Educational System in America Is Facing Heavy

¶ … educational system in America is facing heavy criticism (Reich, 2010). This criticism centers on the effectiveness of the system and its capacity to educate the nation's children. Critics argue that America's children continue to record poor scores in standardized testing and that graduation rates continue to decline. On one side are those who are arguing that drastic changes are needed while the opposing side argues that the American education system is performing adequately (Strauss, 2006).

One of the major criticisms of the American system of education is that it is too bureaucratic in structure (Douglas, 1991). One of the causes that the system has become so bureaucratic is its heavy reliance upon funding from governmental agencies. This reliance results in schools being required to conform to layers and layers of regulation and compliance rules that divert attention from the primary goal which is to educate.

Teachers and administrators spend inordinate amount of time addressing issues not related to educating and placing control of the education agenda outside the province of local administrators. The current theory is that decentralization and a decreased reliance on government funding would ease the bureaucratic jungle that has plagued the educational system in recent years but this movement has meant with resistance from the educational establishment that feels that the current system is working. Standardized testing has become the darling of those who argue that the educational system is not effective.

Critics cite the poor performance of students on these standardized tests is proof that the system is failing to educate students at even minimal levels and that until such time as students begin to perform at higher levels on these standardized tests the education system must be held accountable. Opponents of this view argue that standardized tests do not measure educational achievement, but rather, they measure objective standards that have little or nothing to do with the process of education.

Debate over the education system in the United States has been acrimonious for a number of years and there is little likelihood that this situation will change much in the immediate future. For the past several decades reform has been the popular approach, yet, the debate continues and no specific reform measure has enjoyed popular support. Meanwhile, the fact that reforms continue has caused the public to continue to lose confidence in educators and the entire system.

Where the situation lies is subject to considerable debate and is not likely to be determined to everyone's satisfaction. The issue of educational effectiveness is a highly subjective one and is difficult to measure. The only way that a consensus can ever be reached is through an organized attempt by all concerned to develop a policy that addresses everyone's concerns. Given the history of educational reform in the United States, the development of such a policy may be impossible. 4. Religion in America is in a state of flux (Newport, 2009).

Not only do America's religions continue to become more diversified in terms of the number of denominations and sects it also is witness to some unusual shifts in membership. Even as the number of sects increases, fewer and fewer individuals find themselves practicing the religion of their parents. One of the more unusual findings is that Americans are increasingly leaving the faith of their origin for either another religion or no religion at all.

The no religion affiliation is one that concerns religious leaders as the largest number of adults claiming to be such are adults between the ages of 18-29. These findings plus many others indicate that religious belief in America is suffering a period of decline. The significance of these figures depends upon the viewpoint of the individual viewing them. Religious proponents argue that despite some evidence of decline religiosity remains strong in America.

Opponents argue that religion is in serious decline as a cultural influence and that the fact that such high percentages of young people consider themselves as not religiously affiliated indicates that the situation is worsening. Examining the political situation in America, however, lends support to the continued importance of religion in the lives of Americans. The Religious Right currently dominates politics in the Republican Party and as the American population ages this influence should only increase. Historically, religious beliefs and practices increase as an individual ages.

Correspondingly, America's religious bodies can expect greater participation and membership in the next two decades. Comparing the level of religiosity in the United States with that of Western Europe the United States enjoys a much higher level. Unlike Europe where the practice of religion is in serious decline (Knox, 2005), the practice of religion of some form is still highly practiced in the United States. There remains concern among religious.