LAUSD Strike Reinforces The Issues With America's Education System

LAUSD Strike Reinforces The Issues With America's Education System

People will no longer be products of a good education if we keep this up.

Jasmine Gawra
Jasmine Gawra Jan 10, 2019
533
views

There are over 600,000 students in the Los Angeles Unified District and they're all about to be abandoned--not by teachers, but by the system. Teachers from the United Teachers of Los Angeles Organization are scheduled to go on strike on Thursday and even though LAUSD has made several attempts and offers to stop the walkout, teachers are persistent to bring actual change.

Why are they going on strike?

Well, when the school nurse only shows up, once a week for a couple of hours, you would, too. Or when you deal with 50 students in one classroom unable to cater to each individual's needs and support them, you would, too. Or when you live paycheck to paycheck and you are encouraged to get a second job by LAUSD itself, you would, too.

With over a billion dollars in reserve, LAUSD still can't improve the school system, and that should really tell us something.

We stand with these teachers because they are our educators. They are the ones enlightening new minds and helping them. They are in charge of our growing generation, and they have the most precious gift to offer: knowledge.

It's ridiculous the conditions these schools are in and although negotiations have taken up to 2 years, the system is nowhere to be fixed.

But hopefully, this issue brings out the importance of reinforcing America's education system and understanding what's wrong, because here are just a couple of things I've noticed:

1. Common Core was created by an insular group of testing executives, not our government or the state

One of the academic specialists out of two (both of whom did not finalize the last version of common core), believed that common core left students with an "empty skill set, lacking literary knowledge."

2. We still determine student acceptance to universities based on standardized testing

Students have access to different resources and there is a clear inequality in that line. Furthermore, the SAT has proven little to show that it actually develops a skill set, rather than just being book-smart and repeating the same patterns over and over again. It is sad to think that America's system is so heavily reliant on a single score that can outrank your volunteer service, your character, and your persona.

3. We kill creativity and just become empty feeding vessels of knowledge

In 2006, Sir Ken Robinson, a British author and international advisor on education, held a moving, must-see TED talk which has been viewed by millions on how schools kill creativity. The primary way schools go about killing creativity is by punishing children for making mistakes, while failure is the prerequisite to learning and creativity. In Robinson's words: "Being wrong is not the same thing as being creative, but if you are not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with something original." It is important to note that creativity is more than artistic creativity; it is the ability to transcend traditional ideas and create innovative solutions by using one's imagination (Click here for more.)

Or read up on the banking model of education.

4. Our universities are regarded as some of the top in the world, but none of our high schools or elementary schools have the same standard

5. Many teachers, especially those of a Caucasian background, are not truly equipped with diversity training

These leaves a huge impact on students of color and minorities as they struggle in school while dealing with unnecessary false empathy by their teachers.

6. America's poor educational system has created a shortage of Americans who can preform high skilled technology jobs

Don't believe me? Ask Dr. Michio Kaku: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK0Y9j_CGgM

7. Most PhD candidates are foreign born, not from the USA! 

This is all due to the H1B Visa and because there are very few Americans equipped with such developed skillsets.

Jasmine Gawra
Jasmine Gawra Jan 10, 2019
At UCLA

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A Thank You Letter To My Best Friend

All the things I should thank you for more often than I do.
Sydney Sanford
Sydney Sanford Mar 15, 2016
316181
views

To My Best Friend,

This thank you is long overdue. There are so many things I want to thank you for, and I’m sure I’m going to still be missing some by the end of this letter. But here is a small token of my gratitude for just being by my side in this life and making it all worthwhile.

Thank you first of all for accepting me and loving me for exactly who I am. This isn’t easy. I can be stubborn, difficult and confusing, but you love and accept me for me. There are days I wonder when you’ll finally come to your senses and move on and find a new BFF, one who isn’t so complicated, but to my amazement, you never do. You tell me you’ll take the good with the bad, and when I question whether I have any good left, you’re always there to reassure me and show me that I do. Thank you for loving me in my dorky and difficult moments, moments where if the rest of the world saw them, they’d probably walk away. Thank you for understanding me like no one else does; if we didn’t have the connection we did, I can’t imagine how lonely and big this world would feel. Because of you, this world seems like a little friendlier place, one I can see myself being a part of.

Thank you for being my biggest fan. Besides my family, you are my biggest supporter, and I know that when I win, you win, and when you win, I win. In this battle we call life, it doesn’t matter who’s in my opponents corner, because I know I am always going to have you in mine, and that’s the best asset I could ever ask for. You encourage me to chase my dreams like no one else does, and I can tell that you sincerely hurt when I hurt — not many people care about me in such a deep way. Whatever crazy dream I tell you I’m going to chase after next, you believe I can do it, even when the rest of the world thinks I’m crazy for even suggesting it. When something good happens, you’re the first person I want to tell, and when something bad happens, you’re the first one I go to for support.

Thank you for being you. You are incredible my dear, and I can’t wait to constantly remind your husband that he got crazy lucky and out kicked his coverage big time. You are beautiful inside and out. On the outside, you are so gorgeous; you’re very own unique and incredible definition of beauty, and I know I’m one of many who see it. You’re intimidating to stand next to in pictures because I know your light shines so bright, but I’ll gladly stand next to you and take a picture, because I’m so excited to show the world how breathtakingly beautiful my best friend is. On the inside you are even prettier, with a warm heart, a sharp mind and an unbelievable personality. You are hands down the funniest person I know, and I still can’t believe that someone as funny and hilarious as you chooses to spend her time with someone as dweeby and awkward as me. I mean, half the time we’re laughing at some fail I had or something stupid I did, so I guess I contribute a little bit to our constant laughing. You are so kind and so sweet, and have the biggest heart of anyone I know. God spent a little extra time when he made you, because you’re the total package: you’re beautiful, awesome and amazing, all wrapped in one, and I’m so lucky he put you in my life—he knows I’d be lost without you.

Thank you for being there for me whenever I need it. It was once said that “all that relationships are are being there for someone when they need you,” and you’re a pro at this. Whether it be because another boy is being stupid or I’m feeling alone, I know all I need to do is call you, and I’ll instantly feel better. You help my through the countless problems Lord knows I have trouble solving, and you reassure me that no matter what, you’re always going to be there for me. This is huge, and something very few people have been able to do for me, but you always have, and I know you always will be. And that is the most reassuring thing I know, knowing that if all hell breaks loose, the world falls apart and I have no one, I’ll have you. And that is all I need.

Thank you for being a spark, a light in my life that no matter how dark the world around us gets, is always there to light my way and show me the way home. Thank you for laughing with me when God blesses us with a funny moment, and crying with me when God is trying to tell me something. Thank you for standing beside me in the greatest of moments and the darkest of hours. Thank you for being the one I share my fondest memories with: all the nights we stayed up really late, all the exciting adventures we went on and all the inside jokes we still laugh about today. Thank you for growing up with me; for being there every step of the way and creating some of my happiest moments with me. Thank you for all the memories I've shared with you, and I can't wait for what crazy adventure we're going to go on next.

So thank you for accepting me, loving me, and supporting me. Thank you for being your wonderful self, and thank you for being there for me, through thick and thin, even when I'm at my lowest. Thank you for shining your brilliant light into my life and illuminating my world.

Oh, and thank you for being my maid of honor. I know I won’t need to ask you for a while, but you had to know it was coming, right?

Thank you for being the godmother to my future children, the sister to my family, and another daughter to my parents.

And finally, thank you for being the best to my friend.

Cover Image Credit: EnkiVillage
Sydney Sanford
Sydney Sanford Mar 15, 2016
At University of Minnesota Duluth

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Irish-American History Is Just As Important As Any Other Culture, You Can't Prove Me Wrong

I cherish being Irish and I will not let anyone let me feel bad for that.

Whitney Cavenaugh
Whitney Cavenaugh Mar 21, 2019
218
views

Depending on when you're reading this, Saint Patrick's day has either just passed or is around the corner. For me, Saint Patrick's day is tomorrow. I've been debating this article for some time now because I didn't know how it would be perceived. At this point, though, I feel it's important for me to get out. No, Irish people were never kept as slaves in America, and I will never be one to try and say they were. However, Irish people were treated tremendously awful in America. A lot of people tend to forget, or just try to erase entirely, the history of the Irish in America. So much so that I felt shameful for wanting to celebrate my heritage. Therefore, I want to bring to light the history that everyone brushes under the rug.

In 1845, a potato famine broke out across Ireland. This was a big deal because the Irish lived off, mainly, potatoes. They were cheap, easy to grow, and had tons of nutrients. So when the famine struck, many people either died of starvation or fled to America in seek of refuge. When the Irish arrived in America they were seen as a threat to the decency of America. People viewed them as drunk beasts, sinful savages, barbaric, violent, belligerent, stupid, and white apes. When the Irish would go to look for jobs, many times they found signs that read "Irish Need Not Apply," even when the job was hiring. Therefore, the Irish did the jobs no one wanted, and even jobs African slaves wouldn't do. The biggest example of this is when Irishmen built canals and drained swamps. They were sent to do these things because of the enormous amount of mosquitoes; in the swamp, they would get bit and ultimately die of malaria.

Also, during this time, Irish people were poor and therefore lived in the same neighborhoods as the free African Americans. A lot of the Irish people were friendly with their neighbors of color and even got into interracial relationships. Because the Irish lived in these neighborhoods they were seen as dirty and even a lot of people at this time put African Americans higher on the totem pole than Irish. One person during the time even said, "At least the black families keep their homes clean."

The main reason American's outlook on Irish people changed was that most Irishmen took up fighting for the Union in the Civil War. I make this argument, not because I think the Irish suffered more than African slaves. I don't say this in means of trying to erase the struggles of the African slaves. I do not think that any of our ancestors should have been treated the way they were. I mean to say that the Irish did in fact suffer. Irish people were treated wrongly on the basis of...nothing. Simply because my ancestors hailed from the shores of Eire, they were treated with malice. And I write this simply because I want people to remember. I want people to understand what happened.

On Saint Patrick's Day this year, next year, and for the many years to come, I want people to embrace the Irish culture. I want the folks of Irish heritage to not be ashamed of where they come from; to not be ashamed to share their culture the way I have for many years. I want everyone to have a beer, wear some green, eat a potato or two, and dance the Irish step; to celebrate the history of Irish people with a bit more understanding than before.

Whitney Cavenaugh
Whitney Cavenaugh Mar 21, 2019
At UNC Greensboro

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