The Problems With the U.S. Education System Essay

The Problems With the U.S. Education System - Essay Example Private schools have a much higher level of success than public schools. Costing between $10,000 and $30,000 per year, their enrollment is limited by economic class, and though not immune from problems, they are generally more isolated from the catalysts found in our public school system. For the most part, the students are of similar class and background which limits the stratification caused by group conflict. However, public school systems are subject to geographical, economical, and political influences which can cause great disparity in the quality of public education. With the more diverse location and population of our public schools, educators are forced to confront and negotiate the conflict among groups. The system needs to accommodate parents, school boards, teachers, and students. In the hierarchy of the power structure the students, the least empowered, tend to form in various groups with common bonds or a common cause. Economic class will group with members of a like class. Racial and ethnic groups will form in a common force against the authority. Genders will bond to advance the goal of equal rights. As the groups gain self-identity, they begin to stratify into recognizable entities, each with an identifiable level of authority or power. As each group competes for more power, it can cause violence in severe cases or may take on subtler ramifications.