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Randy Ko
Professor Maya Alapin
English 120
11 November 14
Education Strategy for the Future
Education should be preparing any individual to the challenges life may throw at them in
the future. What happens when an unfortunate event happens in someones life? What happens
when you do the taxes for the first time? What happens if you do not know how the hospital is
operated? What is insurance and how can you be sure you pick the right one? What is student
debt and why do people end up this situation? How do you deal with loans? These are among of
the many questions everyone will most likely encounter throughout their lifetime. Individuals
should be able to develop an understanding of their living space and how all the elements
intertwine around them that create the community they live in as a whole.
While receiving an education, everyone should be proficient in the ability how to learn
new things individually and intuitively be able to know that process. In other words, people
should be able to work independently. While the world is changing so heavily, it is not what you
know; it is on how you are able to develop your own knowledge and keep up with advancements
that keep coming into existence. Individuals should be able to innovate and understand the way
society works around them. Education for the next generation in America should be able to have
a good understanding and be well-rounded in many subjects such as history of their given
culture, how the economy works, government understanding and much more. While growing up
through elementary, middle, and high school, each and every student must be able to have a
broad view of all subjects that are available to them. In this way, it will be more likely that every

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person will develop a liking towards a certain subject and hopefully be able to pursue it as their
contribution to society to make a fun and worthwhile living. This is the outlet to receive those
great architects, dancers, accountants, game designers, doctors, lawyers, police officers, and
every other career on the planet that the world needs! No one should be chained in a cave and not
know the other opportunities that are beyond their sight. Everyone should be able to look about
with an open mind and see what is available to them.
High school is the point when much more mature subjects should be placed into the
curriculum. My high school was great, and I was heavily satisfied with all the tools at my
disposal already with all the advancements and great course offerings in the last decade. But the
education system can be better! During my time in high school, I wish there were a few more
classes that showed students about the real world and how to be successful in it. If there was a
class implemented for maybe a semester or two throughout the high school years termed realworld applications it would help many students flourish. What I mean by that is having an
allotted time discussing how to do taxes, what loans are, how the government affects you, traffic
laws, and many more interesting subjects can also be supplemented in and added as time goes
by. This should be in addition to what students are learning today with the very well-rounded
curriculum in history, economics, government, and etc. I feel that if this was taught and taken
into importance, the experience of being overwhelmed and having to learn so many things at
once with possibly no guidance would hinder immensely. This is what should be implemented in
education for the next generation. There would be much less confusion for future students to
struggle in these topics and they will be able to hit it head on without fear. This will in turn make
the population much more efficient in their work and help the country move forward as a whole.

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The public education system needs reform. We need to give teachers a larger incentive
for the work that they always put in everyday of their working lives. In my experience, I had a
teacher who taught me honors geometry, Calculus I and Calculus II. In addition, he was my
swim coach as an extracurricular activity. Furthermore, he was a host of two clubs. Imagining
how much outside work this one individual does voluntarily is unbelievable. Through this small
addition, students will have a greater motivation to learn. Good teachers translate to better
performing students nearly all the time. An influential teacher has the ability to shape the entire
future of a students life. I know for a fact that there are many students out there studying the
subject that they have chosen because of a certain teacher. It is because that teacher showed
compassion, enthusiasm, and knowledge for the subject. To ensure good teachers, a professional
and understanding education staff is needed. This is identified through the principal, vice
principals, secretaries, etc.
In reference to my argumentative writing I have wrote recently on the No Child Left
Behind Act, reform of this act is needed. Too many tests are handed off to students to figure out
whether they are proficient or not. In this way, students are overloaded with tests that show the
same meaning. I do believe that there should be one standard test to discover proficiency and
outcomes on top of the coursework given by a teacher. I do not, however, endorse more than
one. Currently, in the state of New Mexico, there is the SBA, End of Course exams for each year
in each subject, ACT (American College Testing) and/or SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), Final
Exams, and even all the school work in between. The cost of standardized testing is also
expensive. Just in 2012, according to Kuczynski-Brown, standardized testing costed the United
States $1.7 Billion a year. Not only are these funds used for profit, but it can be put to better use
by having families use this disposable income elsewhere and improve the economy. I'm not

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saying to get rid of standardized testing completely, but there should be cuts made. Scholarships
for lower income students funded by the government, better classes, better paid teachers, and
better structured schools can be all done with this money rather that standardized testing.
What advancements have worked in high school thus far? Different levels of classes are
wonderful for allowing students to test their ability at a higher level and allow students to not
limit themselves and slow down because of their peers. Even the implementation of dualcrediting and being able to be a high school student and take university level courses is amazing!
I was able to utilize both of these tools. Clubs, sports, school gatherings (dances, assemblies) and
more in the education system let students flourish and figure themselves out at high school. High
school is a time period where more courses are offered such as drama, band, architecture, design,
art, and more at an advanced level. For me, I took anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry,
and psychology. I excelled in these classes and had so much fun learning about the topics. I am
currently pursuing a bachelor of science in biochemistry minoring in psychology and Chinese at
my university.
For the rest of my years at university, I envision being heavily involved with the student
body and giving back. I am currently involved in the ASUNM (Associated Students of the
University of New Mexico) Emerging Lobo Leaders program. Through this program, I am
motivated and hopefully will find a job that fits me sometime during my time at the university. I
will be running to be a senator to represent the student body in the next coming spring semester.
My time at the university so far, although has been short at the moment, has been amazing;
especially learning a new language this first fall semester. Learning a new language is important
and really fun if you find the right one that fits you, and is heavily fueled by motivation. It is
important for learning new aspects of the world. The communication between using a new

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language and fully understanding it is one of the best feelings and accomplishments so far. Even
though I am at an elementary level so far, I feel very proud. Learning Chinese alone helps
anyone access the minds of 1,052,000,000 people (Most Widely Spoken Languages in the
World)! That is insane! I encourage anyone to pursue any languages that they have wanted to
learn!

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Works Cited
"Most Widely Spoken Languages in the World." Most Spoken Languages of the World. Web. 25
Nov. 2014. <http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/most_spoken_languages.htm>.
Plato. Republic. Trans. Raymond Larson. Wheeling: Harlan Davidson, 1979. Print.