REHUGO-Government

Tayler Wills

Mr. Soeth

English 3 AP

February 17, 2011

REHUGO Analysis – Government: Year-Round Education

A. Opposing view points on Year-Round Education.

B. Articles attached : http://www.compclass.us/yre/index.html

C. The articles are both from the year-round education site and are written by the same author, Sally no last name provided; she is a student at Purdue University Calumet.

a. The article against the subject states that Year-Round Education will not increase test scores or positively effect a student’s education. She believes that year-round education will cost more than a traditional school year and it will not create a healthier social environment.

b. The article for the subject states that American children are falling behind and are beginning to fall behind in literacy. She believes that year-round education benefits students’ ability to retain information and that Year-Round Education will reduce behavioral issues. She also believes that it will inevitably cost less.

D. Writer’s Argument:

a. In the article that opposes year-round education, the author is concerned that going to school all year will cost more than a traditional school year; “ Education costs are relatively high because of the increased number of days, teachers’ pay, school lunches, transportation, and more school supplies needed with the new schedule… air-conditioning costs.” This is logical and factual information. When the cost of year-round education comes up, these are discussed factors and the fact remains that a longer year will cost more money.

Year-round education will not necessarily help students academically; “… Teaching students during the intersession period caused teachers to be more tired because they were busy preparing for the next school session.” This statement is logical because in all reality how many parents want their kids to go to school and not learn anything? The answer is none; and when teachers do not have time during the day, they stay up at home losing sleep and are drained the next day, it is a bad cycle.

b. In the article advocating year-round education, she touches on social life and how it can positively affect the behavior of students; “Students enrolled in a year- round education program simply have less time to mischief, including vandalism.” The author’s idea appeals to the reader’s emotions, especially if the reader lives in a neighborhood or community where vandalism, whether petty or serious, occurs during the off seasons of school.

Advocates for year-round education believe that the new schooling system will provide students with a better learning environment; “…year-round education can reduce over-crowding and provide extra space, which can ultimately relieve some financial problems.” This might not make sense to some people; if the same amounts of students are in school, how does it reduce over crowding? But for those who do understand, this statement is both logical and factual. With fewer students, teachers have the opportunity to have smaller classes and not leaving confused children behind, which allows the students to produce better grades.

E. Rhetorical Strategies:

a. When the author is opposed to year-round education, she uses amplification to support his opinion; “ Education costs are relatively high because of the increased number of days, teachers’ pay, school lunches, transportation, and more school supplies needed with the new schedule… air-conditioning costs.” Her audience may have ignored this sentence in her article if it would have listed just one or two things, but with a continuous list of things that tax dollars pay for it grabs your attention and makes you think.

The author uses pleonasm to support his argument; “…hard on some teachers because they had to teach intersession classes, which are classes taught...” The author uses the word teach in different forms, teach, taught, teacher, and he does not have to. Anyone reading the article knows what a teacher does, but sympathizing for the teacher and how much they truly have to do help out her argument tremendously.

b. When the author is favoring year-round education, she uses hypotaxis to support his argument. “…students enroll in school during their break time to take more classes or make up classes they may have failed;” Everyone knows why students enroll in classes during breaks, by adding the reasons that most people know, it makes it seem like “fluff writing”.

The author uses sententia to support his opinion, he quotes Dr. William White from 1988; “one of the most noticeable education benefits of the year-round school is the opportunity for enrichment, remediation, and acceleration.” She quoted someone of power that also knows what he is talking about. It shows that the author has done his research and it may make one look further into year-round education.

F. Although I do value the time I get to spend with family and friends during the summer breaks and I often do wish that school was less stressful and that teachers did not give homework, I do forget things over summer break and that makes it difficult for the beginning of the next school year. I find my self with way too much spare time on my hands on days that I do not have plans with family or my friends. I do not see how a longer school year could cost less, bur if our generation is lagging and we are becoming less literate, shouldn’t tax payers and parents be willing to invest in the education of the future leaders of America? With year-round education we have more breaks, which allow us to release stress and be ready for what is coming when we go back to school. If year-round education means more time to understand the material that I will eventually be tested on, and if it helps me get into a better college then I am all for it. Citation:“Arguments of Year Round Education.” Ms Bainbridge’s English Composition Website. 16 Feb. 2011.