Mike Rose and Michael Moore share more than just their first name; they share a unsatisfied opinion of the American educational system. In Mike Rose's essay, "I Just Wanna Be Average", he uses his personal experience to show that students can be trapped in the system, despite their unnoticed potential. On the other hand, Michael Moore's essay, "Idiot Nation" gives examples of numerous failings within the system. Both authors are products of the failing educational system, and thus contribute to the general argument about education by discussing the effects the system has on students, via the teachers. The claim is that students have the ability to learn, but the restricting system aided by inadequate and unappreciated teachers results in material that bores students.
In both essays the authors acknowledge the potential of the students in America. Neither doubts the ability of kids to be successful individuals, but both maintain that the educational system is restraining them. As Mike Rose says, "Students will float to the mark you set." (Rose, 2) His only escape from this mindset was from the time he spent with a teacher, Mr. MacFarland. When speaking of the knowledge that he gained, Rose says that it "allowed me to act as though I were living beyond the limiting boundaries of South Vermont." (Rose, 7) Michael Moore differs in his approach to this topic by saying, "If you want proof the American people aren't stupid, just turn on ay sports talk radio show and listen to the incredible retention of facts. It is amazing--and it's proof that the American mind is alive and well. It just isn't challenged with anything interesting or exciting." (Moore, 133) Both Rose and Moore observe that students can get past their constricting boundaries and excel, but the direction they take will depend on their motivating force.
The easiest aspect of the educational system for politicians and parents alike to attack is the teacher themselves.Rose and Moore, however, do not...