Teacher’s salary must be based on their student’s academic performance.

A strong foundation in education is a prerequisite for the social and economic progress of a nation. Several studies in recent times, including the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) results showed that United States is lagging behinds other industrialized nations when it comes to education.  In such a setting, efforts to revamp our educational system and improve our students’ academic performance are called for. Many people argue that teacher’s salary must be based on their student’s academic performance. I do not agree with this proposal.  Several factors play a role in a student’s education, and teachers being just one of the factors, should not be penalized for the lack luster performance of their students.

The academic performance of students varies among different school districts. The socioeconomic status of the students, the effort and interest their parents or care givers put in their education, the inborn and nurtured talents of the students, the guidance of the teachers, the environment at the school, the friends they have , all play a role in determining  a student’s performance in school.    While the role of a great teacher in fostering interest in education is significant, the role played by the students themselves and their caregivers cannot be minimized. Poor neighborhoods, communities with racial minorities and immigrants may have schools with students who do not perform as well as their peers form a different socioeconomic background. If the teachers’ remuneration is undermined by the poor performance, many teachers may just leave their jobs, or move to better school districts.  Without enough teachers the school may even have to close, jeopardizing the already poor state of education in these underserved communities. 

Students’ academic performance is usually measured by the standardized test score or grades they get in class. This system however is not foolproof. The recent school cheating scandal in Georgia where teachers and supervisors manipulated the answers to obtain better test scores is a case in point. The grades given by teachers also vary greatly, and some teachers may be tempted to give better grades if their salaries are going to be based on the grades. Better strategies to identify stellar and ineffective teachers need to be developed.

We do not have an effective system that will measure student’s performance after nullifying the factors that teachers have no control over like poor socioeconomic status, abusive caregivers etc.  Hence basing the salary on teachers on student’s performance should not be encouraged.

If a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it are justifiable.

Does the end justify the means? Many people believe that a goal is worthy, then any means taken to attain it are justifiable. I do not agree with this argument.  The worthiness of a goal is an abstract notion,  and can vary from person to person.  Almost always, there are more than one way to accomplish a goal, and the one which is morally and ethically appropriate should be chosen. Unscrupulous ways to achieve a goal  cannot be encouraged. Let me illustrate this with a few examples.

Getting a college degree  and obtaining good grades  can be considered as worthy goals for students.  However that does not justify plagiarizing others works  to obtain better grades. Pursuit of happiness can be considered a worthy goal. Reaching levels of euphoria through alcohol or recreation drug abuse however cannot be justified. Spending time with the family can be a fine goal, but one can’t leave the work place before  the work hours  to attain that goal.  Bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in the nation is a worthy goal, but forcing the rich to give away all their wealth  to attain the needed equilibrium. Eradicating AIDS from the face of the earth is ideal. But that goal cannot justify killing everyone with HIV infection.  Winning a Presidential election is a worthy goal. However  spreading false claims about the opponents or trying to leak their election strategies (eg. Watergate scandal) is not pardonable.

In summary the goals, no matter how ideal they are, may not justify the means to achieve them. Ideal goals through ideal means should be what we aim for.

In order to become well-rounded individuals, all college students  should be required to take courses in which they read poetry novels, mythology and other types of imaginative literature.

A solid foundation in education of its citizens  is one of the prerequisites for the socioeconomic development of a nation.  The educational process  as whole has a lot of potential for improvement and efforts to revamp the system are called for . In order  to increase its ability to develop and nurture  well-rounded individuals, some people argue that all college students  should be required to take courses in which they read poetry novels, mythology and other types of imaginative literature. I do not agree with this argument. Though options of pursuing imaginative literature should be widely available in the curriculum, I do not think that it should be made a mandatory requirement.

Every individual is unique in terms of their talents, passions and style of learning. Not everyone shares the same level of appreciation for poetry, mythology and fiction. It is  unreasonable to force some one to take courses in imaginative literature  if they loathe the same. A student who is  passionate about science, one who aspires to be a lab scientist or researcher, one who wants to be a mathematician, all  may prefer to spent their time and efforts  in college where they can build their skill sets for a solid career in their chosen field. They may find the mandatory literature courses tedious and boring, and a unrewarding distraction for from their focus of interest. A college education is expensive, and in these trying economic times,  such mandatory courses may not provide the value to the money spent. Even worse some students may just not complete their college education if forced to take courses they have no interest in, there by jeopardizing their future.

Poetry, novels and other types of imaginative literature, all help to widen a person’s imagination. They  take them to a different realm of experience. Depending on their topics, these works of art have the potential to educate and  inspire students, motivate them and  may also play a role in developing  into them into well rounded individuals. However,  more than a few courses in college, several other factors help to mould the character of a well rounded individual . Practical experiences in one’s life, active participation in sports and other activities, volunteering in the community , all may contribute to personality development. By the time a students completes high school, they should have adequate exposure to the field of imaginative literature. If this is not the case the curriculum in schools may be modified to achieve this goal. Once out of high school, students  who have decided on a strong career  path should be given the option of focusing more on their chosen field on interest. For all others, the option should of taking courses in various other disciplines including imaginative literature can be encouraged.

Politicians should pursue common ground and reasonable consensus rather than elusive ideals

Should our political leaders pursue common ground and reasonable consensus? Or should they focus on elusive ideals? While it is true that a pragmatic leader would aim for reasonable consensus and succeed in accomplishing a common goal, their achievements may only be mediocre, where as the rare  iconoclastic leader achieves greatness by  attaining goals  thought to be  unattainable,  holding true to  ideals which  many people may classify as elusive. Let me illustrate my viewpoint with some examples.

Abraham Lincoln is considered as one of the greatest presidents of the United States. He led the country through a great consititutional, military and moral crisis – the American civil war – preserving the union, while abolishing slavery and promoting economic modernization. Had he strived for a consensus and compromised his ideals of true equality for every individual, regardless of their race, the course of our nation’s history might have been different. Slavery, a  brutal injustice could still have flourished in this country for longer.  The life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi  is another case in point. When India was under the British rule, when the demands for the independence of the nation was being ignored and  Indians were treated like second rate citizens by the imperialists in their own country, Gandhi advocated for a nonviolent resistance as a strategy to fight the British. Many thought that the principles of ahimsa and nonviolence were elusive ideals, however through his words and deeds, Gandhi was able to convince the masses and go forwards with the nonviolent freedom struggle which culminated in India attaining independence in 1947.

Is it always worthwhile pursuing elusive ideals? I do not think so. The recent failure of the super committee in reaching a consensus regarding deficit reduction is an example. The Republicans and Democrats both stuck to their ideals, were unwilling to compromise, and no effective deal could be made. This indecision is frustrating when United States is going through trying economic times, and the debt levels are at an all time high.

In summary, I believe that politicians should try their best to reach a consensus and pursue goals benefitting the public while aspiring to stay true to their ideals. If a consensus cannot be reached, and the ideals at stake are the ones that would lead to a greater common good, they may have to try alternate strategies and unconventional methods to attain those ideals.

People should undertake risky action after they have carefully considered its consequences

Many people believe that  before undertaking any  risky action one has to carefully consider its consequences.  I do agree with this argument, except in some exceptional circumstances. Let me illustrate my view with some examples.

In health care when we opt for treatments for chronic problems ,like for example lower back pain, people have the choice of undergoing surgery or going with medical management and physical therapy. In such a setting the physician is supposed to obtain informed consent prior to the surgical procedure when he or she clearly explains the benefits the surgery can provide, and the risks of complications including permanent nerve damage, bleeding and anesthetic complications  which can occur during the procedure. The patient is then expected to make an informed decision with the help of the physicians keeping in mind his/her priorities , level of pain, the time they could take off and variety of  other factors.  Same is the case with almost any non-emergent surgical procedure or treatment modality, where the physician and the patient  are expected to go over the risks and benefits before  making a decision. However if the situation is an emergency, there may not be enough time for the physician to carefully consider all the consequences,  or discuss it with the patient and expedient action becomes necessary in an attempt to save the patient’s life. Informed consent is not mandatory under such circumstances.

Our actions can have far reaching consequences, so  considerable thought should be given before making any major decisions. The housing  bubble in United States is another case in point. People made risky decisions in terms of buying homes playing inflated prices through mortgages which they were unable to pay back. The crisis in the housing market, the foreclosures and and the collapse of the mortage industry all contributed to the economic recession.

In most circumstances, the proverbs, “Look before you leap” and “Haste makes waste” hold true. However, there are circumstances when “he who hesitates is lost”. Opportunities may not knock twice, and the person who seizes the moment through quick decision may make considerable gains, for example in the stock market sector and other businesses.  Such occasions are by far rare.

In summary, I  believe that analyzing the short term and long term implications of our choices do help us make better decision, except in exceptional circumstances

Leaders  are created by the demands are that are placed upon them.

Leadership can be defined as a process of social influence in which one person has the ability to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common goal. Are leaders born or are they created by  the demands placed upon them? I believe that circumstances and necessities do play a significant role in the emergence as a leader; however the role of innate and nurtured personalilty traits like intelligence, conscientiousness, openness to experience, integrity and  self confidence cannot be minimized.

Leaders have played an integral part in shaping our history. Abraham Lincoln is considered as one of the greatest presidents of United States. It would be premature to say that his leadership borne just  out of the circumstances like the wide spread prevalence of slavery in the southern states and the reluctance of the slave owners to set them free. Lincoln’s conviction that a country cannot exist half free, his high moral and ethical standards, his tactics and determination, his organizational skills, his oratory skills, all played a role in him emerging as an effective leader. The same can be said about leaders like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi.  They were not simply created by the demands placed upon them - in Kings case, the need to break the shackles of racial discrimination, and in Gandhi’s time, the need for Indian independence from the British empire. Instead, their strong  resolve to gain true freedom for their people, their conscientiousness, their uncanny ability to convince people about the power of nonviolent resistance through their words and deeds, all formed inevitable components of their great leadership.

In summary I believe that leaders emerge when people with leadership traits – which can be inherent or nurtured traits – exist in an environment that demands them to rise to the occasion of guiding their followers to a common goal.

The most effective way to understand contemporary culture is to analyze the trends of its youth.

 Cultural ethos of a  society inevitably change over time. What is the best way to understand contemporary culture of a scoiety?  Many people think that  analyzing the trends of its youth is the most effective way to feel the pulse of contemporary culture. I do not agree with this argument. I believe that trends of a representative section of the society needs to be analyzed, and not one subgroup  alone while one attempts  to characterize contemporary culture.

A society is composed of not just the youth, but the members of varying age groups from infancy to adulthood.  In order to get a feel for the contemporary culture of the society, the trends in all these  age groups, over a time period  needs  to be analyzed. Just analyzing the youth, leaving the children,  middle aged and elderly aside, may give a skewed perception of the cultural milieu. For example, to know what’s in vogue in the world of fiction, examining the books that the youth focus on will not be reflective of the society as a whole; one needs to look at the market trends in books sold to all age groups and not just popular young adult fiction or whatever is popular among the youth. About clothing and accessories, the style that the youth prefers may not be in line with what the 40 and 50 year old ladies  opt for. Same is the case in music. Just because Justin Bieber is a sensation among a subset of the society, other similar sized or larger subsets may not share their views.  The movies that the youth go to may be a totally different genre when compared to the ones popular amongst younger children. Similar cases can be found out in virtually any field that on examine when one tries to understand the contemporary culture.

In summary, I believe that most effective way to understand contemporary culture is to analyze trends in a representative sample of the society, consisting of different age, race, gender and socioeconomic status.  Just analysing the youth’s trend may be easy, but it may give a skewed version of contemporary culture.