Essay on The US Should Learn from the Finns - 1308 Words

American education has been in decline since 1970’s and into the Post-Cold War era in comparison to other OECD nations (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development). Since then, the U.S. has chosen to standardize two major factors in American education: what gets taught, and how kids get assessed (Townsend, 2013). Scores from PISA (Program for International Student Assessment), a test that compares educational levels across nations found that, out of 34 countries the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math, far behind the highest scoring countries like Finland (USAToday, 2010). It would be difficult to pinpoint any one issue as the sole problem with American education, because the educational system does†¦show more content†¦Researchers estimate that gains made by students in those 11 countries equate to about two years of learning in American education. As a solution, the federal government has made hefty financial commitments to educa tion in recent years, including the implementation of No Child Left Behind and the subsequent waivers from the standards-based law as well as the influx of about $89 billion in stimulus dollars to prevent teacher layoffs, keep class sizes down and avoid program cuts. Although dumping money into the system is far from a reasonable solution. The United States spends more per student, on average, than other countries. In the 2009 PISA study, only Luxembourg spent more per student. The report notes that countries like Estonia and Poland perform at about the same level as the United States, while spending less than half the amount per student (USAToday, 2010). As a nation once harboring world’s brightest minds, and with its current subpar educational performance, you would ought to think that the US Department of Education and the US Congress would be keen on developing a forward thinking system that improves studentShow MoreRelatedThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1 005 Words   |  5 Pages In the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain in the 19th century is about a young boy named Huck Finn and Jim, a runaway slave who go on an adventure. The two travel on a raft along the Mississippi river creating a bond and making memories. Mark Twain presents Huckleberry Finn as a dynamic character who at first views Jim as property and eventually considers Jim as a friend, showing a change in maturity. In the beginning of the book, Huck Finn clearly sees Jim as nothing more thanRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain983 Words   |  4 Pagesand a place for everything.† This is a phrase many of us may have already heard at least once, and it’s true. There is a certain time and a certain place for everything, especially with what words one can say or write. A person must be able to know when is the appropriate moment to say a certain something. This is Mark Twain is criticized about his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a novel about a runaway orphan boy named Huckleberry Finn who is accompanied by a runaway slave named Jim. AsRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Persuasive Essay1571 Words   |  7 Pages‘tis the difference between the lightning bug and lightning.†(Mark Twain). 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Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someones writing simply because weRead MoreShould the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Be Required in Shcool?983 Words   |  4 PagesShould The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn be required in school? Mark Twain’s â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† is said to be one of the greatest American novels to ever be written and is what all other pieces of American literature are based off of. The novel has been debated for over an entire century and will continue to be debated for much longer. Never the less, Huckleberry Finn teaches young students and adults the important life lessons. †The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† by Mark TwainRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned1404 Words   |  6 PagesAdventures of Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned â€Å"Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight,† Stephen Chbosky. Books open up people’s minds to new ideas and allow people to the world in a new light. Banning books only makes one want to read those books more- to learn and poder over the controversial issues. One controversially banned novel is the The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This book while still hasRead MoreThe Pros And Cons Of Books976 Words   |  4 Pagesthe lack of knowledge gained from books. Books have been banned because they may include drugs, violence, etcetera. Students need to know about topics like this so that when they encounter this in real life they are not taken by surprise in society. Books should not be banned because they provide information that we would not have, such as knowledge on our past. In contrast, some people think that book banning should be allowed so that children can be shielded from the terrible things in our worldRead MoreHuckleberry Finn Should Be Banned Essay1603 Words   |  7 Pageswith The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn shortly after being published. Huckleberry Finn was first published in January of 1885 and only two months later in March of 1885 the book was banned. The problem first with the book was it was too friendly toward African Americans and believed to lead children astray from certain values. Now over 100 years later â€Å"Huckleberry Finn is still making news† (Pitts). Now in the 21th century we have a problem with Huckleberry Finn not because of kindness to African