The No Child Left Behind Act - 1693 Words

If there is one thing that all American’s can agree on it is that the education provided for our youth serves as the foundation for the continuation and prosperity of our nation’s future. On the smaller scale, the students that live and learn here in the state of California will become our congressmen, doctors, policemen; the future of our great state. The adoption of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was necessary for improving the education policies in place for the youth in California. For one, it replaced the failing academic system, the No Child Left Behind Act. Second, the CCSS drives students to build deeper conceptual understandings of course material and foster their critical-thinking and analytical skills. Next, the CCSS†¦show more content†¦As a result, school districts were forced to â€Å"dumb down† their standards to ensure students’ success on paper to avoid such labels (Jost, 2010). In addition, teachers would essentially â₠¬Å"teach to the test,† only covering topics their students would be tested on during their annual standardized tests (Jost, 2010). This is a huge problem that America’s youth had encountered. They were being stripped of their chance to be curious and thirsty for knowledge. Rather, they were forced to play the â€Å"grade game† and simply memorize the information they need to receive an A grade. Consequently, NCLB made only slight improvements to students reading and math scores according to the â€Å"nation’s report card, in 2009 (Jost, 2010). Hence, the failing of NCLB has left us with no option than to revise America’s current education system and the CCSS is the best method to do that. Fortunately, the CCSS holds students to a higher standard than those set by NCLB. Students are now turning away from mere memorization and regurgitation of information given to them by their teachers. Instead, they are taught â€Å"standard detail skills and basic concepts that students should master in each grade in mathematics and in the broad realm of English language arts and literacy† (Clemmitt, 2014). The CCSS were created by â€Å"The National Governors Association and the Council of

Humanity the Strive for Perfection - 2019 Words

When you hear the word perfection, what is the first image that pops out of your mind? Is it the bright, shiny, twinkling smile of Ian Somerhalder or is it the sexy body of Megan Fox? Or perhaps is it just the cute face of your crush in one of your classes? Or maybe the simple concept of having complete and functional limbs is enough for you to be considered perfect already. For Merriam Webster, perfection is the freedom from fault or defect – or just plain flawlessness. As for most of the people, they view perfection as someone having a face which resembles a Greek god; or somebody who has immaculately fair, white skin similar to an angel that fell from the heavens. They consider someone perfect if he has the ability to make their jaw†¦show more content†¦If you picked the former, then good for you, pat yourself on the back; if not, then unfortunately, you have a low self-esteem. Low self-esteem is another reason why people intensely strive for perfection. They are n ot confident with their appearances that they still look for numerous ways to improve their features. According to studies in psychology, people tend to move in the direction opposite to the course they want to avoid the most (Radwan, Know Myself). In simpler terms, people strive for perfection because they do not feel perfect; they are not satisfied with the way their faces and curves appear. They feel inferior to others that they do everything just to feel good about their selves, and that is to attain perfection as close as possible. And feeling good about yourself increases your confidence and sense of worth greatly which would cause a glow of pride and satisfaction radiate from your body; and that shining aura of yours would astonish the people around you, making you more respectable than before. Just like in my own experiences, people noticed that I look more confident and happier now when I smile than before I got my braces. My upper teeth were so far from each other like the y had some grudges from the past that I did not know of, so it was sometimes really embarrassing to smile while possessing those teeth. There is also my mother who actually bought a fake tooth worth more than P30, 000 just to show a complete set ofShow MoreRelatedHumanity: the Strive for Perfection2012 Words   |  9 PagesWhen you hear the word perfection, what is the first image that pops out of your mind? Is it the bright, shiny, twinkling smile of Ian Somerhalder or is it the sexy body of Megan Fox? Or perhaps is it just the cute face of your crush in one of your classes? Or maybe the simple concept of having complete and functional limbs is enough for you to be considered perfect already. For Merriam Webster, perfection is the freedom from fault or defect – or just plain flawlessness. As for most of the peopleRead MoreAnalysis Of Hawthorne s Conception Of Human Nature Through His Stories1347 Words   |  6 Pagesdealing with the nature of human beings, with themes incl uding religion, perfection, and the natural world. His works have been lauded for their treatment of the human condition. Several stories, such as â€Å"The Birthmark†, â€Å"Rappaccini’s Daughter†, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†, and â€Å"The Black Veil†, have been chosen to explain Hawthorne’s understanding of human nature. â€Å"The Birthmark† especially explains the pursuit of human perfection and the notion that nature cannot be overcome by humankind. â€Å"Rappaccini’sRead MoreBernard Is An Outcast? Essay1436 Words   |  6 Pages187) This quote proves that John learned how to handle is emotions and learned emotions from Shakespeare. â€Å"If perfection looms this large in our lives, then we must learn to come to terms with it†, according to Arthur Bochner, who wrote Terms of Perfection, perfection is an important part of humanity. (Terms of Perfection, 5) The evidence to prove that humanity has strived for perfection over many years of our existence is in our inventions and our DNA itself, â€Å"Even when these interventions haveRead MoreThe Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne1185 Words   |  5 Pagess death and that when man manipulates something as powerful as Nature, terrible things can occur. Aylmer is a scientist whose strives for perfection and is blinded by his love for science, resulting in the death of his wife due to his attempt to overpower Nature and dispose of the birthmark on her cheek. This signifies the ultimate reality that man cannot achieve perfection by defeating Nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Birthmark† demonstrates how the writer uses the development of charactersRead MoreThe Essence of Humanity Essay503 Words   |  3 PagesThe Essence of Humanity What makes us human? What underlying characteristic differentiates humans from animals or Gods? Where does the essence of humanity lie? Initially the answer may seem simple. One might say when comparing animals to humans that they are cruder than humans; they live their life by instinct, they dont love, they dont strive to educate themselves and each other - their overriding goal is to survive and make it through the day. Yet, human history and the scientificRead MoreOration on the Dignity of Man: Analysis Essay731 Words   |  3 Pagesthat humans can choose their destiny and in doing so can achieve perfection. He presents a piece of work that challenges the medieval view of human nature. There was a great deal of emphasis on human creative power during the renaissance period. Humanists of the time like Pico, sought to show how man is great and can reach excellence through his own effort, which was a radical change in belief compared to the Augustinian view of humanity where Human beings were thought to be â€Å"completely subject to divineRead MoreWorst Debater : Alain De Botton1123 Words   |  5 Pagesthat he took. Botton based his arguments on a liberal arts perspective which consisted of mainly philosophical standpoints. In a nutshell, his main argument was that are genetically flawed creatures and because of these flaws we will never reach perfection and thus humanity’s best days cannot lie ahead. He believes in the â€Å"philosophy of pessimistic realism† and the â€Å"philosophy of wisdom†. Having a liberal arts perspective on the debate only weakened his stand against his opponent who took scientificRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Bi rthmark1476 Words   |  6 PagesBirthmark,† it appears that Aylmer the main character wants to show the world that perfection is not beauty, and he demonstrates this with his wife Georgiana and that science should not alter the way that nature set man on this world to be. Hawthorne was a major asset to the transcendental movement, and this short story is a perfect example why. Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to show the world the comparison between perfection and beauty mainly by: a psychoanalytic version of the plot and Sigmund Freud’sRead MoreThe Code Of Chivalry By Sir Gawain1503 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Equal Perfection The code of chivalry is an important plot element in Sir Gawain and The Green Knight that constructs ideal characteristics for the court of Camelot under King Arthur’s rule. This code also represents perfection, to which Camelot was described as being close to perfect. Even though never expressly stated within the work, other kinsmen related to Arthur outside Camelot share varying ethics within the code. Clearly The Knight’s code was more than a goal for perfection but also aRead MoreSymbolism In The Birthmark By Nathaniel Hawthorne792 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The birthmark†, a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1844 tells the story of a man obsessed with human perfection. He is a scientist by the name of Aylmer who has recently married a very beautiful woman named Georgina. Although Georgina is a beautiful woman, she has a birthmark in the shape of a tiny hand on her cheek. He sees the birthmark as a flaw and as an opportunity to perfect the alread y beautiful woman he loves. Aylmer, a perfectionist and ambitious scientist becomes obsessed

Black and White Paper free essay sample

There it is. A blank piece of paper, just waiting to be dipped and covered with words, almost like a piece a chocolate before it becomes the actual chocolate. At first the words seem to be lost on the page and, as a result, the page remains blank. But suddenly, as if struck by lightening, an idea appears, and the page satisfyingly fills with rich words. The words pour through, little by little, as if there is a leak in a dam. Then, the words start pushing out faster, and now there is no stopping them. Sentences form and quotations are carefully placed. The words are spontaneous, which makes this piece beautiful. Something is missing though, but what? The paper holds original thought, opinion, and fact; what else could make this paper even more perfect? A sudden glace down at my wrist gives it away. There it sits, almost in a mocking way, wrapping itself around my skinny, fragile wrist. We will write a custom essay sample on Black and White Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I remember how I got this gift and I remember when. I have had it since I was fifteen years old. The gift did not arrive on any special kind of day, nor any kind of strange or peculiar day. It was just a normal day. As I came home that day, rained poured itself down my cheeks as if I had been crying. No one appears to presently be home. My father, who I can usually find in the kitchen on most days, appears to have left a note. The note states plainly that he has gone to do a small plumbing job. It never states exactly when he will be home, it simply uses the worn out phrase, ‘be home by dinner’. Yes, I had heard that phrase over and over. The problem was I never knew if it was true. It seemed like a lie, something one would say to cover up the real story and not have to go into detail about exactly where they would be. Honestly, I did not care whether he came home or not, but I always kept this thought to myself. I knew my mother would not be here, as she was never, because she was at her job. I try to think about my mom. I cannot manage to picture her face. I knew this was sad to some people, but to me it was just something to shrug my shoulders at. I knew my parents loved me, but I also knew that neither one was ever around. I felt as if my mom, my dad, and I were all leading separate lives. The dinners we spent together were silent and lonely. The clattering of forks and knives against plates seem to be the only chatter in the room. If I managed to get a question out in all of the overbearing silence, it was answered plainly with a â€Å"yes†, â€Å"no†, or ignored and replaced with a â€Å"pass the salt†. I was a strong person, who had known what I wanted to be and where I wanted life to take me since I was ten. I had never had to wish for anything because I had never wanted anything that I could not obtain myself. I only wanted my family to be closer. That night, as my mother came home, threw her bag and coat on a chair, and gave a quick ‘hello’, it almost seemed to me as if she ran into the study. Sighing, and wondering to myself what we would have for dinner, I silently walked into the kitchen. I opened the silverware drawer and pulled out a knife. As my mother came into the kitchen, and as I was reaching up to grab the bread, she held her closed fist out to me. I did not know what to think of this. Upon registering my confused face she replied, â€Å"Close your eyes†. Although hesitant I agreed. I feel tingles like a thousand tiny needles have been poked into my skin. She reaches out to open up my palm and put something in it. As she closes my hand around the object I open my eyes. There in my palm is a bracelet. The bracelet appears to be handmade, and the colors in the bracelet are woven so preciously that it reminds me of the colors of African clothing. She tells me that it is a wish bracelet. As she tie s it around my wrist she tells me to make a wish, and once it falls off, the wish will have come true. At first I do not know if a believe her, but as the pinks, purples, whites and reds combine and entice me, I allow the bracelet to wrest against my plain wrist. As I stare at the colors, hypnotized, I have my wish in mind. Although others try to cram there way forward, I have made a final decision. As the bracelet is now forever tied to my wrist until it decides when it is ready to come off, I hear the front door open and close. It is six o’ clock and my family is home. On this peculiar day, a realization occurred to me; everything I had achieved, and everything I had worked for never required a wish. A wish was simply an easy escape from the reality of facing my fears. I now know that, to obtain something, if wanted strongly enough, does not come without tremendous effort and some complications.