What’s Better Public or Private Schools?

What’s Better Public or Private Schools?

            Which schools are better, public or private? When it comes to choosing a school for your children which would you prefer? If parents could afford it, they would probably prefer a private school. “In fact, according to a 2009 Great Schools and Harris Interactive poll, nearly one in four parents are currently considering switching their child's school either from private to public or public to private as a result of the economy.”(Great Schools) “It's an age-old debate. Nobody doubts that private schools tend to outperform public ones on average. The statistics prove it. Public schools have traditionally educated a wider array of student population – less affluent and more ethnically diverse.”(Great Debate)

            The biggest difference between public and private schools comes down to cash. Private schools generate their own funding, which comes from a variety of sources: tuition, private grants, fund raisers, alumni and community members. Public schools can’t charge tuition. Public schools are funded through state and local taxes. They function as a part of government and must follow rules and regulations set by politicians. Private schools do not receive tax payers’ money, so they don’t have to follow the same rules and regulations that the public schools do. Private schools have a different curriculum and programs geared towards religious beliefs.

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                 

Public schools have to accept any child that enrolls at the school as long as they live in that district. Private schools because they are not state funded have certain criteria that a student must qualify to be able to attend that school. Children applying to get into a private school may have to go through in depth applications, multiple interviews, essays and possible testing. Most private schools try and keep their classroom sizes fairly small with low student to teacher ratios. Many states are realizing that small student to teacher ratios in the public school system is better for the children.

            Discipline action between public and private schools is totally different. When you sign a contract to attend a private school, the rules are clearly laid out for you. The students have to abide by the contract which includes consequences for infraction of the discipline code. The code of conduct is enforced. There is no room for disrespecting teachers or classmates, bullying a classmate, fighting, or having disruptive behavior in a classroom. In public schools you have constitutional rights which should be respected. The process of disciplinary action takes time and is a complicated process. During the lengthy process, students figure out how to beat the system or play the games. There is also a code of conduct in public schools, but it doesn’t seem to be enforced as well in our school systems today. You are always hearing of the guns and knives that are being brought to schools. Bullying is becoming more and more popular.

            With discipline issues in public school, violence is a top priority for administrators and teachers. With the public hearing about the shootings and other acts of violence in schools today, security measures such as metal detectors and placing more stringent rules are in effect. Public school teachers see that crime and threats are more common.                                                   

                                                                                                                                             

They also see certain negative attitudes and behavior problems from some of their students. Lack of parental involvement is more likely to be seen as a serious problem in public schools. “Ninety percent of children in the US attend a public school.”(School Debate) Having a common public education is one of the things that unite Americans regardless of race, color, ethnic background, or religious beliefs.

            When I was younger I attended public schools, so I can’t really compare my education to a private school. I had several teachers that were awesome and I really enjoyed their classes. In elementary school I was involved in safety patrol, the newspaper and kings guard. I also attended the first after school program in Jacksonville. I feel my mother took her time to find good schools for me. I have two children that are in the public schools now. It was a very big decision when placing them into a school. I feel that a child’s learning experience early on makes for a big impression later in life.   If parents became more involved in their children and their schools, some children wouldn’t turn out so bad. “Finally, an individual student's academic success depends not so much on whether he or she attends a private or public school but rather on a complex interaction of abilities, attitudes, and strengths or problems brought to school; the skills and knowledge of teachers; and the quality of the learning environment.”(Education World)

A Child's Education Journal

A Child’s Education

            After watching the movie Waiting for Superman, it made me really understand some of the issues that there are in public schools. As a child I really didn’t pay attention to the important issues that parents worry about. Today, I am a parent and now I understand why parents are very concerned about their children’s education. Education is a lifelong achievement, without it, children do not have a future to look forward to.

            As a parent of three children choosing schools is a very difficult task. I want my children to get the best education they can. When we send our children to school, parents put their children’s future in the hands of teachers. I’m sure it takes a lot of patience to be a teacher.

            Teachers have to find plenty of things to keep the children busy and interested. If a child looses interest in school at a young age, it is very hard to get them interested again. Finding good schools with good teachers is very hard to come by. You will rarely find a great school with great teachers or you will find a not so good school with excellent teachers. I’m sure every school has good and bad apples that teach in them. Parent’s choices are normally schools close to their homes. Sometimes we move so that better schools are closer.

I feel teachers today have it a lot harder then what they did when I was in school. Teachers today have no leg to stand on when it comes to discipline, and children know it. If we needed discipline, we got it. Today kids take advantage of teachers. It takes a special person to be a teacher and I look up to them and praise them every day for the hard work that they do.

Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

            “Sometimes people are beautiful. Not in looks. Not in what they say. Just in what they are.”(Markus Zusak)(Quotes) This quote makes good sense after seeing the movie Miss Representation. This movie was about the obsession women have to be more beautiful. Most women are unhappy with their bodies and the way they look. Because of this unhappiness, young girls and adults either have eating disorders, depression, or are thinking about plastic surgery to correct their flaws. The media and photo enhancing programs make all women out to be perfect models.

            “53 percent of girls age 13 are unhappy with their bodies, and 78 percent by age 17.” (Miss Representation)  By the media showing these beautiful women, more and more females try and strive to look like someone that is made picture perfect.  Women are more likely to criticize other women about having a perfect body which is another reason why we strive to look better. Most women are depressed about their shape or size. The ones that are thin want to be thinner, and ones that are a healthy size want to be smaller.  “Women seem to want what they don’t have, whether bigger breasts, smaller bums, a tighter waist, sleeker legs an up turned nose or a wider smile.” (BBC News)

            This brings us to women and plastic surgery. Women want to make the most of their selves, but more and more young women are turning to plastic surgery to obtain that perfect body. “2/3 of women would consider having plastic surgery & 26% said they would definitely do it in the future” (BBC News)Women feel that with bigger breasts could possibly boost ones sex life, help with their careers, or that more men preferred  them. “Some of the top five surgical procedures in 2010 were breast augmentations, liposuction, eyelid surgery, abdomnioplasty, and breast reduction.” (Cosmetic) With cosmetic surgeries becoming more and more popular, some women have become addicted and have totally destroyed their natural beauty.

            “The National Institute of Mental health estimates that eating disorders affect more than 5 million Americans each year, 90 % are women between the ages of 12 & 25.”(Teen Health) Young girls’ today see just how beautiful and picture perfect the young actresses and models are on television. They want to be just like them. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are psychological disorders that involve extreme disturbances in eating behaviors.  By people being overweight they feel that purging or vomiting will help them lose weight. After so many times of doing this it becomes a normal routine after they eat that they become addicted. “Several warning signs of bulimia are excessive exercising, frequent use of laxatives or diuretics, depressed moods, disappearing after a meal and overeating when distressed.”(Teen Health)

There is no one thing that causes these eating disorders, young women may have low self-esteem and be preoccupied with having a thin body. I feel the producers of television shows, and advertisements with young beautiful women are partially to blame for the way young girls try and make themselves more beautiful.

            I feel women are their own worst enemy when it comes to how they feel about their bodies. “The truth is men are happy with us the way we are –it’s the women who point out our flaws. It’s time we did ourselves a favor and let go of the unattainable “perfect” body dream and celebrated the female form in all its uniqueness.” (BBC News) Women strive for physical beauty; they mutilate their bodies with breast implants, tummy tucks, and other surgical procedures. What they fail to realize, inner beauty is what’s important to most men.

            Other than plastic surgery and women with eating disorders, there are many ways to lose weight and feel good about you. The first thing is eating healthy and exercising. Doctors recommend that you keep a daily diary of what you eat, eat smaller proportions, drink 64oz of water a day, eat healthy snacks and get at least eight hours of good quality sleep a night. They also recommend at least 30 minutes a day exercising. If you change your eating habits your weight will come off and stay off. Just remember beauty is in the eye of the beholder. “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, know suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”(Elisabeth Kubler Ross)(Quotes)

           

           

 

 

 

 

Miss Representation Journal

Miss Representation

            Why do the media make women feel it is so necessary to be the most beautiful female around?  The movie Miss Representation was an eye opener of how the media plays a big roll on women in today’s society. It reflects our cultural obsession with the thinness, youthfulness, blonde hair, unblemished skin and a hairless body. The Medias expectations of women are damaging a women’s body image.

            In today’s society more and more women are willingly revealing their body to make them more accessible to men. If you watch television today, the women are wearing barley anything to cover their bodies. They certainly don’t leave anything open for a man’s imagination. Women today are not encouraged to appreciate their body for what it’s worth; rather they are encouraged to display it to get attention and appreciation from a man. I don’t understand why some women feel the necessity to dress so that half their body is showing.

            Today many women wish they looked like fashion models. They don’t appreciate what the female body is worth. Not to mention her mind, sense of humor and her personality. These traits truly make a woman beautiful. Instead she tries to display more to desperately attempt to get a man’s approval. By the media making women so PERFECT, it is hard for an everyday woman to compete. They feel they have to try and look just like some of these women on TV to have a chance of a man even looking at them. Women today should let go of the perfect body dream and go back to what’s important, their inner beauty.

Dumpster Diving Essay

Stacy Mills    

Professor Kelly Warren

ENC 1102

March 11, 2013

Dumpster Diving, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

 

Dumpster diving…would you do it? That’s the big question after watching the documentary “Dive”. Many people dive because they are either homeless or poor, but some do it because they want a simpler life style. Dumpster diving is for anyone. They do it for a wide variety of reasons. It could be a matter of desperation, or one of convenience. It can be a last resort, or a daily ritual. People go to dumpsters to look for anything from food to furniture and other potentially sellable items. “One doesn’t go into dumpsters looking for the answers – they do it because they need something.” (Features)  If only there was some kind of way to figure out how to donate the “96 billion pounds of food that every year in America gets thrown away” (Dive), people in America wouldn’t be starving. “The kind of society that would waste this much food is one that doesn't value the earth or the products it produces. It's in our own personal detriment to continue the process.”(Dr. Timothy Jones)

 

 

The good thing about this is there are so many organizations in the United States that feed the poor and homeless. A portion of this film was showing the guy picking up the food that was being thrown out, and he took it to the Salvation Army that housed 450 people. He brought enough food to feed all of them from just one grocery store. If there were more grocery stores in the world that would be willing to donate food, homeless shelters could feed more people. Another good thing is the old saying; one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Homeless people find clothes to wear and blankets to cover up with. Some people even find good furniture that has been thrown out.

                                                                                                                       

The bad thing about this is so much food is wasted in the United States. How much food is wasted? “Every year in America we throw away 96 billion pounds of food. One half of all food prepared in the US and Europe never gets eaten. The Department of Agriculture estimated in 1996 that recovering just 5 percent of the food that is wasted could feed four million people a day; recovering 25 percent would feed 20 million people. Today we recover less than 2.5  percent.”(Dive) It is sad that so many people throw away this much food. “Today the government is helping feed over 45 million Americans through the food stamp program.”(Economic) With the government paying for groceries for so many, I’m thinking that some of them think easy come, easy go, and a lot of food gets wasted.

 

            The ugly part of this is dumpster diving can be legal or illegal in some areas. In some areas it can be considered as trespassing. Most grocery stores keep their dumpsters in a fenced area that’s locked. If you are caught, you can get a ticket for trespassing on private property. “Although in most areas the police have so many other problems that they aren’t really concerned about cracking down on dumpster divers.”(Economic) The next ugly thing would be contaminated food that you could possibly get from dumpster diving. The chance that you take by eating these foods can possibly cause serious health problems. Unfortunately, people fail to understand the risks associated with dumpster diving. Dumpster diving poses a serious safety risk for humans and creates liability issues for property owners. Since dumpsters contain trash and garbage of all types, entering a dumpster always creates the potential for physical, personal, and health risks. “Property owners must use precautionary methods when storing garbage and dumpster divers should assess their risks and use other avenues to obtain used or discarded items.”(Dumpster) Inside a dumpster resides broken, out of date, or potentially poisonous materials like chemical bottles, sharp objects, broken glass, metal objects with sharp edges, and even used needles. Cuts and abrasions caused by these objects carry the risk of infection, tetanus, and other diseases. Coming into contact with used needles may expose you to sexually transmitted diseases and illegal substances.  There is also a possibility of becoming ill from the bacteria inside of the dumpster especially during the summer. Dumpsters breed bacteria and companies spray them with pesticides.

 

 

            In conclusion, dumpster diving can be for anyone. People look for anything from food to furniture. Dumpster diving can cause serious safety and health issues with divers. It also creates liability issues with the property owner. With 96 billion pounds of food being thrown away each year in America, the United States should come up with some type of program for the grocery stores to be able to donate this food to needy causes. Our war on hunger might not be over, but it sure would help it out tremendously.

 

 

 

 

DD AKA Dumpster Diving Journal

Stacy Mills                                                                                                     

Professor Kelly Warren

ENC 1102

March 11, 2013

DD AKA Dumpster Diving

After watching the movie Dive, it really made me open my eyes to all of the wasted food that goes on in the United States. Dumpster diving has become a big trend in the United States. They have even given themselves a trendy name called “freegons”. Some people do it because it saves money on their grocery bills. Others do it because they want to live a much simpler life.

            Dumpster diving is not just for homeless people, sometimes it is someone who makes plenty of money. In watching the documentary a chef came in and made an extravagant meal out of the food that was pulled out of a dumpster. Some of the food that was being pulled out looks like those people eat better that my family does. I was amazed at the different array of foods that the grocery stores throw out. There were plenty of meats, vegetables, fruits and salads.

            It is sad that there are so many starving people not only in our country but in other countries as well. Somehow, someway, the United States should figure out a way to stop throwing away all of this food and help fight hunger. If the big grocery stores chains would donate the food instead of throwing it out we probably could feed about 60 percent of the starving people in America.

            With dumpster diving becoming such a trend. Families can save money and eat well. The big question is, would you dumpster dive to feed your family? I probably would if I was without a job and hungry. But for now I will pay the high prices at the grocery store and make do with what I can afford.

American Dream (Mistakes)

Stacy Mills                                                                                                    

Professor Kelly Warren

ENC 1102

February 25, 2013

Mistakes

            The American Dream by Mauricio Garcia was an excellent speech. I really enjoyed listening to him. Mr. Garcia told his life story about his ups & downs, his progress and his mistakes. It was very interesting. He came to America and followed what he thought was his dream. Through trials and tribulations he found out differently. He admitted to making many mistakes in his life. “When it comes to the American dream, no one has a corner on the market. All of us have an equal chance to share in that dream.” (searchquotes.com/ JC Watts)

 

            During the course of my life, I have made many decisions that some I wish I could go back and change. It all started when I was 15 years old. I fell in love and got married two months before I turned sixteen. I dropped out of school and thought life would be so easy. Two years later at age eighteen, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. Life for sure changed then. When she was eleven months old, her father left. Now I’m left with no job, no education and rent is due. The landlord told me I had ten days to come up with rent or I would be evicted. I sat and felt sorry for myself for a couple of days. Then one day I opened my eyes, went looking for a job, had an interview, and was hired on the spot. Three years later I decided I wanted to finish my education. I acquired my diploma and started college hoping to become and interior designer. I made it through three semesters and gave up again.

           

 

                                                                                                                                    Mills 2

 

The next stage of my life involved another marriage, twin boys and a divorce ten years later. Again no education, nor a future to look forward to, I had to move into my mother’s house. I sat around for a couple of weeks feeling sorry for myself and then one day I realized I needed to do something with my life. I enrolled into a ten month Medical Assistant program with a dream of becoming a sonographer. I later moved out, finished school, got a job with the City and was employed there for a couple of years before I decided to go back to school. Fifteen years later from when I first started college, with a dream to become a Registered Nurse. I decided to get my AA, so I would have one goal under my belt. After that I will apply for the RN program. I have done this being a single mom with a full time job and twin boys who are now fourteen.

 

If I had only done what my mother asked me to do, life wouldn’t be so hard or such a

challenge today. “I am living proof that the American dream still exists. It is still alive and well. There is only one trick, you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves and work very, very hard.”

(searchquotes.com/search/The_American_Dream/)  It has been a long road to handle but

 

I feel that as long as you learn from your mistakes and don’t keep making the same ones over

and over you come out being a much better person.  I found a quote and really wanted to share it. “After all these years, I am still involved in the process of self-discovery. It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life.”(Sophia Loren)(Great-inspirational-quotes.com)