Waiting for Superman Journal

     The documentary ‘Waiting for Superman’ is about the state of public education. The documentary mainly talks about the decline of the public school system and the alternatives. The decline is across all socioeconomic classes. The alternatives to the public schools are private, charter, and magnet schools. Unfortunately, the number of available seats in the alternative schools cannot accommodate the number of students trying to get in. Parents, students, and educators are frustrated with the politics surrounding education.  

     The public school system is just as much about politics as it is about educated students. For example, the teachers unions protects the teachers even when the teacher is not doing their job. The union created tenure which protects a teacher’s position whether they are providing students a quality education or not. A tenured teacher’s contract is renewed automatically from year-to-year. It takes more than a handful of reasons before a teacher can be dismissed. If a tenured teacher’s position is eliminated they can bump an untenured position. A tenured teacher that has been terminated they can appeal and request a hearing before the Superior Court. The teachers union is also the biggest contributor to the Democratic Party. Another issue is that there is no single decision making body.

     There are options for students, while somewhat limited, to achieve a quality education. A couple of obvious choices are private schools and magnet schools. An intriguing option are charter schools, which do not have to abide by the rules of the teachers unions. Charter schools have established that they have created a system that put’s the student first and the teachers are dedicated to ensuring their success. Ninety percent of the students that attend a charter school attend college.

     This documentary provides numerous topics to write about on the education provided to students in the United States. Politics, options, educators, demographics, and society are just a few topics. Bottom line is our education system is failing students and changes are needed.     

Its the Law - Miss Representation Essay

It’s the Law

     In 1972 the law known as Title IX was passed. The law requires gender equity for males and females in every educational program that receives federal money. Many people have not heard of Title IX and those that have believe it only pertains to sports. While the law is not perfect, it has provided females opportunities they otherwise would not have had. Title IX provides females equal opportunities in sports, education, and employment.

     Prior to Title IX becoming law females were excluded from participating in school athletics at any level. The schools are allowed to separate the sports teams by sex, but must determine how many opportunities they will provide female athletes. Schools must meet two out of three qualifications to be in compliance. Those qualifications are: 1) The percentage of male and female athletes must be in proportion to the number of male and female students enrolled, 2) It has a history of expanding athletic opportunities for the underrepresented sex, 3) The athletics program fully and effectively accommodates the interest and abilities of the underrepresented sex. Fewer than 300,000 females participated in high school sports, prior to the law. By 2011 there were more than three million females participating. In college athletics the increase was significant as well: The number of female athletes went from under 30,000 to almost 200,000.] The improvement in athletic opportunities has significantly contributed to improvements in the short-term and long-term public health signified by a seven percent decline in obesity among former female athletes (Buchanan 91). Female athletes also reduce their risk of developing breast cancer. Middle school and high school female athletes are fifty percent less likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than their non-athlete peers. This decrease in pregnancies is universal across nationalities.

     Not only were females not allowed to participate in sports, but prior to the 70’s many colleges and universities refused to admit females. It was believed that females were more interested in marriage and raising a family than higher education. Because of Title IX females have been afforded equal access to higher education institutions and financial aid. Females earn more undergraduate and graduate degrees at higher rates than they use to. They also go into fields traditionally dominated by males, such as law, medicine, and politics. While females have made great strides they still face obstacles in higher education. Females still lag behind their male counterparts in earning doctoral and professional degrees, particularly in non-traditional disciplines like math and science. Affirmative action programs responsible for increasing access to higher education for minorities and females are being eliminated.  

     As with sports and education, there was inequalities in employment at higher education institutions. Before Title IX the majority of females working in education were teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Females who did teach in college were primarily at women’s colleges and earned smaller salaries than their male counterparts. Since Title IX the number of female faculty members has increased significantly. They are instructors, lecturers, assistant professors, and some can be found in top administrative positions. While the wage gap has decreased, there is still an inequality. Even with Title IX females on average earn less, hold lower ranking positions, and are less likely to have tenure.           

     Title IX became law to create equality for females in sports, education, and employment. The law has afforded many opportunities to females that they otherwise would not have had. Females have access to scholarships, financial aid, sports, education, and employment because of Title IX. While Title IX has helped bridge the gaps between males and females there are still inequalities that exist. Many changes have been made to the law and many more will no doubt be made in the future in the hope of bridging the gaps.         

Works Cited

Aiston, Sarah Jane. "Equality, Justice And Gender: Barriers To The Ethical University For Women." Ethics & Education 6.3 (2011): 279-291. Education Research Complete. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Buchanan, Maggie Jo Poertner. "Title IX Turns 40: A Brief History And Look Forward." Texas Review Of Entertainment & Sports Law 14.1 (2012): 91-93. Legal Collection. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Paule-Koba, Amanda L., Othello Harris, and Valeria J. Freysinger. "'What do I think about Title IX?' Voices from a university community." Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 84.1 (2013): 115+.

Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.

Miss Representation Journal

The documentary ‘Miss Representation’ is about the influence the media and culture has on females and those around them. The documentary mainly talks about how the media portrays women and how that portrayal influences peoples’ views of women. The media tends to portray women merely as physical objects that are emotionally unstable.  

     The documentary talked about women in power or the lack thereof, both political and in the business world. On several occasions there were news articles on women in politics and the focus was on their looks. Interestingly, this documentary brought to light that women tend to not support other women, especially women in power. 

     The documentary followed a couple of young ladies in high school running for school government positions and the struggles of fighting the stigmatization that only men should hold leader positions. It also talks about the lack of role models for young ladies to look up to. One of the few females to have gained respect in the political arena and as a role model is Condoleezza Rice.

     There are quite a few topics that can be explored from this documentary. The physical and mental impacts on young girls from being bombarded by the media’s view of the perfect woman. What women earn versus their male counterparts. How the media uses computer technology to create the ‘perfect’ woman. A look at laws that promote equality, such as Title IX which provides equality in college academics and sports. These are just a few topics that could be explored based on this documentary.