Yesterday, Today, and Beyond

The public at large was disappointed in the status of Education in the United States in the 1980’s.  To help tackle this problem, an agreement was reached between the states and the federal government that governors and states lead and adopt standards and testing for their respective states.  A federal law was enacted noting this decision in 1990 (Shanahan). Public schools in the United States are still not preparing our students for rigorous academic college level studies.  Depending of the reporting agency, different national agencies report that between 20% to 36% percent of college freshmen are needing remedial courses before they can take some of the college level courses.  In fact, about 75% of colleges and universities have made remedial courses available out of necessity (Burks et al.).  American students are generally behind that of many other countries.  The Common Core Standards were developed by educations chiefs and governors of 48 states (Frequently), as well as the

The Texas Constitution has gone through many transformations over the years. Texas has had 7 unique constitutions, including one under Mexico, the Confederacy, Independent Texas, and 4 different constitutions as a state in the United States.  The current Texas Constitution went into effect in 1876. Bit by bit, the Texas Constitution has been revised and updated, essentially creating a new constitution every two years. The United States Constitution is broad and has the “necessary and proper” clause, allowing lawmakers more freedom.  Texas has no such loophole in its constitution and the laws in the Texas Constitution are very detailed and specific, which is why it requires frequent and many amendments.  Many Texans would argue that the Texas Constitution is outdated and over amended.             The 29 th Congress of the United States approved admission for Texas to join the United States.  The Texas State Constitution was submitted to the United States Congress and the President o

Nigeria is a country in Africa that has been through financial turmoil for many years.  The United States has developed many international agencies charged with protecting the health of citizens of other poor countries, particularly many nations in Africa.  Protecting the health of individuals in Africa and preventing and stopping epidemics from spreading, ultimately saves lives globally, including in the United States.  Epidemic infections in one place in the world can travel to many countries around the world due to the relative ease and affordability of international travel. Outbreaks of communicable diseases occur on a daily basis all over the world.  The United States’ Global Disease Detection Program, a program of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention goal is to locate and stop global epidemic disease outbreaks.  The Global Disease Detection Program has offices in several countries around the world staffed with expert healthcare workers to monitor international health

Before the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was created in 1979, over 100 agencies had to work together to help people during and after major disasters (Smith).  The result was a conglomerate of uncoordinated efforts that didn’t work very well.  FEMA was created after a series of major natural disasters.  Ironically, after FEMA was created, less severe disasters happened and FEMA didn’t seem quite so important.  Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush used FEMA to make appointments as political favors and the people they appointed to head FEMA had no experience, training, or background in emergency management (Smith).  When a severe storm finally struck, FEMA was unprepared.  After a category 5 hurricane hit Florida City in 1992, it took 5 days for troops to show up to assist.  Over 125,000 homes were destroyed and thousands of people were left without federal assistance or necessities, like water or food (Smith).  Jane Bullock, former Chief of Staff of FEMA said of FEMA’s re

In the United States, people of many diverse backgrounds develop different kinds of relationships. People of different races, ethnicities and cultures interact in a variety of ways within communities throughout the nation. Americans have become accustomed to attending school, working, shopping, attending religious services and many other daily activities with people who may not look like them. Romantic relationships are more likely to develop between people of different races and ethnicities the more people are integrated in society (Wu et al. 733). This makes logical sense, since someone is not likely to marry someone he or she has never had the opportunity to meet or interact with. As neighborhoods, schools and workplaces become more racially diverse, the opportunity and likelihood of interracial romantic relationships increase. Although society as a whole may seem more accepting of interracial relationships and marriage, resistance to them often stems from within families. Accordi

Dallas is a large, bustling city that is full of history and well known throughout the nation. As with any metropolitan city in the United States, there are many opportunities for individuals and families to thrive. Like most large cities, Dallas is also prone to higher rates of poverty and crime. There are many aspects of life that someone wanting to raise children may want to know about any city they would choose to raise their kids in. Dallas is a truly multidimensional city, but is it a good city to raise children?  There are many factors that would make any city a promising place to raise children.             One of the first things that may come to mind when raising children is education. Do the public schools in Dallas prepare students for life after high school, whether the student chooses to go to college or start a career? Dallas Independent School District (DISD) reports that it educates about 160,000 students every year (“General”). According to the Proposed Dallas ISD