Paper3

Isolationism in Education

To some people’s perspective, the Southern United States is an engaging and culturally vibrant region that is distinct from the rest of the nation. George Packer stated in his article, Southern Discomfort, that “Solidity has always been the South’s strength”, which is part of the reason why the South is so distinct (Packer 2). In the article, Packer identifies the South as “the next thing to being a nation within a nation”, emphasizing that the South is a region nearly different from the rest of the nation (Packer 1). The article also mentions how the South is growing more isolated from the United States because of its distinctiveness and adherence to old traditions. There is a huge problem in the situation present and it is not the South’s rigidness to its beliefs: as the South continues to grow more isolated from the rest of the nation, the nation, in some aspects, becomes more separated from the South. This isolation is crippling the South, especially education. The effectiveness of Southern education will continue to decrease as the South and the rest of the nation, especially the North, continues to separate. This predicament puts students in the South at a disadvantage in school and workplace, making it needlessly more difficult for them as they start their careers.
The Southern United States has always had education issues compared to the rest of the nation. In the 1800s, one major reason African American families left the South for the North, besides slavery, was so that the children could receive better and more effective teaching. At the time, the South’s views on education were much different from the North’s views. As a result, The North outclassed the South in raising scholars with better equipment, a more structured environment, and a greater focus on education. It was not until after the Civil War, the South started to place a greater emphasis on education. However, by the time South was starting to get up to speed, the rest of the nation was ahead in education and teaching. Even to this day, most people think that the North’s curriculum is still superior to the South’s curriculum. Forums from notable websites such as The Straight Dope or city-data.com contain massive amounts of people believe that the South has a weaker education system.
The growing isolation of the South from the rest of the U.S. severely hurts its somewhat undeveloped education system. This problem starts with the conflicting viewpoints and values between the South and the rest of the nation. Lydia Saad has shown in a Princeton study on political ideology that America has become liberal and open to new trends over the years, whether it is completely or on certain issues. On the other hand, the “Solid” South, known for its solidity, is very traditional and conservative and does not agree with the nation’s liberalistic views and values (Packer1). This causes some friction between the two as both sides are not willing to submit to one another’s beliefs, or at least not completely (Packer 1). In addition, the National Education Rankings for 2012-2013 have shown that the federal government has lately funded more money into schools the Southern United States; however, the rate has started to drop. Despite this, other states, predominantly in the North, still have better funding in their school systems, compared to those in the South. This leads to Southern school systems having outdated equipment and poorer education quality.
High school education in the South is “enough” to graduate students enrolled in high school, however; it is inadequate for preparing students for a college-level work. Undergraduates coming in the college have difficult time the transition, whether it is from high school or to a new destination. However, the most stressful factor in this transition for most people is the level of education. “An article released by the Washington Times reports ‘Only 25 percent (of all public high school graduates) cleared all of ACT’s college preparedness benchmarks, while 75 percent likely will spend part of their freshman year brushing up on high-school-level course work(Turk).’” It appears that during the first and/or second semester, undergraduates have to go back and re-learn material from two months ago, when they should have a good grasp on it already. It is true that people learn at different paces, but if the curriculum was adequately effective the first time around, then students would not have to spend another four to five months going over Trigonometry or how to write an essay correctly. Undergraduates want to start delving into their careers at the start, or at least have time seek out a promising and enjoyable career. Obviously, students do not understand their subjects in high school, or they do not have enough practice solving problems that become basic and necessary when resolving collegiate-level questions.
Lacking the basic knowledge from high school, college students, fresh or experienced, start off with a disadvantage that cripples and lingers them to the end of their college education. Due to the fact that they are unprepared for college courses, they need to spend and effort catching up in their studies. For some people, this can mean an extra year of schooling and the sacrifice of a sport or hobby, even if it is not necessary for their career. This also includes the risky nature expenses and students loans piling up, putting students thousands of dollars in debt. In contrast, post-high school student truly prepared for college is more productive, confident, and does not have as much of the pressure someone unprepared is. They are far better because those students have a solid foundation to work with, despite struggling counterparts. They already know the two necessities needed for college work: the step-by-step processes, which are the subjects taught and studied through middle and high school, and the concepts behind the formulas and problems.
Students are unfairly suffering in the South because of the division between the Southern portion of the United States and the nation itself. It is true that some people are fast learners or are better organized compared to others; nevertheless, I, whom have graduated near the top of my class, have seen and known people, smarter and more qualified for college become insomniacs and zombies, not completely because of the quantity of their work, but because the work they are learning as an undergraduate is vastly more difficult than what they have practiced or that it is too difficult to understand. In an article written by Elaine Hansen and published by the Chronicle, Hansen mentions that even the smartest students are unprepared for college. She says ‘They have the grades and test scores…, but they still lack the understanding of the techniques and concepts used to work it’ (Hansen). Although intellect plays a role in the students success, it still does not help solves this problem. Lack of preparation could be the downfall of a student and all the stress and expenses that come with it can prove fatal for that person’s future career before it even begins. America needs more workers to increase productivity and economic health, but if no one is getting a fair chance, much talent and dedication is thrown out. All students need a fair chance at college, whether they are from the South, North, or Midwest.
.

Works Cited Page
Hansen, Elaine T. “Top Students, Too, Aren’t Always Ready for College”. The Chronicle. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Packer, Geogre. “Southern Discomfort”. The New Yorker. Jan 21 2013. Web. 29 Apr.2013
“Rankings of the States 2012 and Estimates of School Statistics 2013”. NEA. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
Saad, Lydia. “Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S”. Gallup Politics. Gallup Inc. Web. 29 Apr. 2013.
Turk, Ryan. “Incoming Freshman are not Prepared For College.” Collegiate Times. Web. , 29 Apr. 2013

Cited: Page Hansen, Elaine T. “Top Students, Too, Aren’t Always Ready for College”. The Chronicle. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. Packer, Geogre. “Southern Discomfort”. The New Yorker. Jan 21 2013. Web. 29 Apr.2013 “Rankings of the States 2012 and Estimates of School Statistics 2013”. NEA. Web. 28 Apr. 2013. Saad, Lydia. “Conservatives Remain the Largest Ideological Group in U.S”. Gallup Politics. Gallup Inc. Web. 29 Apr. 2013. Turk, Ryan. “Incoming Freshman are not Prepared For College.” Collegiate Times. Web. , 29 Apr. 2013