Critical Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Critical Review - Article Example In order to understand this to a more effective and complete degree, the following analysis will discuss the means through which the public school system within the United States experiences what is known as fiscall limitation with regards to the provision of local education. This limitation necessarily refers to the way in which secondary education within the United States is overly reliant upon regional funding; thereby evoking a situation in which disparity is more readily reflected within the educational system as compared to how it would be in a situation in which the federal government itself was responsible for funding the process (Clemings, 2006). Through such analysis, it is the hope of this author that the reader will gain a more informed understanding of how the educational system work in the United States, what determinant factors constrain it, and how improvements with regards to the shortcomings that have been previously mentioned might be affected within the future. Th e particular piece in question first references the fact that a case study which will be performed is concentric upon the state of California. Naturally, this choice of tests case analysis is especially important and useful due to the fact that California is the largest state by population and represents perhaps the greatest level of regional diversity that any state within the system has to offer. As such, the article itself increases the level of believability and relevance due to the fact that it has chosen to analyze the most diverse and populous state as a means of proving the fact that regional and state funding alone is ultimately a limitation to the way through which education can be provided to the end student (Wassmer & Fisher, 1996). Accordingly, the first main argument that is made is with regards to the limitations upon maximum and minimum millage rates with regards to property taxes (Winkler, 2009). Such an in-depth primary approach has to do with the fact that the Uni ted States education system disproportionately targets as one of its main funding streams property taxes. In such a way, the authors reference the fact that disparity is innate within the system due to the fact that income from property taxes is a direct means through which the poorest regions will have inordinately less funding to allocate as compared to the richer regions. Although the casual observer might be quick to point out that millage rates within the poorest regions merely be increased as a way of generating further revenue for the school systems, this does not reflect a level of fairness and ultimately punishes the poorest property holders within a given region (Ellis, 1976). Similarly, the authors target the fact that the poorer regions within California, the state in question, reflect a greatly increased percentage of renters as compared to other regions throughout the state. The increased percentage of renting families means that this funding stream ultimately begins t o dry up and disappear with respect to an ever increasing percentage of poverty that may be exhibited. Further focusing upon the issue of property tax, the authors discuss the minimum and maximum limits on the property tax rate with respect to what is deemed as a â€Å"per pupil limit† many individuals outside the education system are wholly unaware of the fact that such