A Typical Day

        The American high school system is fundamentally flawed; Sizer describes that the inherent practice differs from what is written in many rhetorical documents. Sizer asserts for example, that the substantial difference between the following statements, “’about ‘self-realization and mental and physical growth’ or ‘moral and ethical values’” strikes a big difference, where “most physical education programs have neither the time nor the focus…to ensure fitness”.  Sizer goes on to state that “neither ethical value” is clearly defined as to what is morally and ethically right.  The implication that a “gap” between stated goals and the common practices occurring in many American high school institutions depict a system which needs to redefine its goals reflecting what is actually being practiced in the daily life of its pupils.  Many high school students have extracurricular activities or after school jobs, which prevent many students from spending quality time with their teachers and receiving the extra assistance that students need to fully comprehend the lesson being taught in the classroom.  Many teachers offer after-school tutoring and other programs for students seeking help in a subject they do not understand, but students with extracurricular activities do not have the time to acquire the support and assistance which they need.

        Students process and acquire knowledge differently primarily because many high school institutions are diversified of class and ethic background.  Sizer notes that “the concept of high school is remarkably uniform across the country…given the size and diversity of the United States and the politically decentralized character of the schools.” Sizer emphasizes that high school is primarily the same throughout the United States, but many high schools across America are really different because of class, ethnic background, religion, and gender. High school students are not all the same, but the concept being addressed as what high school should be, brings the wrong message to many as to why there is a huge discrepancy between stated goals and the inherent practices in school.

        Sizer concludes that students and parents “take subjects” because “they are happy… [and that] rituals, most importantly, graduation plays a key to why there is such a gap between stated goals and what is actually occurring in the classroom.”  The concept of high school is a flawed system because many of its stated goals do not pertain to what students are achieving today in the classroom or outside the classroom.  Sizer portrays Mark, as an average American high school student illustrating a “typical” day for many high school students.  Sizer assumes that students are just given “facts” in every subject that they take and that students do not usually grasp the idea of what has been taught because many teachers put little effort to finish the content as opposed to helping students master the idea.  Students should be able to grasp the ideas if the numbers of essential skills are more limited thereby providing more time for intellectual thought processes.