Mini Position Paper

Many schools exist that don’t create student success. In too many school systems today, students are deprived of the education they need to become successful in life. What is society doing to make sure these students find their way? What does it take for them to become successful participants of society? After reading Freire’s, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, I must say there is some truth to students being oppressed for they are being forced to matriculate in an educational environment they aren’t familiar with; can’t survive in; or don’t want to be in.
Students who are in the predicament noted above are not able to thrive in a strong academic environment because, as Freire states, they don’t know their reality. If they knew their reality, they would be better prepared to adjust to what they need for academic success. My position is that students that will better succeed in vocational or magnet schools. The vocational option is best suited for students that are not college bound and need to learn hands-on job skills to work right out of high school.
For the nontraditional student the magnet option can work well. As a dancer, I attended magnet performing art school and this opportunity allowed me to learn about my craft and move on to earning a scholarship to Temple University in dance and theater. It allowed me the option to get involved in a field that I love and having a love for what you do makes the difference in which you become.
There is no denying that people are mentally in different places at different times in their lives. Whether they have been raised in a single parent home, or whether they grew up in an environment that isn’t conducive to learning, it is important that students know what they can handle in an educational setting. For some students, an advanced math class or AP courses may not be reasonable. There are some students that understand where they stand academically and know that they aren’t able to learn under the same conditions as