Readings on Education
ONLINE ARTICLE
Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context is a research database that covers controversial issues ranging from familiar topics such as the death penalty to lesser-known topics such as modern-day piracy. Opposing Viewpoints collects articles, media files, Web site links, and a host of other resources on each of its research topics. Essentially, the editors and staff at the database do the research and offer some of the very best sources for your review.
The following selection is the overview article from the “Education” section of the database. Written by the Opposing Viewpoints staff in 2010, it serves as an objective summary of the issues in education today. Note that the writers were careful to be objective and neutral in tone. When you research, use reference articles like this one as we use this article here: for a basic sense of the debate and issues and as a starting point for further inquiry. Important words and phrases have been italicized in this reading. Look up those you do not know, and write the definitions in your personal vocabulary list.
What do you know about the American education system? How is it structured at the K–12 level and at the college level? What types of schools are there, who runs the schools, and how do schools get their money? What controversial issues have emerged in recent decades? Brainstorm a list of all the facts you know about the education system and its structure.