Eng 101 Expository Essay Final Paper

Laws for the Improvement in Educational Standards â€Å"No Child Left Behind is an excellent sword that we can use to open doors for the children we represent† (Wright, Attorney at Law). Peter Wright is an attorney who specializes in cases surrounding children with Special Educational needs. When he made this statement, he was referring to a law that President George W. Bush’s administration passed in 2001. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a law that requires states to assess the basic skills for children in certain grades. This was not the first law to be created by the government. Before NCLB was created, first there was Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the second was the Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA) also known as Public Law 94-142. Every since the first law was created in the early 1970s schools all over have complained. So schools would not have to abide by these laws states would refuse the funding that was given to them by the government for education. When these laws were created, it was to protect all children with any kind of special needs. Before Section 504 was created schools could legally expel any child they thought may have had a learning disability. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act In 1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was created to be an anti-discrimination statute meant to stop discrimination against students with special needs from governmental actors and to protect these students’ equal rights. For a student to qualify for protection under Section 504 he or she must be determined to (1) have a physical or mental impairment that can limit one or more major life activities; (2) it must be on record that the child does have an impairment; or (3) the child must be looked at as possessing said impairment. All students who qualify under Section 504 are entitled to a â€Å"free and appropriate public education† also known as FAPE. If a school violated the Section 504 laws the student must show (1) that he or she does have a disability stated in Section 504; (2) that the student does qualify for said benefit that he or she were denied; (3) that the student was denied because of his or her disability, and (4) that the benefit that student was denied is obtaining money from the government to help with the program (Hoffman-Peak, 2009). The US Department of Education (ED) is responsible for enforcing Section 504 for all schools receiving funds. Recipients of these funds include all public schools, colleges, and other education agencies within the state. Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act In 1975 Congress created the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (Public Law 94-142). This Act stated that any school receiving federal funds is required to provide equal access to education for children with any kind of disability. With the input of the child’s parents public schools had to evaluate the student and create an educational plan that would be as close as possible to that of a non-disabled student. The Act also stated that school districts must provide administrative procedures for parents so they may dispute decisions surrounding their child’s education. Once these administrative efforts had become exhausted, the parents would be allowed to seek a judicial review under Section 504. The system of dispute resolution created by PL 94-142 was to help with the financial burden created by litigation. In 1997 President Clinton and Congress amended the law to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This would be the first time since Public Law 94-142 was created in 1975 that a significant change was made while retaining the basic protections. The goal was to clarify, strengthen, and provide guidance on the law. The second time would be in 2004 when Congress would once again make amendments calling it Individual with Disabilities Educational Improvement Act (IDEIA). For 20 years the research showed that education can be more effective if; (1) it is ensured that the child receives general education to the maximum extent possible; (2) the parent’s role in the child’s education is stronger; (3) coordinating efforts from the school and agencies are made to guarantee that children are benefiting from these efforts. Also that special education is a service for children not a place for them to be sent off to, and (4) all personal who work with children with special needs will receive the proper education to teach these students. Because Public Law 94-142 was created a great deal of progress has been made toward meeting our nation’s goals for creating programs for individuals with special needs. Such accomplishments had included, one that a majority of children with special needs were included in regular classrooms with non-disabled children. No Child Left Behind Act Immediately after taking office in 2001 President George W. Bush proposed the idea for the No Child Left Behind Act. The bill passed through the United Stated House of Representatives on May 23, 2001, and again on June 14, 2001 by the United States Senate. After first proposing the Act close to a year before President Bush signed the Act into law on January 8, 2002. The goal behind this law was to hold schools and states accountable for improving the education of both disabled and non-disabled students. The purpose was to identify than transform schools that have not provided an excellent education to students. These schools would be turned into successful schools. Furthermore, NCLB intentions are to close the learning gap between high and low achievers, minority and non-minority students as well as advantaged and disadvantaged students. To accomplish this goal the reform planned to use a state assessment system designed to ensure all students are meeting the state academic and grade level content. The implementation of these goals, call for a high level standard that can be measured for all students. There is no doubt that this Act has brought a closer look on students who normally have performed on a lower level of education, causing it to be praised, while at the same time this law has been criticized by many because inconsistencies found within the law. Title One of the No Child Left Behind Act states a measure called Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in which schools, districts, and states must be held accountable for the education performance of students. However, there are faults with the Adequate Yearly Progress; one of these faults is whether or not AYP can provide an accurate measurement of the goals because states are allowed to make their own standards. Statistics show that there are 50 different educational measurement standards across the country. Because these states can create their own standards, they can manipulate their AYP, thus resulting in schools giving the impression that they are successful in teaching when they may not be. The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act In 2010 President Obama and Congress assembled a blueprint of reform called The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This blueprint builds and re-envisions a federal role around these five priorities. It states that (1) all students despite their race, income, ethnic or language background, or disability will be college and career ready when they graduate from high school. The government will support all states to implement a better education through an improvement of a professional development. (2) The government will elevate the teaching profession so as to recognize excellence in teaching. All school districts must develop a system that supports teachers. (3) Schools that have the most improvement from their students will be rewarded. This includes students graduating and those on their way to graduating by 2020. To make sure that the responsibility for improving does not fall all on the schools, states and districts will be held accountable for not providing their schools the support they need to succeed. (4) Incentives will be provided to encourage state and districts to work with schools to improve education of students. The government will support college going strategies to help students succeed. (5) A new competitive funding will help with flexibility, reward results, and ensure that these funds provided are used wisely. While districts will not be restricted on how they spend the funding. The government will help create new ideas that support family and the community with their child’s education (The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Conclusion Since 1973 when Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was introduced into Congress there has been one clear goal amongst government. This goal is for all students no matter their background or disability are to receive an education. In the past 38 years Congress has reformed and amended all the education laws for improvement in the education system. It would no longer be acceptable for schools to fail in giving students the education they deserve. Throughout the years statics have shown that despite laws created our education system is failing and needs vast improvement in order for the next generation to succeed in the future. As stated by President Barack Obama in a letter, he wrote to be placed in the introduction of The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. â€Å"America was once the best educated nation in the world. A generation ago we led all nations in college completion, but today 10 countries have passed us. It is not that their students are smarter than ours. It is that these countries are being smarter about how they educate their students† References Author unknown (September 2010) Adequate Yearly Progress, Education Week Retrieved on May 23, 2011, from http://www. edweek. org/ew/issues/adequate-yearly-progress/ Berlatsky, N. (2011) No Child Left Behind Is a Good Law. Opposing Viewpoints: School Reform. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, from Powersearch. Hoffman-Peak, H. (Summer 2009) A Matrimonial Practitioner’s Guide to Special Education Law. American Journal of Family Law. Retrieved May 19, 2011 from, Powersearch Maleyko, G. Gawlik, M. A. (Spring 2011) No child left behind: what we know and what we need to know. Education. Retrieved on May 19, 2011, from Powersearch Us Department of Education (August 2010) Free Appropriate Public Education for Student With Disabilities. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://www2. ed. gov/about/offices/list/ocr/docs/edlite-FAPE504. html US Gover nment, (March 2010). A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. ED. gov. Retrieved on May 20, 2011, from http://www2. ed. gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publicationtoc. html

Why Are Black Boys Failing in School

It is easy to point the finger but harder to find a solution as to why the black male child is failing in school. There are several crucial factors that contribute to this epidemic including, parents are not communicating with the teachers, the socioeconomic status of the child's family, and the father's absence in the child's life. Each of these topics intertwine with one another and is preventing a race of young men who will not be given the chance to excel in life. The worst teachers are the parents. Teaching starts at home from the time the child is old enough to speak, he learns from his parents.We must realize that this is a vicious cycle which must be broken if we are to ever help these young black boys. If a parent is ignorant then they in turn teach their child ignorance. If the parent using profanity and does not speak articulately neither will the child. The main problem is that parents raise their boys until they are able to start school and then they are done. No, learni ng is a life long process and without involved parents these boys will continue to fail at shocking rates. Perhaps if parents disciplined their children instead of just sending them to school they might actually meet the standard requirements.  (Green 7).In the book titled, Smart Kids, Bad Schools author, Brian Crosby stated, â€Å" If parents did a better job at parenting, schools wouldn't have so many students who exhibit poor behavior. † (Crosby 253). He feels that poor parenting is a direct cause as to why children misbehave in school therefore, resulting in failing grades. He says that the parents of today are â€Å"weak, out of control, and litigious. † (Crosby 253). He says, â€Å"Disciplining one's child has become as out of fashion as typewriters, record stores, and unpierced body parts. † (Crosby 252).If children are  not held accountable for their actions at home then how can the school in turn hold them accountable for their actions at school, Cr osby asks. Another point Crosby points out is if the child is not in school how does the parent expect the child to learn. â€Å"Education codes do not allow teachers to penalize students for absences. † (Crosby 255). The parent allows the child to miss school then gets angry at the teacher for giving him a failing grade. We are not living in the 1940's when it was acceptable for a male child to not attend school because he had to work.Richard Wright wrote a book titled Black Boy, where he re-lives his childhood and tells how education was an after thought. During those times the economy was bad especially for blacks in the deep South so in order to survive certain sacrifices had to be made usually education. Wright writes,â€Å" I began school at Howard Institute at a later age than was usual; my mother had not been able to buy me the necessary clothes to male me presentable. † (Wright 28). Once again this type of behavior was acceptable during those times but now it surely frowned upon.Parents of black boys surely do not understand the affect an absence has on a child that is already struggling in their studies. This goes back to my statement that this is a cycle and until we begin to educate parents of black children this problem might continue. Children learn from their parents, mentors, or whatever other figure is in the household. If their parent has a negative attitude about life nine times out of ten that attitude has rubbed off on the child. The child then goes to school with an attitude and it is left up to the teacher of probably thirty other students to try and break through this wall just to reach the child.Andy Kotner, president of the San Diego chapter of the group California Citizens Against Abuse, said, â€Å" We want parents and their kids to accept responsibility for their actions. † (Crosby 257). Simply put parents do not want anyone to tell their children that they have a bad attitude, including the teachers. It is ins tilled in most parents to defend their young with that being said, parents should listen to both sides of the story before assuming that the teacher was wrong in their actions.Parents + Teachers= A successful student. Another problem with parents not teaming up with teachers is the fear of being called a â€Å"bad parent†. Most parents of black students do not regularly attend teacher/ parent conferences. These conferences are held usually between the sixth and eight week of school and during these meetings parents get a chance to voice any concerns they might have as well as the teachers suggestions. (Cushman 11). One might ask how can a parent send their child to school without ever meeting the teacher?There are several problems associated with black parents and the school system which I discuss in depth later in the paper. Parents just do not place enough emphasis on their child's education and in turn the child doesn't either. There is no way that a child could fail if th eir parents are in continuous communication with his teacher, yes, during these times there is simply not enough hours in the day but if a parent does not care about their child's future how can expect anyone else to? † Black children are falling farther behind and are victims of an educational system that is failing them.† ( Muhammad 2).If parents do not realize that a teacher alone can not defeat this task alone, that it takes a village to raise a family its sad to say that these little black boys might be lost forever. In the book titled How to Handle Difficult Parents written by Suzanne Tingley, she offers tips for how teachers can try to get pass difficult parents. She says that teachers need learn parent management skills. ( Tingley 8). By that she means teachers need to understand that during these times there is a lot of obstacles standing in the way.â€Å"When teachers know that a child's parent stands ready to challenge them at every turn, they can become relu ctant to confront inappropriate student behavior or lack of effort. † ( Tingley 8). If the parents are confrontational the teacher becomes intimidated and therefore the issues go unresolved. She feels that parents should communicate with teachers respectfully and civilly without judging the teachers credentials. In today's society is not always economically possible for the mother to stay at home while the husband works. She says, â€Å"Parents work their jobs, raise their family, and pay their bills.Kids are responsible for attending school, staying out of trouble, and pay attention. † ( Tingley 10). Teachers are not always pointing the finger at the parent but they would like it if the parent was more involved in the child's schooling. Somewhere along the way we have gotten lost in our forty plus work hour weeks, consumed by emails, and tied down by bills. Parents must take time out of their busy schedules and make a sacrifice for their children. Another problem, Ting ley pointed out was that the parents of today make too many excuses for their child's lack of enthusiasm when it comes to education.Parents feel that if a child becomes bored at school that it is the teachers responsibility to make learning fun. They say that the child is not being challenged enough and that the teacher should devise a plan that works for their child. It is not the teachers job to entertain students; their job is simple- teach. The unwillingness from the parents makes it harder for teachers to do their job. â€Å"The stress of dealing with difficult parents remains one of the top reasons teachers cite for leaving the profession after only five years. † (Tingley 7).There are different parenting styles that contribute to the learning process and should be discussed in order to get a better understanding of why the black child is failing compared to other children. â€Å" In the eighth grade, only nine percent of black males across the country performed at or a bove the proficient level in reading compared with 33% of white males nationwide†. This statistic comes from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. (Green 2). There is something that other parents from other races are teaching their children that we as black parents are not.â€Å"Everyday our parents tell us: â€Å"Obey your teachers. Do your schoolwork. Stay out of trouble. You're there to learn, not to fight. Keep trying harder. Keep pushing yourself. Do your homework. After you have done that, you can watch TV. † Sikh immigrant student in a California high school. (Thernstorm 83). I am a black mother raising two black boys and our morning conversation goes a lot differently than the previous one. I tell my boys to mindful of their appearance; they are judged on how they look. I tell them to be on time; typical stereotypes of black people is that we are always late.Don't let let anyone make you feel bad about yourself; you are just as good as anyone else. I f that teacher calls me because you were misbehaving when you get home you are going to be in so much trouble. Parents of black children must remind our little black boys that the world view them differently and that they must always conduct themselves appropriately. Culture plays one of the biggest roles in how parents teach their children. Once culture is defined and I show correlation between the subject, I will discuss our history of learning in America.It is important for one to understand that education was not always an option for blacks in America. Culture is defined as the beliefs,customs, and arts of a particular society. It can be defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, and social habits. â€Å" Twenty percent of the mothers of black children today never completed high school. † (Gross 124). It is sad to say but within our culture a lot of women have children out of wedlock and usually drop out of school. If we as black parents have no knowledge the re is nothing that we can teach our kids except survival.Asian students do better on average than an other students, this has a lot to do with culture. In 2000, a majority (54%) of Asian Americans ages 25-29 had a bachelors degree, as compared to with just a third of (34%) of whites. (Blankstein 34). One reason Asian students are excelling at a compelling rate is that their parents have very high expectations for their children and failure is never an option for them. Another reason, Asian students perform better is because they watch less television then their counterparts.A study from Northwestern University titled, â€Å" Children, Media, and Race†, shows that black kids watch more television than others. Black children watch more than four hours a day and Asians watch less than two. † (Blankstein 27). â€Å"Asian youths are successful, Steinburg writes, â€Å"Not because of their stronger belief in the payoff for their doing well, but because they have greater fea r of the consequences of not doing well. †(Rochester 121). The last reason Asian students do better than the average American student is because their parents have a higher income than most.  (Thernstorm 89).Socioeconomic status, plays an important role in child's education. According to history, it would appear that black children have been set up for failure ever since we arrived in America. â€Å" From colonial times, educational opportunities for African Americans were extremely limited. † (Sharp 8). White Americans often used several cruel techniques to make blacks feel inferior including, segregation, discrimination, and lack of education. The fourteenth amendment guaranteed that all Americans were to have equal protection under the law.At the end of slavery many freed slaves knew that education was vital to their survival and immediately went to register for school. Whites feared this movement, they knew that if blacks received an education and training they wo uld longer depend on the them and their dependency was crucial for the southern economy. ( Sharp 21). During the 1870's at the end of the Reconstruction era whites quickly leaped into action to stop blacks from receiving an education even though there was a law that stated all Americans should be treated equally.The Jim Crow laws, which were a set of laws that enforced the practice of segregation or discrimination against blacks in public places, employment, and other areas of social life. ( Volkomer 318). In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, an African American Louisiana man had been jailed in 1896 for refusing to sit in the â€Å"black† section of the train. Just when blacks thought they making some headway the Court ruled that as long as the same facilities that were provided for whites were provided for blacks then the Fourteenth Amendment had not been violated.  (Volkomer 318).This decision grabbed the attention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which was founded by W. E. B Du Bois and other great African American civil rights leaders. The main purpose of the NAACP was â€Å"to achieve, through peaceful and lawful means, equal citizenship rights for all American citizens by eliminating segregation and discrimination in housing,employment, voting, schools, the courts, transportation, and recreation. † (Sharp 18). Founder W. E. B.Du Bois, the first African American to earn a doctorate degree at Harvard University, felt that â€Å"education was the most was the most priceless possession a black person could have. † In his book titled, â€Å" The Educating of Black People. †, he wrote, â€Å" Education must not simply teach work, it must teach life. † (DuBois 37). The rivalry between DuBois and Booker T. Washington was a break through moment in African American history. While DuBois felt that education was the best opportunity for blacks Washington on the other hand felt somewhat diff erently.Agriculture to Washington was one of his soul ideas of his â€Å"racial uplift† theory. â€Å"Washington offered black acquiescence in disenfranchisement and social segregation if whites would back the idea of black progress in education, agriculture, and economics. † (Rochester 79). This man used his undeniable wit and political savvy to convince white Southners that his educational program would keep black people â€Å"down on the farm† and in return he promised blacks that through work ethics they could achieve the American Dream and become not only business men but land owners as well.This political opinion clashed with what DuBois thought was appropriate for the blacks at that present time. I mean weren't blacks trying to get off â€Å"the farm† and into classrooms to educate themselves? Even though DuBois viciously disagreed with Washington's view he did however, acknowledge him for being one of the first black intellects to defend the black race. DuBois writes, â€Å"Negroes must insist continually, in season and out of season, that voting id necessary to modern manhood, that color discrimination is barbarism, and that black boys need education as well as white boys.† (DuBois 63).While blacks had won the war on slavery, the battle on education was still in progress. Black leaders of the Civil Rights movement like Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston that fought long and hard so that black children would be able to receive equal educational opportunities. Civil Rights, are defined as the right of an individual not to be discriminated against on the basis of their race,sex,or nationality. The education that blacks received in the South during those times foreshadow our culture and the negligent attitudes of black parents.For years blacks have fought for not only their freedom but the right to have an education, it seems that the parents of today have forgotten the many sacrifices their forefathers made for them. Not only were the lessons being taught inferior to those of the white students but the conditions in which the children had to endure almost made it impossible for them to learn. The books that were given to blacks were often used and were filled with racial and derogatory terms. To add insult to injury the curriculum within the the text books focused more so on the inferiority of blacks.It was said to have contained lessons that African Americans were referred to as† ignorant and helpless people who were unable to survive without the help of a benevolent and superior white society. † ( Sharp 15). Most of the schools did not have desks and chairs, a black board for the teacher to write instead, the teachers used cardboard to teach lessons, more times than most there were no bathrooms in the schoolhouse and the children had to go outside to relieve themselves. With these horrendous conditions how did whites think that black children were receiving â€Å"equal† edu cation compared to the white children?The answer to that question is they didn't, they figured that if they made it hard almost impossible for the blacks that they would just roll over and conform to their way of life. In an article titled â€Å" The Willie Lynch Letters. †, which was written by Willie Lynch, a British slave owner he said, â€Å"Keep the body; Take the mind. † He wrote this letter to help slave owners keep their Negro slaves dependent on them. (Abbott 4). Even when faced with adversity the black community did not falter nor did they give up on their hopes and dreams for their their child's future.In 1926, African American parents formed a group called the Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers. They worked tirelessly and feverishly to inform the state of Mississippi of the injustice that they allowed to continue. We have come a long way from the Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. the Board of Education, and Martin Luther King Jr. infamous â€Å"I Have A D ream† speech, but many will argue that we still have some ways to go. We are not where we used to be yet we are not where we want to be.From slavery to the Jim Crow laws to the No Child Left Behind Act we as parents must continue to fight against the injustices that either we created or society. Civil Rights leaders have fought and died for our little black children to have the same equal rights and it seems like the parents of today have forgotten about our history, this is our culture which has shaped black America into the cultural rich and diverse nation in which we live. Parents of black children must not allow fear to cloud our judgment when it comes to trusting our child's teachers.One reason these parents do not confide in the teachers is because of fear. We are afraid of failure, failing our children because of our ignorance. Majority of the time there are programs and services that are out there to help families that are struggling in areas of their home life. Until this gap is closed parents will continue to shelter their child from success. â€Å"Black parents and Black communities are ultimately responsible for the education of Black children. Not teachers! Not schools! Not elected officials! We are responsible!If our children are being destroyed in American schools, it is only because we allow it. † (Muhammad 5). â€Å"It is often argued that the low education achievement levels of African- Americans and Hispanics are caused by poverty. † ( Strauss 12). Parents of black children usually earn less than parents of any other race and it is the black children that are failing. Valerie Strauss author of, â€Å" The Way out of the Black Poverty Cycle. †, says that, â€Å" It is often argued that the low education achievement levels of African- Americans and Hispanics are caused by poverty. † (Strauss 38).She feels that poverty plays a vital role in the education of the black child. She continues with, â€Å" if there were more programs to help the black youth improve education this would help alleviate the high rates of incarceration among black males. † (Strauss 14). She feels that the lack of adequate education in the black community is the number one cause in the high rates of black males dropping out of school and ending up in prison. Once they are released from prison most have little or no skills to find employment adequate enough to provide for the family they have left behind thus, the family remains impoverished.Gabriel Trip author of, â€Å" Proficiency of Black Students is Found to Be Far Lower Than Expected. †, says that, â€Å" Only 12% of black 4th grade boys are proficient in reading, compared with 38% of white boys. † (Trip 3). While this is true Trip feels that, â€Å"Poverty alone does not seem to explain the differences: poor white boys do just as well as African- American boys who do not live in poverty. † (Trip 8). This author thinks that if Congre ss would appropriate more money to the failing black schools and establish more networks for young black males that would be more productive rather than , just closing the failing schools all together.The final topic I will discuss is the absence of the father figure in the young black males life and how it has a major affect on the child's education. Mike Casserly, director of Council of the Great City Schools asks,† How can we close or narrow the country's black-white achievement gap when African -American males are not getting the attention and support they need. † (Casserly 3). The reason black males are not the getting the attention they need to succeed is because their fathers are not involved in their lives.â€Å"The father's guidance to his children and his counsel regarding their anxieties and problems gives them that confidence and a feeling of affection which is necessary to the building of well-rounded personalities. † (Paige 17). Thirty-six percent of the father's that are currently incarcerated reported that they have one or more school age children. ( Drucker 7). Black children that grow up without a father or a positive male role in their lives have very little direction and often get involved with the wrong crowds.Studies have shown that children who their father is not in their lives stand the risk of becoming alcohol and drug addicts than other children. (Paige 5). Contrary to many beliefs a father's presence plays an important role in their child's lives. In the case of the black father and the black male child, the father is either incarcerated or has never been involved in the child's life. So there leaves a single mother trying to work and provide for her struggling family because the father is now where to be found.As Richard Wright writes, in his novel titled â€Å" Black Boy†, â€Å" As the days slid past the image of my father became associated with my pangs of hunger, and whenever I felt hunger I thought o f him with deep biological bitterness. † (Wright 125). This is an example of the negative image and feelings that a young boy will develop for his father when he is not involved. It is impossible for the mother to monitor her children twenty-four hours a day, she cannot be everywhere at once.Like the saying goes, â€Å" While the cat is away the mice will play.† this leaves the child alone usually in the evening when the child should be studying they are more than likely outside or watching television. â€Å" Under constant watch, care, and concern, children are less likely to experiment with extremes of behavior when they know they have two parents who are watching their every move. † (Paige 12). It is understandable that divorce and break-ups do and does happen often, the father should still be involved in their son's life. When it comes to discipline mothers are just softer and more reluctant than the father, which leaves the boys free to do whatever it is tha t they want to do.â€Å"Studies have shown that when a father is not present in a home, children are more likely to derail and exhibit bad and dangerous behavior. † (Paige 13). Father's may be unaware that their presence has such dramatic affects on their child's life as well as their educational goals. Children emulate their parents behavior and if the father is non existent soon so will the child. Majority of the black males that are failing live in crime ridden urban cities, where gangs and liquor stores out number community centers and churches. Without a father's love and concern what conclusion can one draw about the future of the young black male?Surely he will wind up in a street gang where he robbing, stealing, and maybe even killing but this stereotype does not have to become a reality of underprivileged black males. There are several tips that can be given for single mothers of black male children whose fathers are either incarcerated or chose not to be involved in the lives of their children. First, mothers must realize that two heads are better than one, meaning even if the father is not involved find an uncle, brother, or even a male friend of the family that would be willing to assist you.Second, ask for help. Black mothers are so afraid of being looked at as a â€Å"bad mother† that we do not ask for help even when we are on the verge of breaking down. There are a lot of services within one's community that may have several programs like the Big Brother/Big Sister program, that provides positive role models for children. Third, mothers must break the cycle. Education is the key to getting out of that low paying minimum wage job and have an opportunity to have convenient hours and better benefits.Lastly, nothing can replace the presence of a loving, nurturing, and concerned father but there are close substitutes. The failure of black young males is a nationwide epidemic. While I have only visited a few reasons as to why they are fa iling like, poverty, lack of guidance, and the absence of the father this is just the tip of the iceberg. I fear that unless â€Å"WE†, meaning the parents, teachers, political leaders, community advocates, and neighbors wake up and realize that this is not an easy fix, that this is not something that can be swept under the rug and forgotten about, they will continue to fail.

The Angry Black Woman

I am deeply interested in why Black women are received and portrayed as both â€Å"angry† and â€Å"strong† Black Women. It may seem inexplicable that a respected black woman educator would stamp her foot, jab her finger in someone’s face and scream while trying to make a point on national television, thereby reconfirming the notation that black women are irrationally angry. When confronted about race and gender, as a black woman I stand in a crooked room. I have to figure out which way is up. Bombarded with warping images of humanity, I sometimes tilt and bend to fit the distortion.From the single mother who complains about child support to the first lady of the United States, it seems like Black women of all ages and classes have been accused of either being â€Å"angry† or too â€Å"strong† at some point in life. For centuries, the angry black female has been a pervasive stereotype in the United States. You may have heard the term â€Å"Angry Bl ack Woman Syndrome (ABSW)†. Angry Black Woman Syndrome is not only the dynamics between black woman and black men. It is definitively not an official clinical diagnosis or anything.The attitudes behavior of some black women, by some can best be described as a word that starts with â€Å"b† and rhymes with the word â€Å"itch†. Angry Black Woman is just as inescapable today as it was during the slave era. Melissa Harris-Perry, suggests that anger is still one of the most ubiquitous stereotypes faced by black women in modern society. In a recent Super Bowl commercial, Pepsi was criticized for perpetuating this negative perception by depicting a black woman kicking, shoving and punishing her husband for cheating on his diet.America’s first lady had to address the stereotype: In a recent television interview on CBS, Michelle Obama denied the â€Å"angry black woman† depiction of herself that emerged in some coverage following the release of The Obamaâ⠂¬â„¢s, a book by Jodi Kantor. Mrs. Obama defended herself by saying instead that she is â€Å"merely a ‘strong’ woman†. By calling herself â€Å"strong† is she somehow trying to overcompensate for feelings of shame? Although many may think that the Angry Black Woman is a white supremacist myth, they are wrong.In fact, it is a regularly revived and recreated perception in the Black community. The anger black women have is something that ignites strong feelings among black women. The idea of the angry woman is particularly recreated by African-American men who have an interest in displaying Black woman as emasculating or overbearing or angry as a means of basically controlling. Preconceived ideas of black women as dominant and assertive may hurt when it comes to romantic relationships.Yes, there are black women that need to seriously check themselves – particularly black women who think it is cute to be bitter, argumentative, man-hating, and generall y feels angry. She is that woman that frowns or rolls her eyes when smiled at, brands all men as being â€Å"dogs† or â€Å"no good† and she is that woman that thinks it is necessary to curse out another female if she bumps into her in the store even after she has received a sincere apology. It is unfortunate that black women have attitudes and behaviors like this.It is this type of female that sometimes gets acknowledged as the representative for all black women. At the end of the day, the vast majority of black females do not suffer from Angry Black Women Syndrome. If you ask for what you want need or what you want, you are just an angry Black woman. If you do not ask for what you need and try to do everything on your own, however, you could then be labeled as a â€Å"strong† Black woman – a term that may sound like a compliment, but in reality contributes to a derogatory ideal that holds Black women back from progression.When black women respond to rac ism they are responding with anger; the anger of exclusion, of unquestioned privilege of racial distortions, of silence ill-use, stereotyping, defensiveness, misnaming, and of betrayal. Black women may have a well-stocked arsenal of anger potentially useful against those oppressions, personal and institutional, which brought that anger into being. Focused with precision it can become a powerful source of energy serving progress and change. —Audre Lorde, â€Å"The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism† (1981).The emotion which accompanies the first steps toward liberation is, for most women, anger. Through the exercise strength may be gained. As a black woman I envisioned a new America in the 1990’s, anger may have been a vital political tool. I was provided new perspectives, new understandings of oppressive conditions that had previously remained unquestioned. I was introduced to my anger through relationships, through individual and collective political con sciousness; because the angry black women had been theorized.Attention seemed to have been drawn to the anger of black women; it exposed knowledge that had been buried and speech that had been silenced. Anger was a link to previous suppressed histories, and a revolutionary coalition. I couldn't believe—still can't—how angry I can become, from deep down and way back, it sometimes feels like a five-thousand-years of buried anger. Every black woman in America lives her life somewhere along a wide curve of ancient and unexpressed angers, Audre Lorde observed. Only when women are able to feel anger, and then recognize, accept, and direct it towards the real enemy can an association occur.If black women can identify their sources of anger and analyze why they use it is a form of expression. Their anger may then be used as a paradigm for understanding the ways in which black women, at different historical moments, have responded to myriad forms of oppression. Even though, the re is this long-lasting and unfair stereotype it is typically seen as a negative one, standing for abrasive brash and even ill-tempered, it is also consistent with qualities that is often associated with leadership, such as being decisive, aggressive and resolute.In a recent study conducted by Robert Livingston and Ella Washington of Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, it was found that black women leaders who displayed dominant behavior when interacting with subordinates got more favorable reviews than their white female or black male counterparts who behaved the same way. In fact black women were evaluated comparable to white male leaders who display similarly dominant assertive behavior. Black people are proud; African Americans feel a sense of kinship with other Blacks with whom they can take pride in the accomplishments.The other side of racial pride is the underlying feeling of shame. Because we feel pride, about accomplishments of Blacks not related , we can also feel ashamed for failure, transgressions and misbehaviors. The ‘strong’ Black woman’ is a negative image of Black women. Black women are super-strong, hyper-competent; we do not have that many individual needs, we really can take care of others, and we can handle business. Despite the â€Å"angry† figure that some may try to replace with a â€Å"strong† image, Black women are not superhuman. We are not universally strong; we do sometimes feel weak and need help.Whether being labeled angry or strong, the biggest danger as a Black woman is when I began to think the labels were accurate, and began calling myself a â€Å"strong† Black woman. My goal is to recognize that labels are false. They are not indicative to who I am. I may be angry but I am not inherently angry. I am angry about something. So my anger has a meaning. It is not a personality trait. I may be strong enough to make it through difficult circumstances, but that is n ot because I have an inherent inborn capacity for strength – it is because I have very few other options except to be strong or be destroyed.

The strategic management of human resources Essay

The strategic management of human resources - Essay Example This paper investigates the implementation of strategic human resource management (SHRM) integrating with the scope of linkages between SHRM and Corporate Strategy Process. To demonstrate the integration SHRM and corporate strategy process, strategic integration framework of Golden and Ramnujam's (1985) has considered as a base and evidences has been drawn from both global and UK corporate houses. The out6comes should provide support to the momentum for the HRM activity to accomplish an enhanced level of strategic integration with the corporate planning process. Evidence also supports that after integration HRM activities within the companies have gained a strategic status inside the business planning process. Yeung, A., & Brockbank, W., (1995) mentioned that a very important output of the planning process is a strategy for an organisation. The term strategy refers to what managers want the organisation to accomplish. A strategy positions the organisation in a particular place in the organisation's environment. On the other hand, human resource management (HRM) is the management function that deals with recruitment, placement, training, and development of organisation members. So, we can define strategic human resource management as the management process that involves an organisation's engaging in strategic planning and then acting on those plans by utilizing human resources to get better output and thus any organisation meet its goals. Managers always remember that most important resources are the people who supply the work, talent, creativity, and drive to the corporate strategy process. The Role of Strategic Management with the Corporate Strategy Process: Stephen, T, (1998) added that the corporate Strategy is the broad program for defining and achieving an organisation's objectives, the organisation's response to its environment over time. Basically, administrative tasks needed to put strategy into practice. The management process that involves an organisation engaging in strategic planning and then acting on those plans is known as strategic management. Strategic management provides a disciplined way for managers to make sense of the environment in which their organisation operates, and then to act. In broad terms, two phases are involved: 1. Strategic planning is the name we customarily give to the sense-making activity. This includes both the goal setting and the strategy-formulation processes that Hofer, C. W. Schendel, D., (1978) distinguished. 2. Strategy implementation is the name we customarily give to actions based on that kind of planning. This stage includes Hofer, C. W. Sch

Political and Social Reality of the City of Seoul Research Paper

Political and Social Reality of the City of Seoul - Research Paper Example Polarization refers to the process of grouping of two opinions into two extreme ends. Social polarization arises from the normal societal stratifications and depicts itself in nearly every aspect of life in the people habiting a particular geographical location. Polarization arises from conventions of life some of which people abide by naturally yet others follow economic capabilities and stratification mechanisms. Every community, including the modern day urban settlements, have different opinions among its inhabitants often resulting in either polarization or quasi polarization.   The city of Seoul in southern Korea is therefore no exception and experiences one of the most radical extents of polarization evident in its pattern of habitation and the people’s way of life in the city. The special city of Seoul is the capital city of South Korea and arguably the largest modern day metropolis in the entire Korea. It is home to approximately fifty million people most of whom are South Korean nationals but also provides residence to more than ten million international business people (O'Loughlin 33). The city has an elaborate design, one that considers and showcases the economic growth of the country and its interesting history. The architecture of most skyscrapers in the city embodies the modernism in design and comfort but also imbed the rich cultural history of the South Korean people. The wide clean highways, the artistically tall building structures, and the every glaring subway stations among other interesting features such as Seoul’s nightlife all act as a unifying feature to the diverse people of the city. However, behind the glamor and the beauty, the truth of the city lies in a more analytical scrutiny of the residences’ way of life. ...where is accessible and every product available in the market, the price tag on the commodities and services in the market always ensure that the rich rarely interacted with the poor. Additionally, it provides for an effective mechanism of keeping the rich to their own society and possibly denying the poor access to such societies. Seoul is one such city. Being an industrial country, the South Korean economy grows very fast with international businesses giving rise to extremely wealthy businesspersons and business empires. The wealth disparity and economic imbalance influence the design since the city has to include all its residences despite their financial positioning. This has resulted in the birth of two residential regions namely the Gangnam and the Gangbuk.  

United States school reform model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

United States school reform model - Essay Example Public schools in the US are long overdue for reform. The pedagogy, governance, and organization are archaic, as are the methods of teaching and day to day operations. Yet it is no small task to overhaul a system that has been in place for well over one hundred years. There have been several attempts to change the way schools were run, yet each one has failed, or has affected change on only a few schools. Few would argue that America's public schools are no longer meeting the needs of the families they serve, much less reaching their potential as ideal environments for children to grow and learn in. Schools are essential to society, but they must grow and change to meet the needs of the people that reside within that society. To change schools, it is necessary to look at change to the way schools are run, both at a micro and a macro level or organization. It is necessary to look at how the school should interact within the community, and how it should create its' own community. And f inally, it is necessary to look at the pedagogy, and how it works and is assessed within the schools.Current school government is convoluted, and is micro-managed at far too many levels. Each school has government, then each district, then each county, each state, each region, and finally, on a country-wide level. This overabundance of government comes also with very little organization. Tyack looks at governance as a definite place of difficulty in education. Citing the New York City schools as an example, he points out that when control is de-centralized, people demand centralized governance; yet when the governance is centralized, the people want governance back at the local level. When it returns, the cycle repeats itself (Tyack 76-77). It is clear that governance of schools needs to be clear about hierarchy of power, and also with regard to who is in charge of what areas of education. Because American's are an ever changing population characterized by the constant shifting and movement of groups from one area to another, it stands to reason that public schools should be run on a country wide level, and not on a state run level. Goodlad, author of A Place Called School, recommends similar changes, only at a state level. He explains "State officials, including the governor, should be held accountable for articulating a comprehensive, consistent set of educational goals for schools (Goodlad 275). He suggests that it is not reasonable, nor logical to place the blame for not following educational mandates upon schools; that it is the responsibility of the state to pass on these new mandates, and to ensure that the schools are funded for the changes (Goodlad 274). His recommendations are reasonable, although they do not account for the need to maintain standards country-wide, which would be better served by one organization rather than several. By limiting governance to one major organization, all schools would be subject to the same rules and tests, allowing c hildren to move from school to school with regular uniformity. Health codes and nutrition could also be met at a federal level, ensuring the health of America's children over the long term. Clearly, in addition to federal level government there needs to be local organization also, to provide support and to ensure all schools are accounted for. This can be met by having state level governance, removing the need for district level altogether. With-in schools, current governance allows for the handling of discipline and day to day operations. The principal of each school should have power over the daily operations of the school, but should also be a part of the staffing decisions and possibly a member of a state advisory board, that would help suggest curriculum or other changes to a state committee. School governance needs to take into account American Society, and the changes that take place yearly. Community involvement is also a necessary component of school success. Goodlad suggests that in

Please write a response on two episodes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Please write a response on two episodes - Essay Example He is undeniably intrigued by a scientific approach taken to food and he very subtly also inculcates this interest in the viewers also. It is normally thought that when it comes to food, one cannot reinvent the wheel. However, Ferran Adria is one man who experiments with his food in a laboratory which suggests that the wheel is in fact reinvented. Bourdain certainly has a very distinct food philosophy which he seems to energetically defend in this video, Decoding Ferran Adria. The bedrock of this food philosophy is formed by the idea that the most riveting and soulful kind of food cannot be produced under laboratory conditions. Such kind of food is mostly found in the most chaotic kind of kitchens where sweating chefs struggle to keep up with the customers’ orders. However, the revolutionary approach taken to food by Adria appears to have mesmerized Bourdain because it somehow turns out to be

Reading Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Reading Summary - Essay Example to identify changing customers’ requirements, identify adjacencies that may complement its existing products and in general, developed new products that anticipate customers’ needs. The networked solution generates pool of creative ideas that are tested for their relevance and undergo comprehensive R&D, marketing research, marketing and other functions before they are launched. It has given P&G significant competitive advantage in the market. ‘Tapping the World’s Innovation Hot Spots’ informs one about the different ways firms innovate in order to meet their strategic goals. The authors have broadly identified five major models of innovations that are used by firms: focused factory; brute force; Hollywood; large-scale ecosystem; and system integration. Focused factory model concentrates on few tasks or fields using talent pool to innovate. Brute force utilizes large number of ideas to develop highly useful and creative products. Firms forge alliances with universities and academia to tap new ideas. Hollywood model helps create special place like Silicon Valley where smart entrepreneurs gather and thrash out new ideas for innovation. Large-scale ecosystem is developed as response to emergencies or external environment like economic breakdown. Initiatives are often taken by national governments that give incentives to domestic agencies. System integration refers to services including R&D facilities and infrastructure that may be used by other firms to align their corporate strategies with models of innovation that best complement their competencies or requirements. The article is important as it expands on firm’s innovation

Intercultural communication class- movie reviewed by applying concepts Review

Intercultural communication class- reviewed by applying concepts - Movie Review Example nitiate the relationship, in this movie, Toula and Ian pursue each other equally despite the conflicts that exist within and across their family and culture. Toula’s father, who is considered as the main cause of conflict, desperately wants her daughter to marry a Greek man and have lots of babies. However she does the opposite and this sparks all this conflicts. The lower context conflict that occurs between Toula and Ian is across cultures. This is because Toula is a Greek and works at her father’s restaurant. According to their family and cultural value and beliefs they should not marry outside their ethnicity. However she ends up falling in love with Ian Miller who is a non-Greek. This high power distance pushes her away from her family and consequently and she tries to seek refuge on Ian family where she also faces discrimination. This conflict between their two cultures tries to pull them apart however they later come to terms with the fact their cultures are different and they overcome the challenges. ( Kehr, D .2002). Conversely, a high context conflict within culture can be seen when Toula has issues with her father in terms of who she should marry. When she falls in love with Ian, who is outside their Greek culture, this pushes her away from her father who disowns her. This is because her father who believes in high power distance had earlier requested that she marry a staunch Greek who she can have many children. To try to overcome this she quits her job in their restaurant moves to the outside world and joins college. Another high context conflict depicted in the movie is the internal conflict within Toula, she is undecided on who to choose between the love of her life Ian and Her beloved family. She is also in doubt on whether Ian should convert to Greek or their families are the one to learn to integrate the two cultures. Regardless of how it is hard making these decisions are, she decides to move away from her family and joins college where

Health problem in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Health problem in Qatar - Essay Example To deal with obesity, there is need to have a multidisciplinary approach to the issue. It needs an intervention of all stakeholders to ensure that there is sanity in the eating and physical activity behavior among the people of Qatar. One of the major ways of mitigating this epidemic in the country is through health education among the people of Qatar. Their eating habits have been made worse by the cultural practices that dictates one have enough to eat while visiting a friend and failure to do so is violating the cultural values. This health education and creation of awareness among the people is fundamental to reducing this problem.Health education can be approached in a number of ways to ensure that all the targeted people are reached early enough before the calamity strikes. To start with is introducing this health education in the educational curriculum of the country. Children from a tender age should have the vital information on health behaviors from their education system. The effects of these unhealthy behaviors should be taught to children while in school at the same time, thought about the best ways of modifying their eating behavior. This has been practiced in quite a number of countries all over the world and has borne fruits with the end result being reduced rates of diabetes among children. For instance, in the United States, there is increased awareness among school going children on the best practices and foods to take over time.

A management meeting Essay Example for Free

A management meeting Essay Locate and book room/s with suitability for the meeting (teleconference facilities, IT equipment etc). Ideally, 1 large room with 3 smaller meeting rooms for the group activities later in the day. Seating would need to be arranged as there will be people on teleconference, they will need to hear anything being said in the meeting. 2. Send out meeting invites to all attendees. This would list the venue, date and time, speaker, contact details. An agenda of the meeting would be the best way to send out these details as it lists all that information and lets attendees knows how the meeting will be run. 3. Any travel/accommodation for interstate attendees would need to be arranged. Also the same for the guest speaker (if needed). Transfers to and from the airport would be advisable. 4. They would need to ensure if there are any special requirements for the attendees (dietary, mobility, language etc.) and make special arrangements if anything is required – Vegetarian food, wheel chair access, interpreter etc. 5. Arrange IT equipment to be made available for presentation. This could be either through your company if they have the available resources. If not, they may be available already in the meeting rooms you have booked or you could us a 3rd party. 6. Lunch will need to be ordered. Again this may be able to be arranged with the meeting rooms you have booked or you can organize a local caterer. At the same time you could organize refreshments for afternoon tea (and morning tea if required). 7. Ensure all stationary available and if not it will need to be ordered. This could also be for group training later in the day. Butcher paper, whiteboards etc. could all be used if it’s a brainstorming session. 8. Name tags could be organized if managers do not know each other and also may help the presenter for the group meetings. 9. On the day of meeting, all IT equipment should be tested prior to the meeting taking place. Room should be set up according to needs and re-arranged if it’s not correct. 10. A chairperson would need to be selected to run the meeting. The CEO will be the chairperson for this meeting. As the chairperson, they would need to ensure the meeting runs on time, stays on topic and stick to the agenda. 11. The chairperson (the CEO in this case) would need to select a minute taker – this could be a PA or  someone else from the company. It would be helpful if they have taken minutes before or at least are capable of recording a high level of detail at a high pace. They could either take 12. minutes in short form at the meeting and expand on it after or type directly to a PC in the meeting and print out directly after the meeting to be review. 12. Prior to the meeting, the CEO and selected minute taker would need to sit down and discuss what will be spoken about in the meeting, the order of events and just a brief overview of all the key points that will need to be recorded. This way the minute taker knows what they should be focusing on when making notes. 13. Once the meeting is finalized the minutes of the meeting will need to be read through and expanded into a format that can be distributed to all attendees and anyone who may benefit from them. It would be best for the CEO and the minute taker to go through these soon after the meeting to ensure the notes are correct and no key points or discussion points are left off. Once they have had a chance to go through the notes – the minute taker can put into a format which the company uses and can then look at distributing via email, fax or mail. This is also best to be done as soon as they can so it is fresh in everyone’s mind. The minutes from this meeting (and others) should be stored electronically so they can be referenced to in future meetings if needed. 14. All the bookings/arrangements need to be checked off to ensure they are still booked/on time and that no problems are going to arise. This could be done by either the CEO’s PA or generally it would be organized and checked by the Marketing department for the company as they deal with these things on a day to day basis. They would need to call the caterers, travel agents, taxi companies, audio visual people and meeting facility to ensure everything is ok – this needs to be done around 2 days before. Any earlier and there could be problems between when you call and the actual function – any later and if any problems arise it could be too late to make alternative arrangements. 15. From the minutes of the meeting, reports may need to be created to be handed out to relevant employees of the firm. These may have the same details as what is in the minutes but in a more condensed format. It may also include graphs if figures/dates were mentioned and tables to make it easier to understand. They could also include any tasks that have  been assigned so people know who needs to be followed up.

Air Traffic Management Concept Essay Example for Free

Air Traffic Management Concept Essay This paper aims to show some major issues regarding the integration of future ground-based ATM decision support systems (The Air Traffic Management Concept) and how these systems will improve the human factor in the air traffic system. If present airspace procedures continue as it is, escalating traffic demands are presumed to compromise many things. Among these are on-time performance, security, and safety. Dealing with these escalating airspace aptitude prerequisites would necessitate considerable adjustment and enhancement to current-day procedures. One attempt in solving this problem is to give airlines more liberty in doing their own schedules and selections of traffic routes while still continuing to disperse tasks for partition and arrival planning to the ATSP. ATSP stands for Air Traffic Service Providers. Air Traffic Control-oriented tactics centers on airspace reorganization and development or improving of tools for air traffic managers and controllers which in turn, would enable them to handle air traffic more carefully and effectively. In the Air Traffic Management segment of the Terminal Area Productivity program, they were working on the incorporation of future ground-based ATM decision support systems with that of FMS (Flight Management System) furnished aircraft contained in the terminal district, the researches and illustrations centered on amplifying airport capacity. They do this by making use of the CTAS or Center TRACON Automation System for producing effective trajectories. Data connect for communicating the said trajectories into the aircraft and Flight Management System furnished aircraft for flying them accurately (The Boeing Company, 2001). In this regard major airports which are plagued by the difficulties of aircraft arrival rushes should be studied. The objective was to present a safe, highly competent flow of traffic which would begin from en route into TRACON airspace which dependably transports aircraft to the runway entry, while preserving as much flight crew suppleness and authorities as sensible. Triumphant planning and implementation of an effective arrival flow necessitates a meticulous knowledge of all aircraft and operators. Knowledge on traffic managements as well as on spacing limitations is also needed. It should also include synchronization among controllers, flight crews, as well as traffic administration. The plan for future ground-based ATM decision support systems could be imagined as a human-centered system on which the controllers as well as the pilots would employ processes, flight management mechanization as well as evaluation support tools to aggressively supervise traffic arrival. It could be seen that they aim for a future air traffic system which are run and supervised by the ATSP and they anticipate this to be ready by 2010. ATSP stands for Air Traffic Service Providers (NASA Ames Research Center, 2002). . The operational theory for attaining effectiveness developments over current procedures is to map an effective arrival stream earlier than necessary and then implement the arrival plan as accurately as could be. They also presented a â€Å"multi-sector arrival planner† Air Traffic Control arranges to link the breach among traffic administrators, dispatchers as well as the sector controllers. The planner’s duties include producing the most effective schedule and arrangement for all incoming aircraft and conflict-free flight routes which would always be able to meet the schedules. The planner organizes the engendered flight routes. The sector controllers concerns would then on use a graphical coordination apparatus. After analyzing the recommended flight path, the sector controllers delivers fitting authorizations to the flight crews. The flight crews would then pursue the cleared path accurately applying their flight management mechanization. Sector controllers are in charge in preserving division and modifying the arrival plan to new situations. Automation and processes are planned in order to aid with all the above mentioned tasks (Advanced Air Transportation Technologies, 1999). The Terminal Area Productivity concept is more calculated than the current system but the controllers are vigorously engaged with everything in the procedure of developing and implementing a traffic flow plan which would be used for arrival rush. Although it drastically modifies the tasks of the stakeholders it does not alter their accountabilities. The first flight deck oriented recreation revealed that data link procedure in the fatal region was adequate and advantageous for the flight crews. Usually crews favor a Boeing 777 which decreases heads-down time on the arena. They could productively use the sides flight management purpose LNAV to the concluding method fix. A VSD model was launched to aid in using Flight Management System automation nearer to the ground. This was meted with high markings by the flightcrews. Vital workload or operation disparities cannot be found among situations with and without the Vertical Situation Display or VSD (The Boeing Company, 2001). A flight reproduction at NASA Langley Research Center yielded a promising result. It showed that miscalculations on arrival time at the closing approach fix could be considerably lessened. This could be done by flying TRACON trajectories with Flight Management System supervision as compared with heading vectors. The preliminary illustration of CTAS/FMS procedures with controllers showed the promise for augmenting the effectiveness of arrival streams by using the CTAS tools for planning and supervising. The devised controller interface with the mechanization and the data link was tolerable. However, it could still make use of further enhancements. There are a number of drawbacks which had been mentioned here. Among the said drawbacks are too much information in the data block, an inept and complex course trial planning interface as well as the three button mouse. The operational concept however, obtained good feedbacks and the controllers were eager for the promise it shows. The Advanced Air Transportation Technology is a branch of NASA’s ASC program. ASC stands for Aviation System Capacity. Its goal is to better the overall operation of NAS (National Airspace System). In so as to attain this goal AATT is building up decision support technologies and processes to help National Airspace System stakeholders. The vision of the Advanced Air Transportation Technology Project concerning far-term National Airspace System procedures is represented in the Distributive Air Ground Traffic Management concept (Advanced Air Transportation Technologies, 1999). Distributed Air Ground Traffic Management is aiming for a free-flight environment on which flight crews would be able to take more part on decision making processes. Rather than merely implementing controller directions, the crews would have more liberty in asking for and choosing flight routes. Developed on-board automation for variance detection and resolve would affect the pilot’s behavior, hence influencing controller’s attitude and placing more conditions on ground automation and information sharing. The Distributed Air Ground concepts cover an assortment of probable means to handle arrivals varying from continuous free-flight to fully ground-controlled. There are two extremes in the process. The first is the free-flight to the threshold. The second is Ground (ATSP) Controlled Arrival. The free-flight to the threshold entails that the flight deck in charge for route planning and division from the aircraft all the way through the arrival. The aircraft turns up at the Center in free flight. It is accountable for extricating itself from other traffic. Traffic flow management restraints for going into the terminal region are made accessible to the flight crew. The flight crews in turn modify their terminal arrival plan fittingly. Upon drawing near the TRACON airspace, the flight crews pick the aircraft which they desire to track to the threshold and choose the appropriate assimilating and spacing boundaries then they would go after the lead aircraft to the runway. Ground (ATSP) controlled arrival is another extreme in that this is very near to the concept illustrated on the earlier TAP research. Upon coming in the terminal airspace free flight is terminated for the incoming traffic. Ground-based traffic managers are then responsible for two things. Their responsibility ranges from making a schedule and arrival trajectories to communicating them to the aircrafts. The aircraft could downlink a certain flight path demand that the Air Traffic Service Providers may or may not agree into. Accountability for division and route planning keeps on the ground all over the course of the arrival stage. The flight crew obtains more tactical Flight Management System and spacing authorizations than in today’s tactical settings (NASA Ames Research Center, 2002). Free flight to the threshold would necessitate added aircraft equipment. This may involve RTA and CDTI. Conflict detection and resolution algorithm could also be included. RTA stands for Required Time of Arrival while CDTI stands for Cockpit Display of Traffic Information. Ground controlled arrivals are a little different. They do not make use of the aircraft abilities in the most effective conduct. Aside from that they put the whole flow supervision problems on the controller. The future air traffic system would direct arrivals in such a way that it would be lying between the boundaries of the two extremes mentioned earlier. This opens the possibility of moving from ground-controlled into a free-flight (NASA Ames Research Center, 2002). Experiments and operational performances would illustrate which concept seems to be most suitable. The amount of free-flight against Air Traffic Control could be dependent on the traffic circumstances, facility performances, aircraft equipments, and airline inclinations. Those who are in charge sees the need for the air traffic system to be devised to have room for all potential forms operation between the extremes discussed in this paper. Thus, all enabling technologies ought to be enhanced, incorporated and assessed, including the following: a. Cockpit Display of Traffic Information with airborne conflict detection b. FMS with Required Time of Arrival capacities. c. On-board integration and spacing apparatus d. ADS-B and CPDLC data link communication e. Traffic Management advisory apparatus f. Ground-based conflict detection and resolution g. Ground based tools for trajectory generation with meet time constraints (NASA Ames Research Center, 2003) Most of the above mentioned equipments are already obtainable in remote examination models. Those in charge are presently in the course of assimilating them at NASA Ames Research Center to generate a model environment that permits examining these concerns. They are also expanding an arrival concept that supplies the elasticity to alter the quantity of self division to traffic flow management restraints and other necessities. They also originally mean to maintain the free-flight airspace apart from the ground-controlled airspace. The border can be denoted as a curve about the meter fix or the adjacent arrival gate or a plain elevation floor. This can be attuned for traffic intricacy. Very low traffic circumstances could be different. In such cases the free flight region could be as near to the airport as the gauge fix. The arrival setting starts with the aircraft which would arrive at the Center in what they call to be a â€Å"free maneuvering mode†. The flight crews are in charge for division, traffic management restraints at the metering fix are then on relayed from the planner. This is done by using the CTAS Traffic Management Advisor to the flight level, the flight crew on the other hand, is the one anticipated to prepare their flight route to land at the metering fix near the probable time. That is, if scheduling is necessary. The flight crew would then be informed as to where the free flight periphery presently stops. The flight crew would also be informed when to confirm things with the controller (NASA Ames Research center, 2002). The arrival planner continues appraising the circumstances by means of Descent Advisor apparatus and attempts to produce an arrival arrangement for the ground-controlled airspace that the arrival planner would convey to the sector controllers. Once the sector controller obtains the test in from the free maneuvering aircraft, he would then on call off free flight and release the arrival authorization to the aircraft. This would be founded on aircraft choice and arrival plan in that they are likely to fly the arrival authorization to the meter fix accurately. The Center TRACON Automation System apparatus help the TRACON controllers in shaping appropriate aircraft pairs for getting in-trail spacing authorizations. Division in charge hangs about with the organizer all the way through the TRACON (NASA Ames Research center, 2002). This setting permits us to examine most facets of the appropriate Distributive Air Ground Traffic Management concept fundamentals and constructs on the preceding arrival research especially since current deliberations with controllers and pilots was met with positive feedbacks. Among the probable advantages of Distributive Air Ground Traffic Management are: †¢ Amplified user effectiveness/flexibility. DAG-TM presents users paramount prospect to self-optimize their ventures within the vigorous restraints of the Air Traffic Management System. †¢ Amplified system capabilities. Allocation of division accountability to properly furnished aircraft and Air Traffic Service Providers-based DSTs could possibly lessen controller workload, thus permitting the Air Traffic Service Providers to control more traffic. †¢ Amplified system safety because of an important increase in situational understanding and allocation of workload. †¢ Allocation of the expenditures for National Air Space innovation between users and the Air Traffic Service Providers. †¢ Lessened user reliance upon Air Traffic Service Providers assistances and a ground-based infrastructure. This could also intensify global interoperability (Advanced Air Transportation Technologies, 1999). As could be seen the integration of future ground-based ATM decision support systems is very promising. These new technology would indeed be helpful in aiding to augment the overstrained air traffic control systems. This new technology let aircrafts operate safely about traffic and airspace perils (i. e. weather), while still going in accordance with the traffic flow restraints delivered by ground-based controllers (Advanced Air Transportation Technologies, 1999). To try this particular concept, they asked pilots and air traffic controllers to coordinate with each other along with the NASA researchers for a combined simulation. The simulation utilized air traffic control and deck laboratories. This joint simulation tested our technology in an almost real-world environment, stated project manager Mike Landis. More than 20 pilots sat at computer workstations flying simulated aircraft into a mock-up of the Dallas/Fort Worth airspace. Pilots also flew one of NASA’s high-fidelity, full- motion flight simulators in the joint experiment. The air traffic controllers were able to see all of these aircraft on displays, and the pilots used an autonomous flight management system to plan their own routes and safely and seamlessly fit into the traffic flow. Controllers were able to watch their progress on simulated air traffic control monitors (Dino, 2004). The airborne segment of the mock-up employed promising technologies which offered real-time air traffic and risk information. It also examined all aircrafts and airspace peril in the surrounding area. Complicated cockpit technology warned the pilots to any sign of conflicts. It also alerts the pilots into how to stop more difficulties when maneuvering. Solutions were offered mechanically or with the use of manual flight route planning apparatus. This is a visual illustration of the DAG-TM concept. â€Å"On the ground, air traffic controllers used new computer software to work the mix of autonomous and conventional air traffic. NASA researchers developed experimental controller workstations for the joint simulation, integrating custom display enhancements with special planning, traffic flow management, and pilot-controller communication technologies† (Dino, 2004). Special software was used to aid in running the traffic flow. This special software was also used to aid the aircrafts which were not furnished with the self-sufficient flight management system, in this regard air traffic control automation observed every aircrafts. They are also responsible for cautioning the controller regarding possible conflicts. These conflicts could be found amid the autonomous and managed traffic. Researchers also examined the way the pilots and air traffic controllers coped with this new invention. Researchers measured how hard the pilots and controllers were working, said Parimal Kopardekar, human factors and operations sub-project manager. Its important that they find this job relatively easy to do, even as traffic levels go up. We believe the computer automation technology will make a big difference (Dino, 2004). As could be seen the future ground-based ATM decision support systems is very promising. It is of great help for managing air traffic. This method could consent for the effective planning of flights with the use of the most effective paths and flexibility in flight processes. Little by little, as air carriers furnish aircrafts with new technologies, they could effortlessly incorporate them into the system and harvest instant advantages. As air travel rebounds in the coming years, additional traffic will tax the air traffic control system beyond its current capability, said Mark Ballin, aircraft systems and operations sub-project manager. NASA is working to develop technologies to transform the way air traffic is managed (Dino, 2004). A definition for DAG-TM was organized by a multi-disciplinary squad. This team was created by the AATT project office, the Distributed Air Ground Traffic Management is illustrated by allocated decision-making among the flight deck, Air Traffic service Providers and AOC. It is also a National Airspace System operation which augments user effectiveness, flexibility and system capabilities. The Distributed Air Ground Traffic Management advocates that the said definition be assessed as one probable expansion of the numerous Free Flight execution methods presently under deliberation. The concept of strategic arrival management illustrated in the Terminal Area Productivity research could be seen to have many potential. The Distributive Air Ground research shifts from a ground-controlled setting to a more disseminated setting with probably uneven division tasks. NASA Ames is presently organizing a research setting to examine Distributive Air Ground Traffic Management with all main technologies incorporated. Preliminary concepts and settings have been identified and conferred with pilot or controller center groups. Based from the simulations they conducted one could not help but admit the promises this new technology offers. If this new technology is put into use soon it could greatly help in saving time. It would also be beneficial in the sense that this new technology advocates safety as one of its primary goals. As air traffic lessen, safety increases and with that there is definitely no reason not to support this new development. References Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT), Project Aviation System Capacity (ASC), Program National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (1999). Concept Definition for Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM) [Electronic Version]. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www. asc. nasa. gov/aatt/dagconop. pdf Dino, J. (2004). Coast-to-Coast Simulation Tests New Air Traffic Management Concepts [Electronic Version]. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www. nasa. gov/vision/earth/improvingflight/DAG-TM. html NASA Ames Research Center. (2002). DAG-TM Concept Element 5 En Route Free Maneuvering Operational Concept Description [Electronic Version]. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www. asc. nasa. gov/aatt/rto/RTOFinal72_DAGCE50CD. pdf NASA Ames Research Center (2003). DAG-TM Concept Element 6 En Route Trajectory Negotiation Operational Concept Description [Electronic Version]. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www. asc. nasa. gov/aatt/rto/RTOFinal72_DAGCE60CD. pdf The Boeing Company. (2001). Air Traffic Management [Electronic Version]. Retrieved November 10, 2007, from http://www. emotionreports. com/downloads/pdfs/traffic_management. pdf

Financial And Market Analysis Of Premium Economy Business Commerce Essay

Financial And Market Analysis Of Premium Economy Business Commerce Essay In the airlines industry, in order to achieve success in the market competition, superior market players have to generate a good understanding about the underlying demands in the market. Traditionally, airlines provide three major flight classes to the customers, namely economy, business and first class flight and services. With the prosperous economic development and the increasing demand in air travel, the idea of premium economy is introduced and it is now being widely accepted by the airline industry. Premium economy, or maybe called differently by different airline companies, generally offers a wider space and more premium service to passengers, and accordingly, requires a higher ticket price. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current performance outcomes and the market potential of premium economy business. The first question will be answered with the comparison and analysis of five selected airline companies which have already launched premium economy business during operation. These five airline companies include Qantas, United Airways, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airbus, and ANA. Then based on the performance outcome comparison, the second question will be answered with a further market demands and input-output analysis. 2.0 Premium economy business in the five selected airline companies Premium economy, a niche market strategy widely introduced in long haul market of business travel, is not standardized. In United Airways, the idea of premium economy is called Economy Plus; while in British Airways, it is called World Traveler Plus. Meanwhile, premium economy business is being carried out differently in the five selected airline companies. Some may only provide extra legroom with other service no more different from standard economy; while other airline companies may emphasize a clear distinction from traditional business by introducing priority boarding, excellent on board service and entertainment, etc. 2.1 Qantas premium economy business Premium Economy is available on all Qantas A380 aircraft and selected B747-400 aircraft with selected flights from Sydney to Los Angeles, London, Singapore, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, San Francisco and New York, and from Melbourne to Los Angeles, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. In Qantas premium economy project, passengers are entitled to benefits such as priority check-in, extra legroom for stretch out and relax, personal TV, laptop power for all premium economy seats, and priority in disembarkation. Qantas has introduced three types of aircraft and twelve scheduled flights to provide premium economy business. Detailed seat information is extracted and analyzed. Averagely, premium economy delivers a 2 extra inches of seat width, 7 extra inches of legroom. However, with an analysis into the seat number, it can be seen that premium economy business is not so widely introduced in Qantas. Averagely, seats for premium economy business just take up 9% of the total available seats in one flight. As to the ticket price for each class, generally, in Qantas, premium economy is generally 80% more expensive than standard economy. And the price for premium economy stays quite the same for the whole month, thus preventing discount for advanced bookings (Qantas, n.d.). 2.2 United Airways premium economy business Premium economy is widely available on 15 types of aircrafts in the United Airways. The flight routes are selected between a variety of North American destinations and Hawaii. In United Airways, premium economy is called as economy plus, which is not a separate class of service but differs from standard economy with up to 3 to 5 inches of extra legroom. Generally, seats for economy plus are located nearer to the front of the aircraft, so that passengers in this section will be served first. Benefits such as priority check-in, personal TV, laptop powers, or priority in disembarkation are not entitled to economy plus passengers. Averagely, premium economy delivers almost the same inches of seat width, 4 extra inches of legroom. With a look into the seat numbers, the total average seats available on these aircrafts are 210, and averagely, seats for premium economy business take up 23.7% (50 seats) of the total available seats. As to the ticket price for each class, generally, in United Airways, premium economy cost much the same with standard economy (United Airways, n.d.). 2.3 British Airways premium economy business Premium economy is called world travelers plus in British Airways, and it is available on 5 types of aircrafts and a variety of flight routes. In British Airways world travelers plus project, passengers are entitled to benefits such as priority check-in, extra legroom for stretch out and relax personal TV, laptop power, and priority in disembarkation. Averagely, premium economy delivers almost the same inches of seat width, 7 extra inches of legroom. With a look into the seat numbers, the total average seats available on these aircrafts are 268, and averagely, seats for premium economy business take up 11.5% (30 seats) of the total available seats. As to the ticket price for each class, generally, in British Airways, premium economy is generally 90% more expensive than standard economy (British Airways, n.d.). 2.4 Virgin Atlantic premium economy business Premium economy is available on 6 types of aircrafts and a variety of flight routes. In Virgin Atlantic premium economy project, passengers are entitled to benefits such as priority check-in, extra legroom for stretch out and relax personal TV, laptop power, and priority in disembarkation. Averagely, premium economy delivers a 4 extra inches of seat width, 7 extra inches of legroom. With a look into the seat numbers, the total average seats available on these aircrafts are 360, and averagely, seats for premium economy business take up 12.6% (45 seats) of the total available seats. As to the ticket price for each class, generally, in Virgin Atlantic, premium economy is generally 46% more expensive than standard economy (Virgin Atlantic, n.d.). 2.5 ANA premium economy business Premium economy is available on 5 types of aircrafts in ANA. The flight routes are selected from Nagoya to Taipei and Tianjin routes, Narita-Hong Kong route, Narita and North America as well as the NRT LHR route. In ANA, premium economy differs from standard economy by providing priority check-in, laptop powers, and priority in disembarkation. Averagely, premium economy delivers almost the same inches of seat width, 4 extra inches of legroom. With a look into the seat numbers, the total average seats available on these aircrafts are 257, and averagely, seats for premium economy business take up 12.3% (32 seats) of the total available seats. As to the ticket price for each class, generally, in ANA, premium economy cost much the same with standard economy (ANA, n.d.). 2.6 Comparison of the premium economy business With the introduction about the five selected airline companies premium economy business, it is noted that all the five companies have provided passengers with up to 7 inches of extra legroom. Additionally, except for United Airways, Qantas, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and ANA have provided extra benefits for check-in/out and on board service. Such benefits can save much time spent on travel and could leave passengers with a good service impression. However, such benefits are provided with the increase in operation costs. Moreover, the adoption levels of premium economy differentiated with each other to a great extent. Among the five airline companies, Qantas has the lowest percentage of premium economy seats to the total available seats at around 9%; while for United Airways, the percentage of premium economy seats to the total available seats is at the highest level around 23.7%. The diversification in product portfolio may generate the problem of cutting costs down. 3.0 Financial performance of the five selected airline companies As no specific revenue information on the premium economy business could be available from the companies released financial reports, comparison of the financial performance for the five airline companies would be carried out with theoretical analysis. For the airline industry, major airlines have long been troubled by the matter of tremendous fixed costs such as the repair and maintenance of the aircraft, overhead costs and the increasing costs of fuels. In order to cover such costs, airline companies need a great number of passengers to meet the break-even point. In calculating the break even points for each airline service product, the companies may generally follow the formulas below (Horngren, Sundem Stratton, 2002) Break even point (for output) = fixed cost / contribution per unit Contribution (p.u) = selling price (p.u.) variable cost (p.u) Break even point (for sales) = fixed cost / contribution (pu) ÃÆ'- selling price (pu) During operation, the companies will try to lower the break even points so that they can maximize their profits. In order to achieve this, companies can get down on the following aspects: control the fixed cost, increase the output units (loaded passengers), or increase the selling price. As to fixed cost control, it mainly involves improvement on internal control and management; while the pricing strategy will be mainly affected by the passenger market. 4.0 Product profitability analysis When making decisions on new product launches, the companies should assess the profitability of current product portfolio, and the potential profits which may be generated with a new product portfolio. Due to the fact that premium economy generally provides passengers with up to 7 inches of extra legroom and above 2 inches of extra seat width, the introduction of premium economy will inevitably lower the fixed cost amortization. However, if the implementation could generate more loaded passengers, then the decline in fixed cost amortization could be subsidized. The impact of decreased fix cost amortization could be measured by assuming that if the same level of product profits be generated, how many loaded passengers are required. With the figures calculated, a market analysis should be carried out to find out whether such target could be achieved. 5.0 Market acceptance and market potential Every individual in the global world could be potential customer to the player. However, due to limitations resulting from factors like geography, operation scales, cost and benefit principal, etc, the player has to narrow down onto series of segment markets and figure out its target customers, and then focus its marketing efforts and its merchandise on the selected areas (Kurtz, 2010). Information about target consumers backgrounds and their complex buying decision making process is an indispensable part of accurate market identification and positioning activity (Nicosia, 1966). The idea of premium economy is firstly introduced to address the increasing demand from business travel. Unlike traditional market strategy which emphasize heavily on price and cost, strategies for premium economy pays more attention to the product and service quality, as in many cases price is not the primary issue for the business traveler. With the help from advanced information technologies such as visual conferencing, instant messaging system, content management system, etc, business can be done with participants locating all around the world. However, when coming to circumstances under which face-to-face interaction is inevitable to the success of the business, air travel, for its convenience and time saving characteristics, will come as the first choice for business travelers. To such targeted business travelers, what they want most from the flight would generally be the comforts and time saving. Traditionally, the time spent on waiting for check-in/out procedures would almost be more than two hours, which may mean quite a huge time cost to the business. Moreover, exhausted by the uncomfortable sitting environment, passengers may take certain time to fresh up their spirit and energy. This may generally have negative impact on their performance. With the introduction of premium economy business, travelers are provided with more space in which they can stretch out regularly and release the pressure so that they will not feel tired after the journey. Moreover, with the priority in check-in and disembarkation, business travelers could save more time for other important issues. With the product being accepted in the market, it should also be figured out the potential market volume. According to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), in 1999, approximately 30 percent of passengers from London to New York were business travelers (1.14 million passengers) (Sky Trails Airline, Ltd, n.d.). If such percentage could be applied to other heated commercial flights, the total market potential could then be analyzed and the product profitability could be worked out accordingly. 6.0 Conclusion With the increasing demand of long haul travel and the increased consumptive power, the introduction of premium economy will become a popular and inevitable trend in the airline industry. In order to make a proper investment decision on product introduction, the airline companies should first work out the break even point of the new product, and then analyze whether such profit could be realized in the current market. Moreover, in introducing the product, the companies should also consider the characteristics and major demands of the passengers and then further tailor the products to their specific needs. List of references ANA, n.d., Premium Economy, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.ana.co.jp/wws/uk/e/travelservice/reservations/special/py/index.html British Airways, n.d., World Traveler Plus, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.britishairways.com/travel/world-traveller-plus/public/en_gb Horngren, C, Sundem, G Stratton, W 2002, Introduction to Management Accounting, Prentice Hall, London. Kurtz, DL 2010, Contemporary Marketing, 13nd edn, Thomson South-Western, Mason, Ohio. Nicosia, F 1966, Consumer Decision Processes, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs. Quantas, n.d., International Premium Economy, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.qantas.com.au/travel/airlines/international-premium-economy-class/global/en Sky Trails Airline, Ltd n.d., Business Plan, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/business-plans/Business-Plans-Volume-09/Airline-Company.html United Airways, n.d., Economy Plus, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1314,00.html Virgin Atlantic, n.d., Premium Economy, viewed 17 August 2010, http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/cn/whatsonboard/premiumeconomy/index.jsp