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  1. Sep 2026
    1. But every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country; he should lisp the praise of liberty and of those illustrious heroes and statesmen who have wrought a revolution in her favor.

      I agree with this idea because I think children should develop their reading skills from a young age while also learning about their own country. They should know what people have done for their country, what happened in the past, and how their country became what it is today. I think everyone should have this kind of knowledge about their own country because it is also part of having general knowledge and understanding your history. It can also help when someone from another country asks you questions about your country because you can explain its history and answer their questions with confidence. That is why I think learning from a young age about what happened in the past and what people did for the country can be very useful. Not only in America, but in every country, children should learn about their country's history so they can understand how their country reached where it is today and also be able to share that knowledge with others.

    2. For this reason society requires that the education of youth should be watched with the most scrupulous attention. Education, in a great measure, forms the moral characters of men, and morals are the basis of government. Education should therefore be the first care of a legis­lature, not merely the institution of schools but the furnishing of them with the best men for teachers. A good system of education should be the first article in the code of political regula­tions, for it is much easier to introduce and establish an effectual system for preserving morals than to correct by penal statutes the illeffects of a bad system

      I agree with this because I think it is not only about opening schools, but also about paying attention to what happens inside those schools. Education is a very important part of a person's life because it starts at a young age and can continue into their twenties. It gives people so much, not only academically, but also in terms of knowledge, culture, and the way they see the world. That is why I think the government should take education more seriously and focus on improving it. Instead of only identifying problems, we should also work on actually solving them. It is surprising that some educational problems from many years ago can still exist today. However, I think there is still time to improve the system. Even if we cannot completely change education for this generation, we can create a better education system for future generations.

    3. But the principal defect in our plan of education in America is the want of good teachers in the academies and common schools. By good teachers I mean men of unblemished repu­tation and possessed of abilities competent to their stations. That a man should be master of what he undertakes to teach is a point that will not be disputed, and yet it is certain that abilities are often dispensed with, either through inattention or fear of expense.

      Even though this was written a long time ago, I think it still applies to education today. Teachers need to have enough knowledge to teach students and help them reach their potential. Throughout my education in different countries, I have seen teachers who were not able to explain the material clearly. Some would even tell us to read and learn the material ourselves before a test. Because of this, I think schools should make sure teachers are truly qualified before hiring them. Schools should not try to save money without considering how it could affect students education and future.

    1. These developments, in turn, made education a potent politicalissue, especially in cities but elsewhere too. As schooling was seenas an economic and cultural advantage, it also became a point ofcontention. The history of American education is rife with groupsorganizing to demand changes in the schools. Such incidents werecommonplace in the 19th century, but became far more frequent withthe growing importance of education. Following the World War II,education became an increasingly contentious issue, especially as itgrew more tightly linked to social and economic status (Ravitch,1983; Vinovskis, 1999).Historically, much of this agitation focused on the question ofequity, and whether everyone had equal access to education. In theearly 19th century, there were debates about the status of working-class children in schools, along with women in secondary and highereducation. In the 20th century, political conflicts often concerned newethnic groups, along with questions of school funding. These battleswere difficult and embroiled educators in considerable conflict, butthey also contributed to important changes.

      I think it is interesting that some of the problems people experienced in the 20th century are still happening today. Back then, not everyone had equal access to education, and I think this problem still exists in different ways. Wealthy families can provide their children with better schools and more opportunities, while lower-income families may not be able to do the same, even if their children have a lot of potential. I also think it was very important that people started questioning whether education was truly equal and accessible to everyone. We can see how much education has improved because of these discussions, but I still do not think educational inequality has completely disappeared.

    2. Teachers did not have regular employment, working from one term tothe next, and many were barely more educated than the students.

      Another thing that really caught my attention was that teachers did not have regular jobs. When we compare this to today, teachers now have much more stable jobs and regular schedules. What surprised me even more was that many teachers were only a little more educated than their students. This shows how different the level of teaching was at that time. I think this was difficult for both teachers and students because if teachers did not have enough knowledge, it would be harder for them to teach students effectively. At the same time, we have to remember that teachers themselves may not have had access to a good education or teacher training. So, considering the conditions of that time, it is understandable. When we compare it to education today, we can really see how much teaching and the education system have developed over the years.

    3. Two hundred years ago schools were held in makeshift huts orcabins, or in rented rooms in urban areas. Most of the populationlived in the countryside, so small schoolhouses predominated, whereany existed at all. Children of all ages attended and teachersconducted different lessons simultaneously. School terms sometimesonly lasted a few months and attendance often was sporadic.

      While reading this, I learned a lot about what schools were like 200 years ago. I was interesting to see how people tried to educate children even when schools were only small rented rooms. Even with these difficult conditions, they still made an effort to give children an education. I also found it interesting that children of all ages attended the same school. Since there were not many school options at that time, it makes sense that many different students had to attend the same place. When I compare schools from that time to schools today, I can see how much education has changed. Another thing that caught my attention was that school terms sometimes lasted only a few months and students did not always attend regularly. I thought that maybe some children had to stay home and help their families, which could be one reason for their absence. However, it also made me curious about why the school year itself only lasted a few months.

    4. For most people, these and other aspects of schooling aregenerally taken for granted, one of the most telling signs of acommon culture. Historians David Tyack and Larry Cuban havereferred to some of these features as the “grammar of schooling,”rules and expectations that define the institution’s everydayoperations.

      After reading this, I realized that many parts of the school system have stayed the same for many years. I always found it interesting that schools during my parents' generation were very similar to schools today, even though we are a completely different generation. It made me wonder why the system has not changed much. Is it because these methods really work, or is it simply because we are used to them? This reading helped me understand better why some parts of schooling have continued for so long. However, I also think we need to question whether all of these old methods still work for students today. As generations change and technology develops, we have access to new information and different ways of learning. Because of this, I think some parts of the education system should also change instead of always depending on other methods.

    5. Some people enjoy reading history, others dread it. But, beyond this,does it have any particular value? To grasp educational problems,after all, examining history can seem pretty silly.

      Most of the time, I did not like history because I always thought that history was in the past and we did not need to look back. I thought we should just focus on the future. However, when I started studying education, my opinion completely changed. I realized that we need to understand our past in order to improve our future. If we do not recognize the problems and mistakes that happened in the past, we cannot improve ourselves, our schools, or the education system. We can also learn some important teaching methods and ideas from the past and use them in a better way for today's generation.

  2. docdrop.org docdrop.org
    1. Because most Americans now believe that the American dream should be available to all American citizens, public schools in the United States have made real progress toward enabling everyone to pursue success as they understand it. Compared with a few decades ago, dropout rates have fallen, achievement scores have risen, resources are more equally distributed, children with dis-abilities have the right to an appropriate education,

      I was really happy to read that public schools are trying to make the American Dream possible for all children because I think this kind of change was really needed. Every child should have access to the same opportunities and resources. I do not think it is fair to limit a child's potential because of their family's economic situation or social class. Seeing dropout rates decrease and student scores improve shows how important these changes can be. I also want to mention students with disabilities because I think they can sometimes be left out or not given the same attention as other students. I believe every child, no matter their financial situation or disability, should have an equal chance to learn, improve, and show their potential.

    2. The paradox lies in the fact that schools are supposed to equal-ize opportunities across generations and to create democratic citizens out of each generation, but people naturally wish to give their own children an ad-vantage in attaining wealth or power, and some can do it. When they do, every-one does not start equally, politically or economically. This circle cannot be squared.

      This inequality can also affect children'd motivation and confidence because they can see the opportunities that other children have. A student may have a lot of potential, but if their family does not have enough money or resources, it can be harder for them to develop that potential. I think this system should change, and all children should have equal access to good schools and opportunities, no matter how much money their families have.

    3. The paradox stems from the fact that the success of one generation depends at least partly on the success of their parents or guardians. People who succeed get to keep the fruits of their labor and use them as they see fit; if they buy a home in a place where the schools are better, or use their superior resources to make the schools in their neighborhood better, their chil-dren will have a head start and other children will fall behind through no fault of their own.

      This topic is something that I have thought about a lot. I think children's opportunities can depend too much on what their families can provide for them. Even when I was younger, I noticed that schools in lower-income neighborhoods sometimes had fewer resources, while families who were financially better could live near better schools and give their children more opportunities. I do not think this is a fair system.

    4. "I am an American, so I have the freedom and opportunity to make whatever I want of my life. I can succeed by working hard and using my tal-ents; if I fail, it will be my own fault. Success is honorable, and failure is not. In order to make sure that my children and grandchildren have the same free-dom and opportunities that I do, I have a responsibility to be a good citizen-to respect those whose vision of success is different from my own, to help make sure that everyone has an equal chance to succeed, to participate in the dem-ocratic process, and to teach my children to be proud of this country."

      I do not completely agree with this statement. Even though it shows how much people value their country and want to pass these values to their children, I think some parts can be problematic. Not everyone can become successful just by working hard. Some people have financial support, family wealth, and more opportunities, while others start with almost nothing and have to work much harder. Because of this, I also disagree with the idea that failure is completely your own fault. Family background, financial situation, and opportunities can also affect success I think believing " I can do anything because I have freedom" can sometimes lead people in the wrong direction. We should not take all the blame for our failures or all the credit for our success.

    5. AMERICAN DREAM IS A POWERFUL CONCEPT. It encourages each person who lives in the United States to pursue success, and it cre-ates the framework within which everyone can do it. It holds each person responsible for achieving his or her own dreams, while generating shared values and behaviors needed to persuade Americans that they have a real chance to achieve them. It

      I think the purpose of the American Dream is very meaningful. It motivates people who live in this country to become successful and also gives them opportunities to improve themselves. However, the country does not simply give people success. Instead, it creates opportunities and expects people to work hard and use those opportunities to achieve their own goals. I think this is important because people also need to put in their own effort in order to become successful. Not every country provides the same opportunities for people, so I think living in a country that provides these opportunities and encourages people to use them is something special. In a way, the American Dream encourages individual success, but at the same time, it can also lead to the success of society as a whole. When individuals improve themselves and reach their goals, they can also contribute to the country and society. I think this is a smart idea because it encourages people to improve themselves and create their own path to success.

    6. We have a great national opportunity-to ensure that every child, in every school, is challenged by high standards, ... to build a culture of achievement that matches the optimism and aspirations of our country.

      I think George W. Bush having this kind of idea is a really good thing, and it is something that I also support. We can see here how important the education system is for increasing children's confidence and knowledge. I also think it is a big step that he wants schools to have high expectations for children and encourage them to have goals and believe that they can have a good future. In the same way, this can be a great advantage for children who come from families that are not financially stable or from countries with weaker economic systems. If children realize that they still have opportunities through education, it can help them recognize their potential and show what they are capable of.