No Fail Policy
“The first step in solving any problem is to recognize there is one. America is not the greatest country in the world anymore.” After three and a half minutes, Jeff Daniels ended his gloomy soliloquy in the opening scene of the HBO show The Newsroom which addressed the problem of America’s decline. Also, it left a gut-wrenching question in the stomachs of thousands of Americans: Is America actually on the decline? The answer is simple, America is on a downward slope and the numbers shed light on the truth. In 2012, America was ranked 22nd out of 27 countries in education (“International Comparisons of Achievement”). Currently, we have the world’s highest incarceration rate per capita (Scommegna), and we are ranked 12th in economic freedom
…show more content…
(“Country Rankings”). Additionally, America spends more on its defense than the next seven countries that have the highest defense budgets combined (“U.S. Defense Spending Compared to Other Countries”). On top of all of that, the national debt is at an all-time high, and unemployment is reaching scary heights. Many experts try to argue that this fall is part of a natural cycle that happens to all great nations, and it is irreversible. However, when all of the rankings are analyzed, it is hard to believe that we cannot make a comeback. Even though the statistics and facts point to the simple truth that America is not the greatest country in the world anymore, with some changes, America can rise from the ashes to be number one again. Twenty years ago, education in America was ranked first in high school and college test scores (Guttman). However in 2012, the “International Comparisons of Achievement” reported that America fell to 22nd out of 27 countries. Many Americans ask how could this happen? Well, first of all, the statistic itself is flawed. When other countries’ education systems are analyzed, it is obvious how the statistics are skewed. For instance, China administers a test at the end of their youth's eighth grade year and only the students with top scores are able to continue their education ("Education in China"). Whereas in the United States, all children are required to go to high school. This causes a discrepancy in the base from which the statistics are generated, so instead of comparing each of the American students to all of these other countries’ students, the entirety of the U.S. is being compared to only the brightest minds from these countries. However, much like the U.S., not all countries use the same form of educational systems Despite the questionable statistics for some countries, no excuse can make up for the dramatic drop in the rankings.
Complacency and reforms in schools have hindered the education of today’s youth, and to see a change, we need to make certain modifications to climb the ladder to number one again. First, the no-fail policy needs to be eliminated. The no-fail policy was first instituted to assure that all students would receive an education; however, after years of misinterpretation, the policy has caused some students to be lazy because there is no fear of failure. In Idaho for instance, a teacher promised to pass all of the kids if they showed up to class and turned in all of their homework (Hurst). Instead of rewarding students for knowledge, we are rewarding kids just to be present, but more importantly, kids are being passed on to the next grade without actually understanding the curriculum; this not only hurts the individual but the nation as a whole. To take a step in the right direction, the no-fail policy should be replaced with a policy that holds the student accountable for academic achievement, and if the child does not understand the curriculum, the course should be retaken. By doing this, students will take studying seriously, and hopefully, students would then be able to advance more quickly because they understand the basic principles. Climbing back to the top of education has more significance than bragging rights. Having a well-educated population helps the nation grow and
develop. Education is not the only aspect of America that has been struggling. The U.S. economy took a hit in 2008 during the Great Recession, and we have been trying to pick up the pieces ever since. However, if government regulations are cut back, America can make a quicker recovery. Government regulation has stalled entrepreneurship and has cost Americans trillions of dollars (McLaughlin). The amount of regulations has grown out of control. The federal register, the book that holds all of the non-lawmaking documents including regulations, has grown from 2,600 pages in 1936 to 80,000 in 2010 (Snyder). Now, some of these regulations are necessary because they were instituted to protect workers and consumers; however, too many regulations can be bad for the economy. An example of cutting back on regulations was during Ronald Reagan's presidency, “arguing that regulation interfered with free enterprise, increased the costs of doing business, and thus contributed to inflation,” (U.S. Department of State). To be able to grow economically, the American government needs to step back allowing a more open market for Americans to start and grow businesses. The government needs to trust that competition will regulate the market place. Before we make the change however, the judicial system will need to be expanded to take on more cases against fraud. Drawing back on government regulations will not fix all of our economic problems, but it is a start. Even though cutting back on regulation is a good start, there are a couple more changes that will help America make great strides in rebuilding our economy. First, Americans need to be more confident in the market. Yes, the Great Recession had the national unemployment rate peak at about ten percent ("Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject"), but since then the unemployment rate has dropped to seven and a half percent (“Country Rankings”). Even with the improvement of the unemployment rate, some people are still cautious to invest after losing large amounts of cash in the Great Recession. However, history has shown America has bounced back from worse. On October 29, 1929, disaster struck the U.S. market on Black Tuesday, the start of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, the stock market fell 26 percent and unemployment rose to be over 20 percent (Taylor). Despite going through the worst financial collapse America had ever seen, America persisted, and during the late 40’s and 50’s, the U.S. became the world’s economic powerhouse. If we have faith in our economy, we too can bounce back to number one. Improving our economy would also affect our highest incarceration rate per capita (Scommegna). For every 100,000 citizens, America has 500 prisoners compared to the world’s average of 100 prisoners (Scommegna). Crime is a major problem that needs to be fixed, and the first step to fixing crime is education. Statistically, it is the less educated people who are in our prisons. Traditionally, America sees a big drop in percent of prisoners that have graduated high school and an even bigger drop to those who have graduated college (Scommegna). Also, Paola Scommegna, a writer, editor, and communications consultant for the Population Reference Bureau, reported that “the average state prisoner has a 10th grade education, and about 70 percent have not completed high school.” We need to put a bigger emphasis on education so Americans will be encouraged to graduate from high school and go to college. This will help our nation because more people will be qualified for jobs and will receive jobs instead of turning to crime for an income. Having a more educated population will not entirely fix our high incarnation rate, but it will put a dent in it because more Americans will have the education level to get good jobs instead of turning to crime. After pushing education, the second step in lowering the incarceration rate is fighting drug crimes. About half our prisoners are in jail due to drug-related crimes (Sledge). The first step in fighting drugs is legalizing marijuana. By legalizing marijuana, America takes away the black market need for pot and gains a new tax source. However, if we are to legalize marijuana, America needs to learn from Colorado’s mistakes. In Colorado, the state government only allowed a limited amount of licenses sold and taxed the drug heavily causing legal marijuana to cost more than illegal marijuana ("Recreational Pot: $53 Million in Tax Revenue to Colorado"). Since illegal pot was cheaper, less people switched over to legal pot than predicted ("Recreational Pot: $53 Million in Tax Revenue to Colorado"). Despite not having the numbers predicted, Colorado netted 53 million dollars on recreational pot and another 16 million on medical marijuana. Legalized marijuana opens a new tax base for the government that has the possibility of being extremely lucrative. With the new income, the government will have more resources for stopping more serious drug operations. Also, some of the money can help pay off our national debt. By legalizing marijuana, America starts to eliminate the black market for pot and gains a new source of income through taxation, which could go to fighting more serious and harmful drugs. Another way to combat the drugs is securing the border. Currently, our southern border is protected by about only 36 miles of fence ("Obama Claims Border Fence 'Basically Complete' but It's Only 5% Finished"). This lack of security gives America little power to monitor who and what is crossing our border. To give America the upper hand, we need to complete the fence. By finishing the fence, we are able to more easily regulate the activity along our border which will lead to stopping drug smugglers and other threats from entering the country undetected.
In addition to building a fence, fixing our illegal immigration problem will free more border patrol agents to stop smugglers because less men will be spent on stopping the surplus of illegal aliens. Despite the fence aiding in monitoring smugglers coming into the country, building a fence is not the only solution to our illegal immigration problem. We need to reform our immigration process to make it easier and quicker to become a U.S. citizen. Taking years ("How Long Does the US Citizenship Process Take?") and thousands of dollars, becoming a U.S. citizen is a nightmare forcing immigrants to illegally enter the country in hopes for a better life. Border patrol is stretched thin with the surplus of illegal aliens pouring over our border. However, with a simpler immigration process, more people will be willing to take the legal route. This will alleviate the stress on the border patrol, so they can concentrate on people smuggling drugs into the country.
America is on the decline, and it is a problem. We have fallen off our pedestal. Our education system is no longer ranked number one, and our economy is just recovering from the Great Recession. However, despite the experts’ belief that this decline is part of the natural cycle all great nations experience, America can rise again by fixing education, investing in our economy, cutting back on economic regulations, and lowering the incarceration rate. The road to making America great is long and it will certainly not happen overnight. Furthermore, these changes will not fix all of our country's problems, the world is not that simple, but it is a step in the right direction. America is unlike any other great nation. It is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and we are here to stay.
(“Country Rankings”). Additionally, America spends more on its defense than the next seven countries that have the highest defense budgets combined (“U.S. Defense Spending Compared to Other Countries”). On top of all of that, the national debt is at an all-time high, and unemployment is reaching scary heights. Many experts try to argue that this fall is part of a natural cycle that happens to all great nations, and it is irreversible. However, when all of the rankings are analyzed, it is hard to believe that we cannot make a comeback. Even though the statistics and facts point to the simple truth that America is not the greatest country in the world anymore, with some changes, America can rise from the ashes to be number one again. Twenty years ago, education in America was ranked first in high school and college test scores (Guttman). However in 2012, the “International Comparisons of Achievement” reported that America fell to 22nd out of 27 countries. Many Americans ask how could this happen? Well, first of all, the statistic itself is flawed. When other countries’ education systems are analyzed, it is obvious how the statistics are skewed. For instance, China administers a test at the end of their youth's eighth grade year and only the students with top scores are able to continue their education ("Education in China"). Whereas in the United States, all children are required to go to high school. This causes a discrepancy in the base from which the statistics are generated, so instead of comparing each of the American students to all of these other countries’ students, the entirety of the U.S. is being compared to only the brightest minds from these countries. However, much like the U.S., not all countries use the same form of educational systems Despite the questionable statistics for some countries, no excuse can make up for the dramatic drop in the rankings.
Complacency and reforms in schools have hindered the education of today’s youth, and to see a change, we need to make certain modifications to climb the ladder to number one again. First, the no-fail policy needs to be eliminated. The no-fail policy was first instituted to assure that all students would receive an education; however, after years of misinterpretation, the policy has caused some students to be lazy because there is no fear of failure. In Idaho for instance, a teacher promised to pass all of the kids if they showed up to class and turned in all of their homework (Hurst). Instead of rewarding students for knowledge, we are rewarding kids just to be present, but more importantly, kids are being passed on to the next grade without actually understanding the curriculum; this not only hurts the individual but the nation as a whole. To take a step in the right direction, the no-fail policy should be replaced with a policy that holds the student accountable for academic achievement, and if the child does not understand the curriculum, the course should be retaken. By doing this, students will take studying seriously, and hopefully, students would then be able to advance more quickly because they understand the basic principles. Climbing back to the top of education has more significance than bragging rights. Having a well-educated population helps the nation grow and
develop. Education is not the only aspect of America that has been struggling. The U.S. economy took a hit in 2008 during the Great Recession, and we have been trying to pick up the pieces ever since. However, if government regulations are cut back, America can make a quicker recovery. Government regulation has stalled entrepreneurship and has cost Americans trillions of dollars (McLaughlin). The amount of regulations has grown out of control. The federal register, the book that holds all of the non-lawmaking documents including regulations, has grown from 2,600 pages in 1936 to 80,000 in 2010 (Snyder). Now, some of these regulations are necessary because they were instituted to protect workers and consumers; however, too many regulations can be bad for the economy. An example of cutting back on regulations was during Ronald Reagan's presidency, “arguing that regulation interfered with free enterprise, increased the costs of doing business, and thus contributed to inflation,” (U.S. Department of State). To be able to grow economically, the American government needs to step back allowing a more open market for Americans to start and grow businesses. The government needs to trust that competition will regulate the market place. Before we make the change however, the judicial system will need to be expanded to take on more cases against fraud. Drawing back on government regulations will not fix all of our economic problems, but it is a start. Even though cutting back on regulation is a good start, there are a couple more changes that will help America make great strides in rebuilding our economy. First, Americans need to be more confident in the market. Yes, the Great Recession had the national unemployment rate peak at about ten percent ("Databases, Tables & Calculators by Subject"), but since then the unemployment rate has dropped to seven and a half percent (“Country Rankings”). Even with the improvement of the unemployment rate, some people are still cautious to invest after losing large amounts of cash in the Great Recession. However, history has shown America has bounced back from worse. On October 29, 1929, disaster struck the U.S. market on Black Tuesday, the start of the Great Depression. During the Great Depression, the stock market fell 26 percent and unemployment rose to be over 20 percent (Taylor). Despite going through the worst financial collapse America had ever seen, America persisted, and during the late 40’s and 50’s, the U.S. became the world’s economic powerhouse. If we have faith in our economy, we too can bounce back to number one. Improving our economy would also affect our highest incarceration rate per capita (Scommegna). For every 100,000 citizens, America has 500 prisoners compared to the world’s average of 100 prisoners (Scommegna). Crime is a major problem that needs to be fixed, and the first step to fixing crime is education. Statistically, it is the less educated people who are in our prisons. Traditionally, America sees a big drop in percent of prisoners that have graduated high school and an even bigger drop to those who have graduated college (Scommegna). Also, Paola Scommegna, a writer, editor, and communications consultant for the Population Reference Bureau, reported that “the average state prisoner has a 10th grade education, and about 70 percent have not completed high school.” We need to put a bigger emphasis on education so Americans will be encouraged to graduate from high school and go to college. This will help our nation because more people will be qualified for jobs and will receive jobs instead of turning to crime for an income. Having a more educated population will not entirely fix our high incarnation rate, but it will put a dent in it because more Americans will have the education level to get good jobs instead of turning to crime. After pushing education, the second step in lowering the incarceration rate is fighting drug crimes. About half our prisoners are in jail due to drug-related crimes (Sledge). The first step in fighting drugs is legalizing marijuana. By legalizing marijuana, America takes away the black market need for pot and gains a new tax source. However, if we are to legalize marijuana, America needs to learn from Colorado’s mistakes. In Colorado, the state government only allowed a limited amount of licenses sold and taxed the drug heavily causing legal marijuana to cost more than illegal marijuana ("Recreational Pot: $53 Million in Tax Revenue to Colorado"). Since illegal pot was cheaper, less people switched over to legal pot than predicted ("Recreational Pot: $53 Million in Tax Revenue to Colorado"). Despite not having the numbers predicted, Colorado netted 53 million dollars on recreational pot and another 16 million on medical marijuana. Legalized marijuana opens a new tax base for the government that has the possibility of being extremely lucrative. With the new income, the government will have more resources for stopping more serious drug operations. Also, some of the money can help pay off our national debt. By legalizing marijuana, America starts to eliminate the black market for pot and gains a new source of income through taxation, which could go to fighting more serious and harmful drugs. Another way to combat the drugs is securing the border. Currently, our southern border is protected by about only 36 miles of fence ("Obama Claims Border Fence 'Basically Complete' but It's Only 5% Finished"). This lack of security gives America little power to monitor who and what is crossing our border. To give America the upper hand, we need to complete the fence. By finishing the fence, we are able to more easily regulate the activity along our border which will lead to stopping drug smugglers and other threats from entering the country undetected.
In addition to building a fence, fixing our illegal immigration problem will free more border patrol agents to stop smugglers because less men will be spent on stopping the surplus of illegal aliens. Despite the fence aiding in monitoring smugglers coming into the country, building a fence is not the only solution to our illegal immigration problem. We need to reform our immigration process to make it easier and quicker to become a U.S. citizen. Taking years ("How Long Does the US Citizenship Process Take?") and thousands of dollars, becoming a U.S. citizen is a nightmare forcing immigrants to illegally enter the country in hopes for a better life. Border patrol is stretched thin with the surplus of illegal aliens pouring over our border. However, with a simpler immigration process, more people will be willing to take the legal route. This will alleviate the stress on the border patrol, so they can concentrate on people smuggling drugs into the country.
America is on the decline, and it is a problem. We have fallen off our pedestal. Our education system is no longer ranked number one, and our economy is just recovering from the Great Recession. However, despite the experts’ belief that this decline is part of the natural cycle all great nations experience, America can rise again by fixing education, investing in our economy, cutting back on economic regulations, and lowering the incarceration rate. The road to making America great is long and it will certainly not happen overnight. Furthermore, these changes will not fix all of our country's problems, the world is not that simple, but it is a step in the right direction. America is unlike any other great nation. It is the land of the free and the home of the brave, and we are here to stay.