Public Vs. Private Schooling Essays - Youth, School,

Public Vs. Private Schooling As American support for the public education system dwindles, many parents find the only place for their children to receive a quality education is in a private school. The areas that are most important to a private school are also the ones that seem to be lacking in public schools. These include safety, order, teaching the basics and challenging young minds. Across the nation, public education systems continue to fail students, therefore many have chosen, like myself, to attend private Catholic high schools to receive an education that will better prepare them for college. Overcrowded public high schools have been dealt with the problems of insufficient funding, large class sizes, students who simply refuse to learn and are disruptive. Due to an increase in violent acts committed, many public high schools have instituted low level security measures to ensure the safety of students. The types of security found in these schools include closed campuses, controlled access to the school building and grounds, random drug and metal detector, banning certain types of clothing, and either full or part time security guards have been assigned. How can students be expected to learn and teachers educate in an environment like this? Through personal experience I have found out that it is almost impossible to focus on learning in an atmosphere that is forced to emphasize personal safety rather than education. My first eight years of education were spent at area public schools in and around Chicago, IL. During this time I witnessed approximately 100 fights, 3 teachers being assaulted by students and numerous drug and weapons arrests. Many of these acts were merely boyish fights and left no lasting impression. One incident that has scarred me for life was when a student came to school with a five-inch knife and proceeded to stab an administrator in front of approximately seventy students, myself included. I simply stood there not knowing what to do, too shocked to blink, too terrified to move. The victim recovered fully and the perpetrator, who at the time was fifteen, is now in jail. Is this the atmosphere that children should be placed in to receive the fundamental elements of education that will prepare them for high school and eventually college? There is enough concern about the quality of education in public schools that many private schools have been bombarded with applications in recent years. This is the case with my alma mater, Saint Mary's High School. Run by the Archdiocese of Chicago, it is a small, coeducational, Catholic school located in downtown Chicago, IL. With a graduating class of less than 150, Saint Mary's fosters a college curriculum with small controlled classes and an emphasis on personal, intellectual and religious growth all in a morally sound environment unlike anything found in public schools. The problems facing many public schools are non-existent at most private schools. They have no need to institute security measures because discipline is not a problem. Students know that the school board can expel anyone that hinders learning in the classroom. Disruptive and violent actions are taken seriously and are not tolerated under any circumstance. At Saint Mary's there are various types of honors course s designed for students that have specific interest in a particular subject. There is also a program set up for students to receive not only tutoring but instruction from Midshipmen attending the United States Naval Academy, located only a few blocks from the high school. This type of program not found in any public or private school is one that places Saint Mary's on a far superior level. For those who choose not to take any honors courses there is a challenging curriculum that places students in small classes therefore making learning a very personal experience between teacher and student. I found the most intriguing part of attending Saint Mary's was the emphasis they placed on religion. From the classroom to the athletic field students know that they are representing not only there family but Saint Mary's High School and the whole Archdiocese of Chicago. The mandatory religion classes taught were not focused on right and wrong but how to improve your own personal view of life. T hey challenged us

Drawing on both expectancy and equity theory, identify and discuss the main factors that are likely to influence the effectiveness of performance-related pay schemes in organisations.

Drawing on both expectancy and equity theory, identify and discuss the main factors that are likely to influence the effectiveness of performance-related pay schemes in organisations. Performance-related pay is a financial reward to staff whose work is considered above average. It is usually used for employees whose work achievements cannot assessed simply through numerical measures. Performance-related pay schemes are usually linked to the appraisal process, on which evaluation on staff performance during the year can be made. Performance-related scheme is a highly attractive system to encourage employees towards the organisation's objectives. According to the Wyatt study (1990), which measured effectiveness of performance management in 598 companies, 93% of personnel management regarded pay for performance as major priority. However, according to the same study, only 20% of managers considered their appraisal systems as effective. Some of the major factors to influence effectiveness of performance-related pay schemes were stated in expectancy theory. Although these theories do provide us with simplified models on which requirements for performance-related pay sc hemes can be based. There is a high level of uncertainty associated with them.English: Motivational SayingOne of the most popular explanations for effectiveness of performance-related pay schemes is Victor Vroom's expectancy theory. According to Robbins (p.171): "Expectancy theory argues that the strength of a tendency to act in a certain way depends on the strength of an expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual." It is basically argues that the motivation to improve performance will depend on three factors: whether employee believes that greater performance will lead to better performance, whether higher performance will lead to reward and whether the reward is valuable to that person. In other words motivation will exist if three conditions called: expectancy, instrumentality and valence are present. For example, employee X works hard to improve his performance, however the objectives set before him by management perceived by worker as unrealistic. No...

Factors that Affect Detachment of Bacteria from Biofilm and Research Proposal

Factors that Affect Detachment of Bacteria from Biofilm and Interactions between Free Bacteria and Those in the Biofilm - Research Proposal Example They contain a range of different microbes including, but not limited to microalgae, protozoan and bacteria. Biofilms can contain pathogenic forms of microbes . They have been proposed as a mechanism of defense for bacteria, and consist of a matrix that is able to adhere to liquid or solid surfaces . Biofilms have been shown to be more than 500 times more resistant than free bacteria to antibacterial agents . Because of their high level of resistance and stability they are able to provide effective reservoirs for pathogens, as well as survival advantages and potential increases to their virulence. Biofilms have been linked to some human disease and chronic infections, including kidney stones and cystic fibrosis infections of the lungs . More than 99% of all bacteria that is present in the world exists in biofilms , as a consequence the presence of biofilms and their role with pathogenic bacteria is an important area of study. Bacteria within and exterior to biofilms are different tha n one another in a number of ways. As well as increased resistance to antibacterial agents, bacteria within biofilms exist in an environment of cooperatively that has a primitive circulatory system and exhibit a primitive form of homeostasis . Bacteria attach to a biofilms by approaching closely so that a brief association is formed between the bacterium and either the surface or other bacteria already attached.