The Boondoggle of Vouchers and School Choice :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Boondoggle of School Choice The summer before my freshman year of high school, my suburban school district decided to implement a new school choice program developed for the state of Massachusetts. It is a program-limited choice similar to many others around the country. Schools offer a certain number of spaces in each class for "choice students," that is, students from other towns who wish to attend the school. Students apply and enter a random lottery system. If they are chosen, they become legally-enrolled students at the new school. The costs of the program are covered by the child's hometown or subsidized by the state. The logic of the program (and all other choice programs) is that it offers students the ability to attend better schools than those in their hometowns. School choice is lauded as the great white hope of American education. "Let's give those kids a chance!" "Let's take control of our children's education!" Supporters claim that school choice will not only save our students, but it will also save our schools. Schools will be forced to improve their programs to remain competitive. Soon, all students will be attending the schools they want to, and all schools will be worthy of their students. School choice is the panacea for the problems of American education. Or at least that's what the proponents of the program tell us. Unfortunately, they leave out a few crucial points. School choice will not be the saving of the American mind. It is a desperate attempt to patch up the problems of our system by offering a few students a new option and calling it salvation. One is reminded of a great juggling act, where if a few students are shuffled around, we may not notice the others falling to the ground. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain . . . Let me stress that I am not speaking as a bitter product of the system who feels that school choice has hurt her educational experience. When it was first installed in our school, a number of parents, students and community members were outraged. They took a "not in my backyard" approach to the situation, bemoaning the influx of students from "bad schools." They thought that the innocence of our town would be lost, as students who were different from our sheltered community were admitted.

Poetry Analysis Essay

What types of things come to mind when you think about success? When I think of someone being a success I think of someone who achieved some type of goal or obtained an honor of some type. The three poems I found talk about what success means to each of the individual writers of these three poems. Each writer has their own personal opinion on what success means to them. These poems are all about success, but you will notice how they are all very different from one another. The first poem is called Success in the Twenty-First Century by Sharon Esther Lampert. This poem talks about all of the things in life we should accomplish before we die and all the things we need to be successful in our goals in life. When I read this poem it reminds me of the things that I have always wanted to do but am yet to accomplish. It is like the author is telling me life is too short to wait, I have to act on my dreams and goals now. Be who you are and do the things that make you happy because one day it will be too late. Success is a very hard thing to come by with all the different obstacles life throws at us all. Make a meaningful contribution to yourself† (Sharon), stay true to who you are and know that you can make it. This is the feeling and emotion I got from Success in the Twenty- First Century by Sharon Ester Lampert. Next is a poem titled Successful Failure by Robert William Service. In the beginning Robert says †I wonder if successful men are always happy? † When I was reading this poem I thought just because you have everything does not necessarily make you happy. The most successful people may have great wealth and nice belongings, but Robert makes a point in saying success can also be a failure. In the simple thought that maybe not being successful in everything is also a good thing. â€Å"Let cottage comfort be my lot with well-worn britches† (William) success is not measured in wealth, this poem made me see that success is being comfortable with who you are and what you have, whether it be success in small goals or large goals. Success should come with happiness not fame and riches. â€Å"I think of all I’ll never own,-I’m laughing† in other words be happy with what you have, some people never get to have half of what you have and they are happy with that. Lastly there is a poem by Emily Dickinson called Success is Counted Sweetest. This poem uses a few different metaphors explaining that those who succeed never truly appreciate it. On the other hand, the one who fails or lacks something is the one who truly appreciate success. These are the type of people who truly appreciate success and how wonderful it would be if they had succeeded. The dilemma in this poem is that those who strive longer to reach a point of success are the ones who appreciate their victory more â€Å"who took the flag today can tell the definition so clear of victory† (Emily). Those who almost succeed but do not can look at their near success as sweet. Think of it due to being so close to success but yet never fully got to the finish line, it’s a sweet feeling to know you were close. Like saying to enjoy nectar and to truly understand all the wonderful aspects of nectar and be satisfied by it not just to scarf it down â€Å"To comprehend a nectar requires sorest need. † (Emily) So have you thought about what success means to you? Success comes in all sorts of different types of forms. There are big success like becoming the CEO of a large company and there small victories like winning first place in a spelling competition, which we also call being successful. Although these poems describe success from different aspects, they all show the emotion behind the moments of success and victory. Success is never a negative thing, but it can become negative if you lose focus on who you are and why you wanted this success to begin with. Be successful for no one else but yourself, after all that is how we accomplish success, on our own. Success in the Twenty-First Century by Sharon Esther Lampert Be Born.

Animal Assisted Therapy Essay

Animal-assisted therapy sprouted from the idea and initial belief in the supernatural powers of animals and animal spirits. First appearing in the groupings of early hunter gatherer societies. In modern times Animals are seen as â€Å"agents of socialization† and as providers of â€Å"social support and relaxation.† [5] Though animal assisted therapy is believed to have began in these early human periods it is undocumented and based on speculation. The earliest reported use of AAT for the mentally ill took place in the late 18th century at the York Retreat in England, led by William Tuke.[6] Patients at this facility were allowed to wander the grounds which contained a population of small domestic animals. These were believed to be effective tools for socialization. In 1860, the Bethlem Hospital in England followed the same trend and added animals to the ward, greatly influencing the morale of the patients living there.[6] Sigmund Freud kept many dogs and often had his chow Jofi present during his pioneering sessions of psychoanalysis. He noticed that the presence of the dog was helpful because the patient would find that their speech would not shock or disturb the dog and this reassured them and so encouraged them to relax and confide. This was most effective when the patient was a child or adolescent.[7] The theory behind AAT is what is known as Attachment theory. Therapy involving animals was first used in therapy by Dr. Levinson who accidentally discovered the use of pet therapy with children when he left his dog alone with a difficult child, and upon returning, found the child talking to the dog.[8] However, in other pieces of literature it states that it was founded as early as 1792 at the Quaker Society of Friends York Retreat in England.[9] Velde, Cipriani & Fisher also state â€Å"Florence Nightingale appreciated the benefits of pets in the treatment of individuals with illness. The US military promoted the use of dogs as a therapeutic intervention with psychiatric patients in 1919 at St Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, DC. Increased recognition of the value of human–pet bonding was noted by Dr. Boris Levinson in 1961†.[9] Wikipedia – Animal-assisted therapy

Stone Cold Steve Austin Essays - WWE Hall Of Fame, Free Essays

Stone Cold Steve Austin Essays - WWE Hall Of Fame, Free Essays Stone Cold Steve Austin Stone Cold Stone Cold is a 4 time wwf champion, 2 time intercontinental champion, and 3 time tag team champion. He is also a 1996 king of the ring and 1998 royal rumble winner. Stone Cold is a great athlete and he has changed all wrestling fans all over. Ever since he entered the ring in Milwaukee, for the 1996 King of the Ring, he never could have imagined how he changed the wwf. After beating Jake ''The Snake'' Roberts to become the king of the ring, Austin accepted his crown, and after that he informed Jake that ''Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your a$$!'' With this simple phrase Stone Cold became the most popular superstar ever in wwf history. Some of stone cold companions said that he is a suicidal machine with lack of respect, rules, and authority. You can't deny that stone cold won't stop kicking but. Every time he steps through the ropes he will right lots more chapters to his story.

567 Essay

Xacc/567 Essay Xacc/567 Essay Frank Zamboni, the man who invented the hypnotic Zamboni ice resurfacing machine, was honored Wednesday with a playable Google Doodle. It would have been his 112th birthday. Zamboni invented his ice-resurfacing machine back in the 1940s, after opening up an indoor ice skating rink with his brother in Southern California. Frustrated that it took five men an hour and a half to lay down a new sheet of ice at the end of the day, Zamboni envisioned a machine that could do it for them. It took him eight years to build it, but by 1947 he had an awkward contraption that sat on two old Dodge front ends, and was powered by a jeep engine. It took just 15 minutes for the machine to resurface the ice, wash the surface and lay down a coat of fresh hot water that was spread by a towel. PHOTOS: Google Doodle highlights The 1988 L.A. Times obituary of Zamboni said his strange ice resurfacer may never have moved beyond his ice rink if it hadn't been for the skating star Sonja Henie. After visiting Zamboni's rink, she wondered if he could make more ice resurfacing machines. Then the Chicago Stadium wanted one for the Black Hawks hockey team, and Zamboni's invention started to take off. Google's game that honors the inventor is simple, but addictive. Little bundled up cartoon characters come gliding out of a hole at the top of the screen, scuffing up the ice on the rink with their skates. When they are finished ruining the ice, it is your job to direct the Zamboni over

The Long History of Perfume

The Long History of Perfume Perfume is thousands of years old, with evidence of the first perfumes dating back to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Cyprus. The English word perfume comes from the Latin per fume, meaning through smoke. History of Perfume Around the World The Ancient Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture, followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans.   The oldest perfumes ever found were discovered by archeologists in Cyprus. They were more than four thousand years old. A cuneiform tablet from Mesopotamia, dating back more than three thousand years, identifies a woman named Tapputi as the first recorded perfume maker. But perfumes could also be found in India at the time. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BCE. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass. Persian and Arab chemists helped codify the production of perfume and its use spread throughout the world of classical antiquity. The rise of Christianity, however, saw a decline in the use of perfume for much of the Dark Ages. It was the Muslim world that kept the traditions of perfume alive during this time- and helped trigger its revival with the onset of international trade. The 16th century saw the popularity of perfume explode in France, especially among the upper classes and nobles. With help from â€Å"the perfume court,† the court of Louis XV, everything got perfumed: Furniture, gloves, and other clothing.   The 18th-century invention of eau de cologne helped the perfume industry continue to grow.   Uses of Perfume One of the oldest uses of perfume comes from the burning of incense and aromatic herbs for religious services, often the aromatic gums, frankincense and myrrh gathered from trees.  It did not take long, though, for people to discover perfume’s romantic potential and it was used both for seduction and as preparation for love-making. With the arrival of eau de cologne, 18th-century France began using perfume for a broad range of purposes. They used it in their bath water, in poultices and enemas, and consumed it in wine or drizzled on a sugar lump. Although niche perfume makers remain to cater to the very rich, perfumes today enjoy widespread use- and not just among women. The selling of perfume, however, is no longer just the purview of perfume makers. In the 20th century, clothing designers began marketing their own lines of scents, and almost any celebrity with a lifestyle brand can be found hawking a perfume with their name (if not smell) on it.

Canadian history pre-confederation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Canadian history pre-confederation - Essay Example The treaties sought to create peace between the British and the Aboriginal people in the country thus making the country easy to exploit for the British colonial masters and conducive for the habitation of the aboriginals as the discussion below portrays. Between 1700 and 1867, Canada survived on a series of treaties that earned segmented peace to the country and its inhabitants thus enhancing the existence of the various people who occupied the land1. Key among the treaties in pre confederation Canada was the Niagara treaty signed in 1764, the Selkirk treaty in 1817 and bind head treaties of 1836 among many others. A treaty refers to an agreement between two parties involved in a conflict. The agreement provides effective structures for the resolution of a conflict by safeguarding the interests of all the conflicting parties. This explains the numerous treaties signed in pre confederation Canada. The country had numerous inhabitants al of who felt entitled to the land and its resources. This often led to wars and conflicts such as the 1812 war. Such sectarian wars were obvious portrayal of the conflicts in the country as the various inhabitants fought for the resources. The creation of the numerous treaties within such short periods was a portrayal of the weaknesses of the treaties. Treaties are always contemporary and seek to provide short-term resolutions to the prevailing conflicts. As such, the treaties provided short-term ways of sharing the resources among two or more conflicting societies but the parties often rescinded the treaties in case their interests faltered. Signed in 1817, Selkirk treaty was one of the treaties that lasted the shortest in pre confederation Canada. Thomas Selkirk, a British aristocrat wanted to create a colony by purchasing a vast land previously owned by the Hudson Bay Company. The land extended into areas occupied by the Cree and Chippewa nations.