The Essentials Of A Good Education Summary

The education system in the United States, since 2001 when the “no child left behind” act was passed, has moved to much less wholistic version of education. This issue is presented in “The Essentials of a Good Education,” by Diane Ravitch. In this article Ravitch presents many thought provoking points about the importance of looking at students as people rather than numbers. The author argues that since 2001, schools have been focusing more on the scores their students receive on standardized tests and less on how much students are actually learning. The author establishes credibility very early, and maintains it by presenting facts and using a professional tone. The only instance in which Ravitch falls short is in her failure to present a proposed solution to the issue. “The Essentials of a Good Education,” by Diane Ravitch presents ideas about the current education system in the United States. In this piece there are many points brought up regarding the down sides to standardized testing. There is also the issue presented of the perceptions of students in the system by legislators.
Is using standardized testing to measure quality of education a good gage? The author believes that standardized education is not a good form of measurement. Diane Ravitch is an educational historian and …show more content…
The author does a good job of presenting her points in a way that played on both the logical and emotional appeals of the reader. She does a wonderful job of making clear to the reader her passion for the subject, and her genuine concern for the education of America’s youth if a change is not made. The only way that the author was lacking was in her lack of hard facts. As well as her lack of presentation of differing viewpoints. “The Essentials of a Good Education” is a well-written, thought provoking piece about a couple issues facing the modern public education