Articles in Order of Importance

1) Aronson: I believe this article is most important because it touches on several issues which are commonly seen in the education system. These include censorship, the disconnect between educators and administrators and the ignorance of those education officials. I can relate to this article personally, as I have felt the same frustrations with the state administrators as the students and teachers in this article. They claim that the people in charge of making education policies have little to no experience in the education field. This makes them disconnected with the teachers, parents and most importantly the students, and often they are unwilling to mend this disconnect. It seems horribly corrupt to have education policies that show little regard for the interests of the students. Furthermore, as seen in this article, successful programs are often shut down on the whim of ignorant administrators. Programs are shut down simply because they do not agree with a certain ideology. If administrators focused more attention on supporting programs that actually work, instead of favoring ones that fit their philosophy on education, then perhaps our education system would be somewhat more successful.

2) hooks: I chose this article as second most important because although it does not focus on a specific problem, it does emphasize a more broad concept which can be applied in most cases. The importance of critical thinking is often ignored in schools in favor of obedience. Hook also points out the difference in the way schools of different social classes are taught. Students in wealthier schools are expected to be brilliant and therefore get a more complex education, however, they also have an immense load of pressure placed on them. Students who are not as affluent often are expected to due poorly and therefore not as much effort is put into their education. Both are ineffective methods of education. While it may not always work in practice, ideally students of all classes should be expected to do the best that they can and should have the opportunity for a complex education. 

3) Large: Similar to hooks in some ways, Large advocates for a balance in a student's education; however, Large focuses more on parental involvement than on the education system itself. While some of his claims apply (such as nurturing students, but also making sure to challenge them), most of it does not hold as much relevance in the education system as articles one and two.

4) Boyce: Boyce advocates mainly for a focus on student's mental health and well-being. While this is something that is often ignored in the education system, Boyce's article advocates more for religious philosophy, rather than a practical change in education policy. The well-being of students can much more effectively be achieved by a balanced curriculum, than by mandatory yoga classes. Boyce's solution treats the symptoms of a corrupt education system, rather than going to the root of the problem.