Essay 4 Assignment ENG 101 

Instructor: Miguel Molina

We have spent a considerable amount of time discussing texts that grapple with problems in our public education system, particularly the achievement gap between low income students of color and middle class white students. In the article, “Profoundly Multicultural Questions” Sonia Nieto argues that this gap is the product of funding inequities along racial and class lines, resulting in the children who need the most resources actually getting the fewest. The documentary Waiting for "Superman" presents charter schools as a solution to these problems while many other public school educators and reformers argue against what they perceive as the corporotization of public schools through charters.

Where do you stand in all this? Write an argumentative essay in response to the following prompt:

Should our federal, state and local governments fund the creation of more charter schools? Are they an effective and equitable way to narrow the achievement gap?

Feel free to use our class blog articles, the films, books and reference sources for background info (including Wikipedia) and do include them in your Works Cited, but these sources will not count towards the 4 minimum, which should be from databases like Lexis-Nexis, Academic Search and Opposing Viewpoints.

YOUR ESSAY MUST:

Be submitted in class on Tuesday November 21st.

Be at least 1000 words in length.

Include an intro with a clear thesis statement, at least 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion. More than 3 body paragraphs is perfectly OK.

Be well-organized and developed with supporting details, using the techniques and types of evidence we have discussed in class.

Be proofread for grammar, sentence and other language errors.

Include references (quotes and/or paraphrases) to at least 4 sources obtained via the library’s databases. The blog articles, the films, books and/ or reference articles are allowed but DO NOT count towards the 4 minimum. 

NOT be a summary of your sources, but rather, a presentation of YOUR ARGUMENT and YOUR THINKING with support from the sources. Do not use any sources excessively.

Be in the Proper Format (consult the syllabus) --- DOUBLE SPACED!

Include a proper heading and title. NO COVER PAGES or IMAGES.

Be in correct MLA format, including in-text citations and a Works Cited Page.

Be ORIGINAL and NOT plagiarized.