Currently Ethical Issue in Business Research Paper

Currently Ethical Issue in Business - Research Paper Example This has mainly emanated from the absence of transparency, consistency; accountability, coupled with institutional weaknesses within judicial and legislative systems have been a primary cause of corruption within companies. The paper explores ethical challenges associated with corruption and bribery in business. Business ethics has overtime attracted significant interest partly owing to the perception of crude capital tendencies, which elevate the making of profits relative to ethical making of such profits. The realization of corporate goals and objectives necessitates that business managers design relevant policies and strategies, which enable them to attain the set objectives and cope with the overriding business environment. Nevertheless, some of the corporate policies may offend ethical sensibilities (Trevino & Nelson, 2011). Background Corruption is a complex phenomenon covering a wide range of and its origin lies deep within political and bureaucratic institutions. Although, t he costs of corruption may differ and systemic corruption may be accompanied by sound economic performance, studies on corruption demonstrates that corruption is bad for development. Bribery represents one of the core tools of corruption and can be employed by businesses as a mode of â€Å"buying† things availed by governments or other entities such as contracts, government incentives, lower taxes, legal outcomes, and licenses (Myint, 2000). Ordinary business practices when abused can be construed as corrupt payments. Bribery and corruption in companies limits competition, corrupts the society, and damages innovation. In most cases, â€Å"corrupt† and â€Å"illicit† can be employed interchangeably, which implies that corrupt behavior contravenes a principle of legality; nevertheless, not all illegal behavior is corrupt and not all corrupt behavior can be deemed as illegal (Kochan & Goodyear, 2011). Transparency International differentiates forms of corruption by motive, whereby corruption behaviors injurious to the firm can be labeled as dysfunctional corruption while that beneficial to the firm can be labeled as functional corruption (Myint, 2000). Such a distinction is relevant when discussing international business and corruption given that some acts such as bribes and kickbacks may enable the firm to operate profitably, especially in the short-term (Loughman & Sibery, 2012). Discussion The World Bank estimates that close to 0.5% of GDP is lost via corruption each year. Bribery is mode common form of corruption, which creates a leeway where organized crime can flourish, corroding of trust in institutions, and undermining the rule of and democratic practices. Corruption can be highlighted as endemic within emerging economies causing chaos in economic development. In recent years, there has been a surge in high-profile cases of corporate corruption and bribery, which have given rise to colossal fines for companies engaged in corruption su rpassing $ 1 billion and increasing diplomatic tensions between countries. In response to increasing incidences on corruption, the U.S. Justice Department has increased prosecutions of alleged acts of foreign bribery by U.S. corporations. For instance, in 2009, over 120 companies were under investigation representing a stark contrast from what was happening in the previous years. Recent trends toward vibrant enforcement of

Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay â€Å"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. † –Nelson Mandela The importance of learning is to enable the individual to put his potentials to optimal use. Education makes man a right thinker and a correct decision-maker. It achieves this by bringing him knowledge from the external world, teaching him to reason and acquainting him with past history, so that he can be a better judge of the present. With education, he finds himself in a room with all its windows open to the outside world. A well educated man is a more dependable worker, a better citizen, a centre of wholesome influence, pride to his community and honour to his country. A nation is great only in proportion of its advancement in education. Education is Self Empowerment. Receiving a good education makes a person strong enough to look after himself in any given situation. It keeps him aware of the given surrounding as well as the rules and regulations of the society. Its only through knowledge that one can question authority for its negligence or discrepancies and only then that can a person avail his rights as a citizen and seek improvement in the structural functioning of governance and economy. As a whole, people can bring about development only when they know where improvement is necessary for the greater good of mankind. Education gives a better understanding to the person, it helps realize potential and qualities one possesses as a human being. It helps tap into latent talent, so that people can sharpen their skills. Education teaches what man lives and struggles for. It cultivates an integrated life. By so doing, it gives significance of life. It helps restores financial stability and dignity of life. It is the essential basis of a good life. Education enlightens and lifts a nation to heights of progress. The problem in India is that it has adopted democracy without preparing the ground for it by educating population. But its never too late to undertake mass programmes of Adult education or Social education. Adult education is the education of grown up men and women. In the complex modern times, people must be knowledgeable and be aware of what they are doing and what is being done to them. To create such sentience every responsible citizen should take up this social cause and educate the knowledge deprived people. Teaching a daily worker for just an hour daily can change their lives in propitious ways as it was rightly quoted by Neil Armstrong, ‘One small step is a giant leap for mankind’. In recent history our country has taken up good measures to ensure a high educated population by taking up several social causes and concentrating on the rural areas, since they comprise a majority but the system has been laid back due the restraints imposed by old cultural ethics. For the past few centuries in India, the girl has been completely neglected even as a human being, her sole purpose of life has been to feed the family and bear a child. Good education has been denied to women. It is argued that women have their domestic duties to perform and that, if they were educated, they would bury themselves in their books and have little time for attending to the management of their households. But what people fail to understand is education involves knowledge of the means by which health may be preserved and enable a mother to consult such modern books as will tell her how to rear up her children into healthy men and women and skilfully nurse them and her husband, when disease attacks her household. The purpose of education is not just earning a livelihood but education makes an individual into a good human being, which is passed on to the next the kith and kin. It is true that, the education of girls has lately taken a slight leap but this is only in a very small segment of Indian society. Unless the motion is fast and continuous, and includes more of poor urban and rural girls in the field of education, there can be no hope of having a developed and first world country status for India. â€Å"When a man is educated, only he is educated but, when a woman is educated, a family is educated. † – Indira Gandhi â€Å"Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another. † – Nelson Mandela.

Empirical Evidence Make Progress In Knowledge Philosophy Essay

Empirical Evidence Make Progress In Knowledge Philosophy Essay The dictionary definition of empirical evidence is evidence relating to or based on experiment and observation (rather than theory) or on practical experience (without reference to scientific principles). This type of evidence is necessary for a theory, in different areas of knowledge, to be confirmed. Empirical methods are generally used to base a theory or derive a conclusion in sciences (such as the natural sciences or the human sciences) after collecting all the necessary data. The meaning of the word empirical derives from the ancient Greek word for experience (ÃŽÂ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¼Ãƒ Ã¢â€š ¬ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ µÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ Ã‚ ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ¯ÃƒÅ½Ã‚ ±), which means knowledge based on direct perception of things or events through our senses. Therefore, empirical data is information that is derived from the trials and errors of experience. In this way, the empirical method is similar to the experimental method. The empirical method is generally characterized by the collection of a large amount of data, with or without much idea of what to expect. The empirical method is necessary in entering completely unexplored fields, and becomes less empirical as the acquired knowledge of the field increases. Throughout centuries researchers use empirical research and evidence to test reality i.e. to test the state of things as they actually exist, basing their findings on direct or indirect observation. This kind of research is mainly applied to empirical sciences, mainly the natural sciences and the human (social) sciences. In these areas knowledge should be based on observable phenomena capable of being experimented for their validity by other researchers working under the same conditions. In natural sciences empirical evidence is crucial and scientists can count on this to continue experimenting and make progress discovering new sights. The core skill of a scientist is to make observations, i.e. receive knowledge of the outside world through the senses. The scientist sees, hears, or in some other way notices whats going on in the world and becomes curious about whats happening. This also includes reading and studying what others have done in the past since scientific knowledge is cumulative. In physics, for example, when Newton came up with his Theory of Motion, he based his hypothesis on the work of Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo as well as his own, newer observations. Another example is Darwin who formed his Theory of Evolution based on the works of other naturalists but mainly on observations during his voyage to chart the coastline of South America, a voyage that lasted almost 5 years, during which Darwin spent most of the time on land investigating geology and making natural history collections  [2]  . In chemistry, the most important issues of atomic theory have been proved experimentally and nobody doubts about the existence of i.e. atoms. Nowadays, everybody knows and nobody can deny that all elements are made of atoms and all atoms have a nucleus. Moreover, science and technology helped to discover and study the tiny world of atoms. For example, nucleus, the massive centre of the atom was discovered in 1911, but it took scientists another 21 years of experimenting to identify its parts (protons, neutrons, electrons). In addition, for many years scientists thought that there was nothing smaller than the proton or the neutron in the nucleus of the atom. In 1968, they discovered that there are new particles inside the proton and the neutron (the quarks) that are even smaller. As we can see, chemical theory is confirmed by detailed agreement with experimental results, although, it takes scientists many years of experimenting and observation. Biology is the science that studies life mainly from an experimental perspective. Observations and experiments are used vastly to help scientists gather information and make conclusions on several aspects. For example, in biology, disease resides in cells (and, perhaps ultimately, in genes), but we know this because cellular dysfunction can be demonstrated experimentally. In addition, disease can best be controlled by attending to cellular function and dysfunction and by intervening to manipulate the cell using techniques that have empirically demonstrated effectiveness. In human sciences the situation is different. Sciences such as Psychology have just recently managed to convince people that they are credible. This has been mainly achieved because through observations and experimenting it has produced quantifiable, repeatable results based on empirical evidence. In other sciences such as Economics, Economists have conducted controlled experiments constructed to observe participants reactions to specific situations. However, in many cases behaviour is governed more by emotion than by reason. In all human sciences, the experiments are performed on human beings, using relatively small sample sizes and artificial environments which make the results difficult to generalise. Nevertheless, no one can deny the usefulness of observations on human behaviour during differentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In other areas of knowledge, such as Mathematics, the methods used to verify knowledge are independent of experience. Of course they involve an objective, careful and systematic study of an area of knowledge, but facts depend on reasoning alone as in the equation 1+1=2 for example. Mathematics is considered to be the science of rigorous truth and an island of certainty in an ocean of doubt. In such areas of knowledge, empirical evidence cannot be used to make progress. However, one of its main branches, geometry, actually started as a natural, empirical science. Hilbert made important contributions to both axiomatic geometry and to general relativity. Of course, a geometrical theory in physical interpretation can never be validated with mathematical certainty, no matter how extensive the experimental tests to which it is subjected. Like any other theory of empirical science, it can acquire only a more or less high degree of confirmation. Indeed, the demand for mathematical certainty in empirical matters is misguided and unreasonable, since mathematical certainty of knowledge can be only attained at the price of analyticity and thus of complete lack of factual content  [3]  . This is also summarised in Einsteins words: As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. The same stands for areas such as history, art, and religion. Religion, for example, is purely a matter of faith. People who choose to believe in God do not have evidence to support it and people who choose not to believe in God do not have evidence that there is no God. There is also no more evidence for any one God than for any other. It is just as sensible to worship the Gods of the ancient Greeks or Egyptians as it is to worship modern deities. Everybody must decide for himself or herself which religion (if any) to follow. And, when people decide to follow one religion, they believe that God exists even if their belief cannot empirically verified or falsified. Their belief is mainly based either on intuition or on some more or less intense personal religious experience. Some others have faith and their belief is based on the feeling that there must be something. As we see, whether or not God exists is something that cannot be proved (scientifically) by experimentation or observ ation, therefore, the existence of God is something that different people have different intuition about. As regards arts, From the above, I believe that empirical evidence used in the form of observation, experience, or experiment should be used in natural and human sciences, in order to provide accurate and unbiased information. This information will consist a reliable guide for future generations, which will be based on this information to make the necessary progress through further investigation. From the examples given, it is obvious that researchers should never stop examining, questioning and experimenting in order for new findings to come to light. Previous knowledge and experimental results form a solid base for new discoveries that make progress and evolve sciences. Above all, however, every scientist should question and analyse any findings in the most objective way and not allow prejudice influence his thoughts and his results. No hypothesis or theory can be called scientific or accepted if it lacks empirical evidence in favour. Therefore, empirical evidence can be use both to accept or counter any scientific hypothesis or theory. http://www.experiment-resources.com/empirical-evidence.html Read more: http://www.experiment-resources.com/empirical-evidence.html#ixzz0gIvSLOZN There is no evidence to support the doctrines of a particular religion. After all, certainty cannot be found in any area of knowledge. Even if we prove something by experiment or observation, it may turn out to be false after some years or more. The complete work of Charles Darwin on line (http://darwin-online.org.uk/) http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?viewtype=sideitemID=F10.3pageseq=1

How to join a site :: essays research papers

Amazon.com: Music: Shut Up - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Shut Up, Kelly Osbourne. ... 7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:. 5 out of 5 stars Shut Up -- Kelly Osbourne, December 4, 2002 ... www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ tg/detail/-/B000071AZB?v=glance - 66k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares Amazon.com: Books: Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood ... - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Amazon.com: Books: Shut Up and Sing: How Elites from Hollywood, Politics, and the UN are Subverting America by Laura Ingraham. www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ tg/detail/-/0895261014?v=glance - 93k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares [ Mà ¡s resultados de www.amazon.com ] Shut Up Lyrics - Black Eyed Peas - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Shut up Just shut up Shut up [3x] Shut it up, just shut up Shut up ... The CopyRight of Black Eyed Peas - Shut Up Lyrics belongs to the writer or performer ... www.lyrics007.com/ Black%20Eyed%20Peas%20Lyrics/Shut%20Up%20Lyrics.html - 19k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares The Stranger - Home - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]JUST SHUT UP. Nobody gives a shit what anti-war or pro-war writers think. Really. So shut up. That goes double for poets. Shut the hell up, poets. ... www.thestranger.com/2003-02-20/feature.html - 22k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares Bill O'Reilly Wants You To Shut Up - Also, Al Franken, Tom Daschle ... - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Fox News channel talk show host Bill O'Reilly says "shut up" the way other people say "um." slate.msn.com/id/2087706/ - 36k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares SHUT UP AND SHOP - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]Australian graffiti artist with qtvrs, interactive shockwaves, and quicktime movies, all with the theme of world hunger. www.shutupandshop.wild.net.au/ - 1k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares shut up you fat whiner! - [ Traduzca esta pà ¡gina ]shut up you fat whiner! still fat, fuzzy and as bent as a dog's tail. (that's a3uaj mithil thail al-chalib if you're Iraqi) ... justzipit.blogspot.com/ - 67k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares SHUT UP letra (Black Eyed Peas)Black Eyed Peas Letras de mà ºsicas - Letras.mus.br. black-eyed-peas.letras.terra.com.br/letras/77508/ - 26k - En cachà © - Pà ¡ginas similares This is Shut UP! From UK Software. Automatic computer shut down or .

Knights :: essays research papers

Knights   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fourth century A.D. the Roman Empire fell and Europe was invaded by various barbarian tribes. One of the dominant groups was the Franks of central and western Europe, who gradually expanded their power until their leader Charlemagne became emperor of the West. Powerful local lords and their mounted warriors offered protection to peasants, who became their serfs in return. By the 11the century a new social order was formed my armored knights, who served a local lord, count, or duke, and were in turn served by serfs. When males were about seven, a boy of noble birth who was going to become a knight was usually sent away to a nobleman’s household, often that of his uncle or great lord, to be a page. Here he learned how to behave and how to ride. About 14, he was apprenticed to a knight whom he served as a squire. He was taught how to handle weapons and how to look after his master’s armor and horses. He even went into battle with his knight, help ing him put on his armor and assisting him if he was hurt or unhorsed. He learned how to shoot a bow and to carve meat for food. Successful squired were knighted when they were about 21 years old. Young men who wanted to be knights had to keep fit. So squires trained constantly to exercise their muscles, and improve their skills. They practiced with each other and also sometimes with their knightly masters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The main body armor worn my early knights was made of mail, consisting of many small, liked iron rings. During the 12th century, knights started to wear more mail. Their sleeves got longer, and mail leggings became popular. A padded garment called an aketon was also worn below the mail to absorb blows. In the 14th century knights added steel plated to protect their limbs, and the body was often protected further with a coat-of-plates, made of pieces of iron riveted to a cloth covering. A suit weighed about 44-55 lbs. And the weight was spread over the body so that a fit man could run, lie down, or mount his horse unaided in his armor. The only problem was that the armor quickly made you hot. By the 15th century, knights were protecting themselves with full suits of plate armor. The armor’s smooth surface deflected the edges and points of weapons.

Hungergames

Katniss Everdeen volunteering in Prim’s place as tribute and deciding to fight against the injustice of the Games Katniss enters slowly, stunned, and then as the realisation of the words set in, she races towards the front of the stage to face the panel. And the girl tribute for District 12 is †¦ Primrose Everdeen! Not Prim! Not my little duck! There must be some mistake! This can’t be happening! Stop! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute in her place! I am Katniss and I wish to be Tribute for District 12. Don’t take Primrose!Katniss takes a minute to compose herself before continuing. I promise I will do whatever I can to bring victory to this District and that I will be a true and brave Tribute if you allow me to stand in for Primrose. Moving towards the fence line where her friend Gale is standing. Gale– come and get her and take her away from here. Please – watch over my Mother and my sister – make sure they are safe and fed. I have t o go! Turning on her heel, Katniss moves back to centre stage where she sees the crowd standing silently, with their three middle fingers on their left hand held to their lips.Is this really true? I see you and I understand the message you are sending me with your fingers touching your lips and then held out to me. This is our District sign – this is the sign that mearns thanks and admiration. I will try my hardest to be true to our District and to undermine this cruel and humiliating festival that is the Hunger Games. Katniss’ movements start to waver as the seriousness of what she has done starts to really sink in. She is moved to a room in the court house behind the stage.This room is where I finally await my fate and the reality of it is hitting me hard. The injustice of this reaping makes me physically ill. I want to throw up so bad! This room once seemed so big but now its walls are crushing me and closing in on me. I fear for my safety but I know I have made the right decision to stand in for Primrose. I feel so sad. Sad for my sister – tiny, sweet, delicate Prim – my â€Å"little duck†. I could never let her have to confront the degradation or torment of weeks of competition – she would not last a second.The other tributes would see her as a frightened deer – easy prey – and crush her like a bug. Pacing up and down and stopping every now and again to face the audience and look at them with conviction. Me on the other hand? At least I can hunt and I am pretty good with a bow. I am a sthronger person much more capable of looking after myself and using my wits to protect me than Prim will ever be. She is a baby! It astounds me how the Capitol can continue to hold these barbaric games.They have already taken our livelihoods and our freedom – what good could possibly come of the senseless slaughter of innocent children apart from the punishment for an uprising that happened so long ago, it is no t in my memory. Why must the children be put to death? Moves to centre stage and sits The anguish I am feeling is rising up in my chest, threatening to flood over me and cause more misery and hopelessness than I am already experiencing. But I am sthronger than that! Stands again and moves stage leftI will overcome this sense of utter desolation and take on the challenge of sticking to the Capitol in any way I can. Being led into this room reminds me of what prison must be like for those who betray the Capitol and it hardens my resolve. I am determined more than ever to fight for my freedom and the freedom of all children of Panem. We are not lambs bred to be slaughtered to teach the rest of Panem a lesson about subservience and submission. We are human beings! But am I really that brave? I am sthronger in spirit than many my age and that has got me in to all sorts of trouble so far.Maybe it will be to my advantage now. Katniss pauses and sits down pondering†¦ Maybe this was mea nt to happen. Maybe it is my task to do what I can to rebel against the insane faulty logic that governs the hearts and minds of the Capitol. I was once so close to accepting Gale’s offer to run off into the woods, to hide away from the rest of the world and live in relative safety out of the prying eyes of the all controlling, all pervasive Capitol. Now I know why that was not my fate. Katniss moves side stage and holds her It could be done!If I play cool and keep my head, I could turn this situation to my advantage. I could try to send a message to all in the Districts that Katniss Everdeen mearns business. She is not going to take this lying down. She is not going to give in to the brutality of the power-hungry Capitol, she is not a pawn to be played with like a rag doll. I must have some skills that I can use to survive this ordeal. The predators may have me in a corner and God knows, I am terrified, but a cornered animal is also a dangerous one. One wrong move, and it wi ll destroy – it has the most to lose.Katniss becomes immobilised by an overwhelming sense of inadequacy What am I talking about? I can’t possibly win. This competition is way beyond my abilities. I am reminded of Gale’s final words to me: â€Å"Katniss – it is just hunting! You’re the best hunter I know. You know how to kill – swiftly and painlessly. † But I don’t want to kill children! It’s just too awful! Katniss runs to centre stage, resolute in her conviction again. But sometimes you have to do what you have to do to begin the long journey towards justice. I will do what I must to begin this war against the Hunger Games. Starting right now.

Public School System Essay

Abstract The public school system in America is a topic that is surrounded by great debate. There are many questions that surround this topic. The research question for this paper was, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future? And, what solutions are available if the system is failing? The methodology the researcher used in this paper was literature review, and he also conducted an interview with someone working in the field. In this paper the researcher explains how the public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. The paper also explains how the teaching styles are out dated. The researcher also explains the solutions that are already in place and the possible solutions for the future. Introduction For several decades, the public school system has been a topic of great debate. There are many questions surrounding this topic, such as: Is the public schools system failing to prepare our children? Who should make the curriculum? Who should make the policies? And what role and say do the parents have in their children’s education? These are just a few examples of the questions that may come up with the topic of public education. This topic is important to me because of the diverse educational background I come from. I started out my educational experience in regular classes and then was moved to advanced classes and finally, after failing, I ended up at an alternative school. That is why I ask the question, is the public school system failing to prepare our children for the future, what are the problems, and if it is what is being done to fix it? Due to my educational background I do believe that the public school system is failing to prepare our children. I also believe there are many contributing factors, such as, the school staff, the government, the teachers union, and even the parents. I also believe that there are many ways to fix the system, like new union and staff rules, changing the curriculum, and involving more educators than politicians when forming policies. This topic is important for all children in the U.S. public school system, because if the system is successfully improved, their learning experience will be greatly enhanced. It will also benefit the teachers, because they will have the opportunity to truly serve the community rather than just going to work. This has become a very complex topic but after reading the research ahead you will see that the answer is relatively simple. Review of Literature There is an idea that our public schools are failing to prepare our children for the future. This future could be four year college, technical school or directly into the work place. It is the job of our public schools to prepare each student for all of these futures. However, it seems that the idea that their failing has become the reality and it is a concerning thought that America is producing children less prepared for the world than are other countries. The National Center for Education conducted a study in 1995 involving students from forty one countries. They tested skills in math and science for students in fourth, eighth, and twelfth grades. What they found at the fourth grade level was that the students were above the international average in mathematics and science. At the eighth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average in mathematics, but above the average in science. At the twelfth grade level they found that the students scored below the international average among the lowest of the participating nations. (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) This seems to be the trend with our students in America. They tend to level off instead of advancing like students in other nations. Part of this problem is due to the teaching that the students receive. This is described in the 1995 study by the National Center for Education; â€Å"eighth grade U.S. mathematics teachers’ typical goal is to teach students how to do something, while Japanese teachers’ goal is to help students learn how to do something and also understand mathematical concepts so that they can solve future problems.† (Calsyn, Gonzales, & Frase, 1999) Some teaching was said to be boring and out dated. The students sometimes seem like drones listening to the person in the front of the room rather than grasping the whole idea. Mike O’Conner described in his interview. (O’Conner, 2012) The documentary Waiting for Superman also talked about the case of the bad teacher. Which, if your school has one, it was said that you would be stuck with it? This is mainly because of the union benefit called tenure that protects teachers from being dismissed for the wrong reasons, but also makes it very difficult and sometimes impossible to dismiss the bad teachers. (Guggenheim, 2010) Teachers are not the only problem and should not be the only source of blame. There are higher positions to the school system than just teachers such as principals, administrators, and city officials that all play a role in the failing system. The article Dependant teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children describes the differences between having good administrators and bad. The article goes on to say that if a school has a good administrator they will attract good teachers. Then it talks about bad administrators and their need for power and control. This in turn will attract teachers who have dependency needs and do not tolerate independence. (Muschel, Fall 1979) In other words, if you have bad leaders you get bad followers. This article also describes how through the use of rules, regulations, paperwork, and language an administrator can control the staff. They do this to give themselves job satisfaction, but it ultimately stops the teachers from effectively engaging in the classroom. (Muschel, Fall 1979) The government officials also play a role in the way our schools’ lesson plans are laid out. The article Needed: Educational Philosophy as a guide for Decision Making in the Public Schools touches on this. (Klein, Spring 1977) The article talks about how the endeavors of our politicians change our schools curriculum. It also states that the direction our country is going in comparison with other nations changes our curriculum. One example of this is during our endeavors to beat Russia into space our children were required to learn complex and abstract science and math disciplines. (Klein, Spring 1977) Another example of the politics behind education is the No Child Left Behind act of 2002. This act by congress states that each state set up a standard that each student has to test at. It also gives the parents the right to pull a child out of a failing school and put them in a better one. In addition it holds the state accountable for its education. The article Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials, talks about this act. It says that the schools are more accountable for a student’s yearly success. It also states that the schools need to use researched based methods of teaching. It also talks about how the act is somewhat of a control of parental rights; in the manner that it is up for the individual to seek education. Overall, it mainly talks about how the act should help improve students who are in economically disadvantaged areas, but does not touch on the failing children in the more economically fluent areas. (Russo, 2005) Mike O’Conner also talked about the No Child Left Behind act in his interview. He mainly said that it is a good idea, but it is about twenty years too late. He said this because of the times we are in. He also described how this is the technology and information age, it is time we start teaching in that capacity, rather than make provisions that still support our old system. (O’Conner, 2012) One other problem which was touched on by the film Changing Education Paradigms. This problem was the fact that children are medicated for ADHA too much and too quickly. It was described that children now are being bombarded by information from every technological device around them. This, in turn, distracts them from the information on the blackboard, which appears boring. To deal with this the students are medicated to calm them down and making them pay attention. It also showed that the prescriptions are given more frequently as you head east across the states. (Robinson, 2010) That is just some of the problems with public education today. There are many more like attendance issues, and the children’s home environment. These are just some of the main points surrounding our public schools problems. Now it is time to address some of the solutions to these problems. As the problem of the failing public education system grew so did the demand for a solution. Educators and others came up with one solution which has mixed reviews. This was the invention of the alternative, or charter schools. These schools are set up for the student to ultimately succeed in today’s curriculum, with more ease and confidence. The article An Oasis of Hope: the Power of Thinking Developmentally (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) talks about how the public schools have placed some children in low quality, control based programs which give them limited outcomes. It goes on to say that these children need to be put in alternative programs that follow positive guidelines. These guidelines should follow these principles: All children must have opportunities for success based on efforts which are celebrated by significant adults. All children need to be seen for their strengths. All children must have opportunities to develop qualities which follow a healthy developmental progression. All children have the right to live and learn in contexts relevant to their real lives and dreams. (p. 106) The article also describes how to use these principals in the framework for alternative schools for special needs children. (McCarty & Quirk, 2003) The idea of alternative and charter schools is in our own backyard of Milwaukee. â€Å"Wisconsin ranks among the leaders in education,† according to the article Alternative Education Programs in Milwaukee. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article states that, â€Å"in 1990 the state of Wisconsin legislated mandatory alternative education programs for children at risk of not graduating from high school.† Howard states that the legislation set parameters that qualify the children as at risk such as; one or more years behind their age group in the number of high school credits attained, habitual truants, adjudicated delinquents, and parents. (Howard, Summer 2003) The article also says that by August fifteenth of each year the schools must have a plan in place for each student who is at risk. It goes on to describe the classes as a fifteen to one student to teacher ratio, which allows personalized time with each student. (Howard, Summer 2003) Howard also talks about three different alternative schools which are Silverspring Neighborhood Academy, Shalom High School, and Cornerstone Achievement Center. Each school has a different approach to the alternative setting, but they all share equal success with their students, according to the article. (Howard, Summer 2003) The video documentary Waiting for Superman is a great example of the successes of charter schools. This documentary talks about several schools across the country. Most of these schools are in the larger cities, but some are in the suburbs. It talks about the great success stories that each school has where the public sector is failing. It also stated that the students graduating from the schools shown were adequately prepared for college. The film also showed the demand for the schools in the failing districts, because the students had to be placed in a lottery just to get in. According to the film, almost all the students who attended the charter schools were successful and most went on to college. Another way the school system can improve is by completely restructuring the way the children are taught. According to Mike O’Conner, in his interview, the schools were designed to educate children fifty years ago. He states that the schools need to â€Å"personalize learning† and base the education on â€Å"competency rather than credits.† One example of this would be not having â€Å"archaic technology bans such as cell phones and I Pads.† Also, with the competency rather than credit program, a child could start school and finish at their own pase, rather than six years of elementary, two years of middle school, and four years of high school. An example of that is two students start their freshman year; one student finishes school in three years, the other in five. Mike also says that part of the â€Å"solution is pacing, relevancy, and refocusing on creativity† which will help keep children involved and help them develop their passions. This is the focal points of what he is trying to do at his school. He also states that although these are great solutions, he does not see it at the state or national level yet. Additionally he thinks that if the school system does not act soon on these ideas, America’s dropout rate and failure rate will rise drastically. (O’Conner, 2012) Discussion As the research shows the public school system is failing to prepare our children. There are many contributing factors to this. The way I see it is there are too many people trying to be in charge. The schools are controlled by federal, state and local governments. First of all, none of these bodies are education experts. Second, each of these government bodies has their own interests in mind, not necessarily the well being of the children. Third, the three different bodies of government seldom see eye to eye with each other. This is why I think the state and local government need to step out completely in the areas of curriculum not in the areas of budgets. I think if this happened the school system will be on one united front, which would be a good start. They could make teaching a federal job then, and at that point they could abolish the teachers union, and the teachers could still get union like benefits. With this they could make the teaching jobs more performance based. This would also abolish the idea of bad teachers and administrators, because if they have bad performance they would no longer be working in that field. That is just part of the problem. The bigger problem at hand is our outdated curriculum and teaching style. I experienced this, my whole life in school, until my senior year of high school when I was placed in an alternative program. The idea of alternative and charter schools is great, because it gives children a chance, and it promotes competition with the public sector. I think the charter schools are on the right track, but if they do not keep continue with innovative ideas, they will be in the same situation as the public sector. I think the best way for all to benefit is to restructure the whole teaching curriculum and learning environment. I think we need to structure it as if our current time was 2025 and not 2012, because if we do that we will not be starting out dated from the get go. Conclusion Public education is an important role in our children’s lives. It is there to help them develop learning and life skills for the future, so that they may go on and play vital roles in society. It is unfortunate that the research shows that our current public school system is failing to prepare our children for the future. It also shows that there are many reasons for this such as, the government, the design of the curriculum and teaching styles, school staff, the parents, and, in some regard, the teachers union. There is hope however, the invention of the charter school is helping children graduate and preparing them for college. There are also some acts that the government has put in place to have some accountability for the children’s success. It is hopeful because there are others out there trying to reshape our whole education system to benefit today’s needs. Our current system is failing. We are behind in almost all subjects when compared to other nations. This is a scary thought when you think of a global economy. Our children are not as prepared as children in other countries to fulfill job needs on a global scale. This means that our children currently are less likely to have the skills to make the new inventions that will carry our nation into the future. This potential is that America, as a whole, will fall behind other nations in all aspects, and it could all be due to education. All of these are frightening thoughts and if we do not act quickly and make changes now it is only going to get harder. Education is one of the most important parts in building society. In our country we are provided the opportunity to have somewhat free public education. Our system seems to be failing; this failure provides a great opportunity. There are many ways to repair it and it is time that we stop crawling with the issue, and start making leaps and bounds. If we start working together we can rebuild the corner stone to a successful society, which is education. References Calsyn, C., Gonzales, P., & Frase, M. (1999). Highlights from TIMMS. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2010). Waiting for Superman [Motion Picture]. Howard, T. (Summer 2003). Alternative Education Programs Milwaukee. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 121-123. Klein, D. S. (Spring 1977). Needed: Educational Philosophy as a Guide for Decision-Makeing in the Public Schools. Education , 290-293. McCarty, B. C., & Quirk, C. A. (2003). An â€Å"Oasis OF Hope†: The Power of Thinking Developmentally. Reclaiming Children and Youth , 105-107. Muschel, I. (Fall 1979, Fall). Dependent Teachers, Ineffective Principals, Failing Children. Education , 06-12. O’Conner, M. (2012, February 2). A Principals Point of Veiw. (D. Miller, Interviewer) Robinson, K. (Director). (2010). Changing Education Paradigms [Motion Picture]. Russo, C. J. (2005). Conflicts over Directing the Education of Children: Who Controls, Parents or School Officials? The Journal of Education , 27-40.