Running Head: LAKE ATITLAN POLLUTION

Support, refute, or complicate the argument that Diane Ravitch and Deresiewicz have written

complementary essays that excoriate degraded forms of commercialized education.

Education is an essential factor in every society. However, the quality of education

depends on the curriculum and educational reforms that ensure learners get the knowledge they

deserve to follow their dreams and profession. Diane Ravitch and Deresiewicz are research

professors who have written extensively about the state of education and ongoing reforms.

Therefore, the knowledge and experience in this area are unquestionable. They both have

firsthand experiences in recruitment into schools and the curriculum offered. Some of the essays

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they have written are controversial but I disagree with the fact that the essays they have written

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excoriate degraded forms of commercialized education.

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Firstly, Ravitch argument argues that reforms such as the “No Child Left behind Act”
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resulted in significant cuts in the curriculum. This act tied the school fun ding to standard tests
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in maths, consequently schools direct ted their resources to tests and test preps, which means

that something had to be removed, and the most affected were athletics and arts teachers. This
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statement is not a critique of the commercialized education; it is a wakeup call that the system
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was neglecting arts and athletics, which are essential subjects in life just like reading and maths.

By redirecting funds to standardized tests means that certain sections of the curriculum will be
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neglected and students will not get value for their money.

William in his article “Don’t send your kid to the ivy league”, revealed that with so
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many applications to choose from the selection panel focused on the personal qualities of a

student rather than the resume or grades. This revelation points out the curriculum is not focused

on the grades that as student gets or the recommendations, but its focus is on the personal

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 LAKE ATITLAN POLLUTION 2

characteristic that define a person. This personal features play a more critical role in the life of a

student compared this important because to educational achievements. Therefore, the current

system is created in such a way that students joining college have mastered the requirements and

they work hard to ensure their entry. However, this system makes student who are anxious timid

and lost. Thus emphasizing the need to review the college entry program.

Ravitch essays have always expressed the perception that poverty negatively affects

students. This is true because the social status and income of a person affects their neighborhood

and eventually the school that they attend. Students who live in violet areas that are

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characterized by gun violence will be mentally affected by the events around them. Ravitch

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recommends that any schools that admits poor students should have smaller classes, a health

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clinic and physical education. These services will go a long way in improving the quality of
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education. Based on the recommendation Ravitch is not criticizing the commercialized
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education but advocating for quality education for all students irrespective of their social status.
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Dr.Deresiewicz in his book “Excellent Sheep”, he focuses on the miseducation of

American elites and a way of meaningful life. He mainly criticizes the college admission
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process, which enables parents to force their children to high-level colleges such as Ivy League
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or Harvard. Since the admission, process is highly selective and competitive students spend their
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lifetime preparing for this process. This statement is positive criticism on the education system
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the competitiveness in the college admission process can be avoided by restoring free high

quality public higher education programs. This way students will not spend a considerable part
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of their life struggling so that the can go to high-ranking universities when they can receive the

same quality education ant local university at a cheaper rate.

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 LAKE ATITLAN POLLUTION 3

Dr. William Deresiewicz in an interview with the European magazine claims that the

higher education system has been turned into a consumer business. This has been a result of

government policy changes where colleges are forced to compete for student’s revenue like

customers. Colleges are now spending more on dorms and sports at the expense of the instructor

who is a key stakeholder in the college program. Instructors have been neglected resulting into

poor pay and provision of poor quality education. This commercialization of the education

system hurting the education system. This view by Dr. William is in line with Ravitch view

about laying off athletics and arts professors and yet their role at the university is significant just

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like any other subject. This points do not excoriate degraded forms of commercialized education

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rather they are point of concerns that universities are education institutions and not profit

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making organization. Their main purpose should be on equipping students with knowledge
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before focusing on extra-curricular activities.
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In conclusion, Dr. Deresiewicz and Ravitch essays have brought out pressing issues in
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the education sector. This ssies affect the quality of education and the purpose of universities in

preparing students for future unemployment opportunities. Based on their essays it is evident
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that the education has improved but there have been consequences fo that improvement. There
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is a need to censure that education is not commercialized this will ensure that every student is in

a position to access quality education at an affordable rate. Similarly, instructors should be

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respected as major stakeholders in the institution. Therefore, Deresiewicz and Ravitch essays are

not criticizing the commercialized education system but reccomeding ways to maintain quality
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education.

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 LAKE ATITLAN POLLUTION 4

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