Swag Essay Example

Swag Essay Example Swag Essay Swag Essay Essay Topic: The Grapes Of Wrath Throughout the tale of the Goads migration to California, Ma had begun as a timid Oman without having much say in the family decisions, but steadily took on a dominant role as she threatened deputies, took care of her family, and began using a feisty mannerism that everyone obeyed. In The Grapes of Wrath, Ma is without doubt the one who holds the Goad family together because she Is the primary caretaker of everybody In the family and constantly pushes them until they achieve work and suitable living conditions. Ma is the primary caretaker of everyone, but a few instances stand out more than others. Though Ma is sassy to her pregnant daughter, Rose of Sharon, she also informs her at the Headache government camp when Rose of Sharon is upset about Connie, the father of her growing child, leaving her. Ma takes Rose of Sharon to the dance at the camp and promises not to allow anyone to touch her so she can enjoy the music without having to dance. They end up enjoying the night by each others side. Ma also comforts her other daughter, Ruttier, In an important scene where Ruthless gets in a fight with another girl and ends up bragging that her older brother, Tom Goad, Is currently hiding and wanted by police. An example of Mas impassion for Ruthless In this situation Is when Ma warns Pa that Ruthless told about Tom holding. Pa calls Ruthless a little blotch and Ma retorts, No, she din know what she was a-doing. Ruttier knows that she should not have done that and even though what she did put the whole family in jeopardy, Ma had motherly instincts and instantly comforted her little girl. When there are situations with her son, Tom, Ma is the one person that holds him back from going haywire and beating up cops. An instance where this is shown is when the Goad family leaves the Hoverflies camps to drive and look for work in Tulane. The car gets halted by men armed with pick handles and shotguns and Tom instantly becomes agitated by the rude men. He reaches for the pick handle in the car, but Ma caught his arm and held it powerfully. After driving off, Tom cannot retrain himself from crying anymore, so Ma reassures him saying tenderly, You done good. You done Jus good. Not only Is Ma a comforter with emotional problems In her family, but she also stands by Grammars side as he dies. When Grammar does die, she wraps him up appropriately In a comforter after tying his jaw together and placing two half-dollars on his eyelids. This are not alive and breathing anymore. Secondly, Ma is the main person who pushes the family on the road until they find safe conditions to work and live in. Her care and concern for her family is apparent throughout the whole book because of this constant pushing. An example is when Ma hurries them out of the comfortable Headache government camp. Though the living conditions there were filled with toilets, showers, and hospitable people, Ma knew the Goad family could not stay there anymore while there was no work to be found. When Pa tells Ma that the reason the men dont like looking for work is cause they know they wont find any, Ma replies fiercely, muff mint got the right to get discouraged. This here familys going under. You Jus mint got the right. When she says This here familys going under, it can be understood that her main concern is the family. The men finally begin discussing where to drive to and Ma interrupts saying, Well, we got to kit going, and going quick. I mint a-setting here no longer, no matter how nice. This quote is important because it shows that Ma puts the family before her own happiness because she was comfortable living in the government amp, but knew the family would not survive. She pushes them to leave the camp immediately that night, in hopes of finding work to sustain them. Another scene in the book where Ma pushes her family towards better conditions is when they are at the peach camp. Ma knows that they cannot stay there because the low wages are barely enough to keep the family alive every day and because it isnt safe for Tom to hide there with the cops looking for him. She rallies up the family and tells her clever plan for Tom to hide in a cave composed of mattresses on the back of the truck. At he end of her plan she states, Dont argue. Thats what well do. Those last two sentences show her authority and even Pa complains that it Seems like the man mint got no say no more. Also, when the flooded conditions at the boxcar camp in Chapter 30 become too unbearable, Ma announces that the children and her will be moving towards higher ground. Pa tries to weakly argue, but Ma retorts that the conditions are too wet for Rose of Sharon, so Pa eventually agrees to leave with them. This scene is important because the reader can infer from Mas strict attitude that once her mind was set, she would not let anyone stop her from helping her family be as comfortable as possibl e. In conclusion, Ma is the character in The Grapes of Wrath that holds the Goad family together. Arguably, the Goads would have gone down a rougher path if it had not been for Mas immense care for the well-being of the family that led her to become bossy. There are various scenes in the book that exhibit her obvious authority and leadership. Whether it is through emotional and physical care or the constant push to find better working and living conditions, Mas dominant role is apparent.

6 Factors in Choosing a Public vs. Private Education

6 Factors in Choosing a Public vs. Private Education What does your child need in order to succeed in attaining the best education for a promising future? This is a personal question that many parents ask themselves when choosing between a public or private education. Whats right for one child or family may not be ideal for another. To help you hone in on the best possible answer, there are generally six factors to consider.   1. What Does the Facility Offer? Many public school facilities are impressive; others are mediocre. The same is true of private schools. Private school facilities reflect the success of the schools development team and that of the school to continue to generate financial support from parents and alumni. Some private K-12 schools have facilities and amenities that surpass those found at many colleges and universities. Hotchkiss and Andover, for example, have libraries and athletic facilities on par with those at Brown and Cornell. They also offer academic and sports programs that make full use of all those resources. It is hard to find comparable facilities in the public sector- they are few and far between. Public schools also reflect the economic realities of their location. Wealthy suburban schools will often have more amenities than inner-city schools, as a rule. If your son is an aspiring football player, then a school with great athletic facilities and coaching staff should be a top priority.   2. How Many Students per Class? According to the National Center for Education Statistics report, Private Schools: A Brief Portrait,  private schools win out on this issue. Why? Most private schools have smaller class sizes, which may be ideal for a student who is easily distracted. One of the key points of private education is individual attention. You need student-to-teacher ratios of 15:1 or better to achieve that goal of individual attention. Many private schools boast class sizes of 10-15 students with 7:1 student-to-teacher ratios. Unlike private schools, a public school system must enroll almost anyone who lives within its boundaries, so generally, there are much larger class sizes- sometimes exceeding 35-40 students at some inner-city schools. However, even a large class can be a suitable learning environment if the students are well-behaved and led by a strong teacher. 3. Can the School Attract the Best Teachers? A schools ability to attract quality teachers is often tied to the salaries the school can afford to pay. Overall, public school teachers are generally better paid and have superior pension programs. Compensation varies widely, however, depending on the local economic situation and school location. For instance, teachers may earn less in Duluth, Minnesota, because its cheaper to live there than in San Francisco. Unfortunately, at some public schools, low starting salaries and small annual salary increases result in low teacher retention. Public sector benefits have historically been excellent; however, health and pension costs have risen so dramatically since the year 2000 that full-time public educators are often being forced to pay a larger share of the cost, while part-time educators may have to pay for it all. While private school compensation tends to be somewhat lower than public- again, much depends on the school and its financial resources- the often free amenities can make up for it. One private school benefit found especially in boarding schools is complimentary housing and meals, which accounts for the lower salary. Private school pension plans vary widely. Many schools use major pension providers such as TIAA. Both public and private schools require their teachers to be credentialed. This usually means a degree and/or  a teaching certificate. Private schools tend to hire teachers with advanced degrees in their subject over teachers who have an education degree. Put another way, a private school hiring a Spanish teacher will want that teacher to have a degree in Spanish language and literature as opposed to an education degree with a minor in Spanish. 4. How Much Will the School Cost You? Since local property taxes support the bulk of public education, the annual school budget exercise is a serious fiscal and political business. In poor communities or communities which have many voters living on fixed incomes, there is precious little room to respond to budget requests within the framework of projected tax revenue. Grants from foundations and the business community are essential to creative funding. Private schools, on the other hand, can raise tuition, and they also can raise significant amounts of money from a variety of development activities, including annual appeals, cultivation of alumni and alumnae, and solicitation of grants from foundations and corporations. The strong allegiance to private schools by their alumni makes the chances of fundraising success a real possibility in most cases. 5. Are There Administrative Issues? The bigger the bureaucracy, the harder it is to get decisions made at all, much less get them made quickly. The public education system is notorious for having antiquated work rules and bloated bureaucracies. This is as a result of union contracts and a host of political considerations. Private schools generally have a lean management structure. Every dollar spent has to come from operating income and endowment income. Those resources are finite. The other difference is that private schools rarely have teachers unions to deal with. 6. What Are the Expectations of Parents? Financial considerations are a major factor in determining if a public or private school is right for your family. However, you need to consider what will be expected in terms of time and commitment from you as well. Most private schools require students to be driven to and from school, and there are significant obligations for students to participate in activities outside of normal school hours. This means a lot of hours and miles for families every week to make it happen. A family needs to weigh the financial costs, time investment, and other factors. Public and private schools have their advantages and disadvantages, but with a little weighing of the pros and cons, you can easily figure out what is best for your child and for your family. Article edited by  Stacy Jagodowski