidal wave of reform† (Sunday â€Å"Satan† 24). It is true that Sunday was a showman who craved an audience and loved applause. But he also touched the lives of countless men and women of all social classes, helping them escape various forms of personal bondage and find freedom in the gospel. And if he did not convert all of urban America to his brand of Christianity, he at least played a major role in helping to keep conservative biblical Christianity alive in this century (Dorsett 3). To understand fully why he thought, lived, preached, and teached the way he did, we should look at hisShow MoreRelatedBilly Elliot Into the World Essay1255 Words   |  6 PagesBilly Elliot Into the World There are a variety of pathways and elements, which enables individual transition into a New World. ‘Into the World’ is about people choosing the next pathway into their life by their own determination, experiences and support which enables them to go beyond their original location and narrow view of the world. ‘Billy Elliot’ relates to the elective ‘Into the World’ as the film is about new possibilities opening up, determination, family support and individual growthRead MoreMy Youngest Daughter s Wedding Reception1010 Words   |  5 Pagesyoungest daughter s wedding reception was on Sunday. I had to pick up the cake at 10:30 AM that morning, and dutifully I was on my way. The local talk radio station was doing a Sunday morning garden program. I lasted about 4 minutes with that. My new iPod does not fit my older iPod setup so well, so I was forced to slip back to frequency modulation for something to listen to. Classic rock was thankfully ther e to save me from myself. The first tune played was Billy Idol s Rebel Yell. Yeah, I yelled -Read More†Many are selected but few are chosen† . this is a saying that not many people can live up to800 Words   |  4 Pages†Many are selected but few are chosen† . this is a saying that not many people can live up to with the exception of Billy Graham whom did many great things and made a big impact around the world. He also owns television shows , programs , has his own website , agencies , videos and films which are available to any one who is interested in the word of the lord. 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On Sunday, February 21, Billy and I joined Arjuns father in his trip to the Hindu temple in Orlando—we had to wake up earlier than usual for a Sunday but it was for good cause. We arrived at the temple in Orlando just before 10AM for a prayer serviceRead MoreBilly the Bully790 Words   |  3 Pages Billy the Bully Introduction Early on a Saturday morning I was hurrying down the street to buy a scone for my big sister at our neighborhood bakery. It was her birthday and I wanted to do something special for her (besides the gifts we had planned for her later in the day). It was a cloudy spring day and rain was predicted, so I was moving pretty fast because I didnt have an umbrella. 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Today was Monday, and Remi had spent most of Sunday tracing her routes. Tomorrow she had an appointment to meet with Evie Crofton at ‘The Crofton Safe Haven.’ As far as Remi was concerned, she was the best bet at finding her first clues. The day dragged on longer than RemiRead MoreKurt Vonnegut s Slaughterhouse Five 1490 Words   |  6 PagesSuffering Through Billy Pilgrim Kurt Vonnegut was an American author who published a variety of works including novels, short stories, plays, and a few works of non-fiction. Kurt Vonnegut explains how war and the experiences that come with it can cause suffering to the minds of people that it affects. In his novel Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses his novel to focus on his anti-war stance by showcasing humanity s suffering due to war. Vonnegut reveals this suffering through Billy Pilgrim s experience