Comprehensive Analysis of Staples Free Essays

string(111) " the Staples Soul programs is beneficial to the organization, the environment, the community and the customer\." Comprehensive Analysis of Staples Harding University Angela Maloch Ashley Perez Keith Miller Ricky Griffin Abstract This paper will review Staples, Inc. comprehensively. The authors will discuss Staples’ visions, missions, and objectives, in addition to outlining the firm’s internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. We will write a custom essay sample on Comprehensive Analysis of Staples or any similar topic only for you Order Now Several matrices will be included to provide visual aid and better observations of the operations and current practices of the company. Recommendations will be provided on new courses of action that may benefit the company and help increase sales and brand awareness. Vision and Mission Staples, is the world’s largest office product organization, and a reliable source for office solutions. The company products and services include office supplies, copy and print supplies, and technology to support these products. Staples, also provides supplies for facilities, break-room, and furniture (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples conceptualized the office superstore in 1986. It has more than 88,000 associates worldwide, in 26 countries, and fosters annual sales of 25 billion (Staples, Inc, 2012). Many organizations foundations began with a vision and an organizational mission. The vision and mission are set to be accomplished by setting objectives, and implementing strategies to achieve the goals set by the organization. According to Business Improvement Architects: Creating a compelling vision and developing the strategies to achieve it is one of the organization’s most difficult challenges. The vision is more than a dream; it must convey a larger sense of organizational purpose, so that employees are able to picture themselves â€Å"building the dream company† rather than â€Å"laying the stones. It is an ambitious view of the future that everyone in the organization can believe in, one that can be realistically achieved, yet offers a future that is better in important ways than what now exists. (Business Improvement Architects, n. d. ) Staples mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products (David, 2013). † The mission is simple yet it encompa sses what the organization strives to do with the products and services it provides to its customers throughout the world. Staples, does not have a written vision, but he the organization utilizes a unique approach in identifying the future direction of the company. Staples Soul program is a program designed by Staples, Inc. to help make the organization an employer and neighbor of choice, and sets Staples brand apart from competitors. The program is also aimed at allowing Staples to grow profitably and responsibly (Staples, Inc, 2012). Objectives and Strategies In Staples 2011 Annual Report, Ron Sargent who serves as the organization’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer stated: At Staples, we take great pride in our consistent execution and our ability to evolve and meet the changing needs of our customers. Throughout our 25 year history we’ve succeeded by setting aggressive goals, acquiring and retaining customers, and being accountable for our performance. We took the same approach in 2011 and made progress on many of our key initiatives, despite the challenging economic environment. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has established goals and objectives to keep the organization viable in the fast changing market, and the sluggish economy. The Staples Soul program, separates the organizations objectives into four pillars, and outlines the strategies to obtaining those objectives. The four pillars of focus of the Staples Soul Program are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples Community Objectives and Strategies Staples is dedicated to bring education, hope and opportunity to the communities of where their customers live. The community efforts are strategically approached through local grassroots programs, and large scale initiatives that build ties in the global community (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has donated more than $17 million to nonprofit organizations, in the United States, and around the world in 2011. Through its Choose a Charity program, Staples has enabled associates to donate nearly $1. 9 million to organizations, in which they care about (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples has also been established volunteer programs, and associate volunteer programs which has led to more than 33,000 hours of volunteer work to being performed in 26 countries (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples and Ethics and Strategies Staples 2011 Annual report discusses their objective to meeting the ethical component of the organization. The report states: We believe that doing right is just as important as doing well. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty, fairness and integrity, and continually implement strategies to ensure ethical conduct from the boardroom to the supply chain to the store. Our strong ethical foundation, demonstrated in the daily relationships with our stakeholders, and ensures our continued success. (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples stress the importance of ethics in the business organization. The good business ethics must span throughout the entire organization. In efforts to achieve and maintain an ethical environment Staples has done the following: * Ethics, helpline, and training and awareness program in every business unit and function worldwide (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Established a new Ethics scorecard that allows senior leaders and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to monitor compliance with program requirements (Staples, Inc, 2012). * Created and established a monitoring and measurement framework to assess how well we are preventing, detecting and responding to ethics and compliance risks (Staples, Inc, 2012). Updated the Staples Suppliers Code of Conduct, by adding an Environmental and Business Ethics section, while modifying other sections (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, the Environment and Strategies Staples Annual Report focused on environment as its third organizational objective. The organization’s 2011 report states: At Staples, our vision is to generate business and environmental benefits for ourselves, our c ustomers and our communities by leading the way in sustainable business practices. his vision through a continued focus on sourcing more sustainable products; improving our offering of recycling and other green services; maximizing our energy efficiency and renewable energy use; and eliminating waste. In 2011, we communicated several new global sustainability goals and continued to work in several program areas to help move us closer to our sustainability vision. (Staples, Inc, 2012) As mentioned before the environmental pillar of the Staples Soul programs is beneficial to the organization, the environment, the community and the customer. You read "Comprehensive Analysis of Staples" in category "Essay examples" Staples has been instrumental in environmental progress by: recycling more than 67 million ink and toner cartridges, and 13 million pounds of technology waste in the United States. Staples has continued the implementation of its Race to the Top Initiative, which is focused on key suppliers reducing the environmental impact of their product (Staples, Inc, 2012). At the end of 2011, Staples had 286 facilities in the U. S. that have received the ENERGY STAR ® for buildings certification. By the close of 2011 Staples had 36 solar installations at 33 facilities and purchased a large sum of renewable energy certificates. Staples has a goal of reducing operational electrical intensity by 25%, and global carbon emissions by 50% by 2020 from a 2010 baseline (Staples, Inc, 2012). Staples, Diversity and Objectives Staples believes that being a successful company is dependent on people with rich backgrounds and diverse views. Staples commitment to diversity and inclusion opens the doors for the people of different races, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability, background and thinking styles. This in turn allows the company to be more innovative, because the organizations associate base reflects the diversity of the customers. Staples’ diverse workforce and suppliers help to build and enrich relationships with customers. While building upon these customer relationships, the organization is able to adapt to the ever changing global market place (Staples, Inc, 2012). Although Staples does not have a written vision statement, the Staples Soul Program has outlined the path, in which the organization wants to proceed over its business life. Fred R. David states: â€Å"A vision statement should answer the basic question, â€Å"What do we want to become? † (David, 2013, p. 45) David also states that a comprehensive mission statement is formulated by a clear vision. It is suggested that the vision statement be established first, and should be short approximately one sentence (David, 2013, p. 45). Many organizations have both a vision and a mission statement. David states that an organization’s mission statement distinguishes one organization from another in the same industry. An organization’s mission statement is â€Å"its reason for being. A mission statement is important for effectively establishing objectives and forming strategies (David, 2013, p. 45). It is important when formulating a vision and mission statement, it is important to include the managers and the employees. When employees and managers work together to formulate the organizations vision and mission, the statements will reflect the personal visions that employees and managers alike feel passionate towards, and sets the foundation for the future. The shared vision leads to a common objective and can motivate employees and remove the mundane atmosphere in the work environment (David, 2013, p. 47). An organization’s vision and mission statement can: * Ensure unanimity of organizational purpose * Provide a standard for allocation of organizational resources * Establish organizational climate or general tone Serve as a focal point for people to identify with the organization’s purpose * To help translate objectives into a work structure assignments and task * To specify organizational purpose and translate those into organizational objectives (David, 2013, p. 48). The Staples Soul Program sets the tone for a vision statement for the organization. Staples vision statement could re ad: â€Å"Staples vision is to be a world leader in providing easy assessable office supplies while being committed to improvements in ethics, environment, community, and diversity for those we serve. The Staples mission as stated before states that the company’s mission is â€Å"to make it easy to buy office products. † (David, 2013, p. 69) Staples mission and vision projected through its Staples Soul Program has set then foundation for the organizational to expand and utilize its strengths and opportunities to continue to be a leader in its industry. The organization can also utilize this foundation set to identify weaknesses, and potential industry threats. Eternal Opportunities and Threats External Opportunities Opportunities can give an organization an edge over the competition. Staples, Inc. isplays the potential to increase its growth in additional countries. Currently Staples has 300 stores internationally. An international expansion would increase the profits for the organization. According to David (2013) â€Å"Growth is forecast to reach almost $88 billion by 2013, reflecting a five-year average growth rate of less than 1 percent† (p. SM-66). The advancement in technology can provide Staples with a balanced diversity for its shoppers. New technological gadgets continue to bring additional efficiency for individuals in a number of ways such as online shopping, reading books, and playing games. Staples, Inc. artnered with Barnes and Noble to offer an alternate color reader commonly known as The NOOK. This technological device competes with Amazon’s Kindle and the Apple’s iPad. The partnership with Barnes and Noble will provide Staples with the opportunity to expand within the digital era. External Threats Threats are external and could occur at any time. Threats most often occur from other competing companies. Staples, Inc. continually competes with a number of organizations in regard to price competition and retail competition. Price competition occurs with equal ground stores such as Office Depot and OfficeMax. Staples, Inc. s the largest office supply company compared to Office Depot classified as the second place organization. David (2013) stated the following interesting fact, â€Å"Staples is larger than Office Depot and OfficeMax combined† (p. SM-76). The three organizations display similar challenges in regard to the reduction of sales because of businesses going paperless. The retail competition includes stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, and Target. These organizations display the need to obtain additional market share. As stated earlier, Staples, Inc. began the route of digital services with the latest product from Barnes and Noble commonly known as The NOOK. With the consumer trend of digital services reduces the need for traditional supplies. Green initiatives continue to be another factor for the reduction of traditional supplies, which reduces the need to stock a lot of cases of copy paper in the distribution centers. Competitive Profile Matrix External Factors External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) Key External Factors WeightRatingScore Opportunities International growth (only 300 stores overseas). 12 4. 48 Trends towards digital items. 12 4. 48 New partnerships (Barnes Nobles). 11 3. 33 Implement research/development. 15 4. 60 Threats Price competition. 10 3. 30 Retail competition. 12 4. 48 Unemployment rates. 06 2. 12 Oil prices. 06 2. 12 New technologies reduce need for traditional supplies . 10 3. 30 Green’ initiatives might shift demand for products . 06 2. 12 Totals12. 04 The External Factor Evaluation Matrix (EFE) demonstrates how opportunities and threats may affect the company. Similar to the IFE, this gives a visual rating of the importance of external factors that may contribute to or inhibit the success of Staples. Seen in the matrix above, new opportunities can greatly contribute to the success of Staples. With such broad expansion opportunities, it would be easy for Staples to make new connections overseas, whether in creating new locations or promoting online sales. New partnerships should be looked into as well. Staples has already teamed up with Barnes Nobles, but opportunities with other major brands might impact Staples’ sales in a positive way as well. Implementing a research and development team can give Staples the opportunity to study consumer patterns, marketing techniques, and what products to offer to better meet the needs of society. Competing companies that offer similar products are the greatest threat the Staples. To best combat this, Staples needs to be prepared to offer the best customer service and technologies to stay in the competition. New technologies are changing what consumers need in regards to office supplies. For example, most consumers have switched to computer filing, rather than paper filing. This reduces the need for so much paper, files, folders, and filing cabinets. While some may still need this, Staples may want to look at reducing their inventory of these items and offering a larger supply of more current and modern items. Internal Strengths and Weaknesses Internal Strengths Strengths refer to the factors that exist within the company and exhibits formations of competitive advantage. The organization has dominance worldwide in more than 22,000 locations to include China, Australia, Germany, North America, and a number of other countries. Staples, Inc. is an established organization with a well developed infrastructure that offers business services such as supplies, technology, furniture, and office machines inside the stores as well as online. Staples, Inc. has a competitive advantage with the use of its online sales market. Instead of keeping a large inventory, the majority of the retail store locations stock approximately 7,000 products. When customers do not find a particular item inside the store, he or she can receive next day service at the local store when ordering from Staples. com. This avenue provides customers the option to review over 30,000 products in approximately 125 distributions. When the customer orders a product, he or she can request to receive shipment at the local store, at work, or at a home address. This type of service provides convenience for Staples, Inc. shoppers. In addition, Staples, Inc. ade an investment in regard to its delivery system with a purchase of small fleet of electric trucks. The purpose of this investment was to improve the organization’s efficiency and cost minimization by reducing fuel cost by 75% compared to diesel trucks. Internal Weaknesses Weaknesses are the areas an organization needs to try to correct imperfections for improvement. Understanding potential weaknesses can help an organization to both manage and remove possible threats. In contrast to a limited inventory as strength, this concept can be a weakness in regard to customers not wanting to wait for a specific product. Customers may go to a competitor to purchase the needed product or purchase it online. A number of challenges exist because of the advanced technological era. For instance, Staples, Inc. reported a seven percent decline in stock prices according to its 2010 Annual Report. Internal Factors Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) Key Internal FactorsWeight RateScore Strengths Strong international growth and partners. 12 4. 48 Advertising and marketing. 12 4. 48 Strong Online sales market. 10 3. 30 Many convenient Locations. 10 3. 30 Staples Delivery System. 11 3. 33 Weaknesses Only 1. % increase in Sales (2010). 06 2. 12 Stock price fell 7% (2010). 06 2. 10 Poor executive compensation plans. 12 4. 48 Poor inventory management. 11 3. 33 No research/development Budget. 10 3. 30 Totals13. 19 As seen above, the Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix (IFE) is used to provide a numerical and visual score of key factors of the internal strengths and weaknesses. This gives management an idea of how to prioritize any issues that may be affecting or attributing the growth or success of the company. With more than 1500 locations throughout the United States, Staples is easily accessible to the population. Their advertising and marketing campaigns are successful and catchy; this creates brand awareness, and can potentially bring in more consumers. The internal weaknesses have caused such financial stresses on the company that it is very important that these issues are addressed. For instance, in 2010, there was only a 1. 1% increase in sales and stock prices fell 7%; however, the CEO of Staples, Ron Sargent, took a 41% pay increase. Moves like this can set Staples up for failure, so it is important for management to be aware of these internal issues through the use of an IFE. With no research and development budget, Staples is falling behind the trends of fast-paced society. They are not current on what is popular and what issues may be hurting their sales. * SWOT Analysis According to Thompson, Gamble, and Strickland (2006), â€Å"A SWOT analysis is a simple but powerful tool for sizing up a company’s resource capabilities and deficiencies, its market opportunities, and the external threats to its future well-being (Chap. 3, p. 85). A SWOT analysis is a significant portion of the strategic planning model. An organization uses a SWOT analysis that consists of strengths as internal forces of the organization to accomplish the objective; weaknesses are internal forces of the organization that harm the objective; opportunities are external forces that can expand the organization; threats are external forces that can destroy the organization’s success. In developing a strategic plan, leaders must ask if the current strategic plan is adequate to achieve the goal and are there allowances for contingency plans if the current plan is not working. Therefore, an effective strategy will consider the internal and external factors of the SWOT analysis by looking at the big picture of what an organization will face in the course of goal achievement. SWOT Matrix Space Matrix Current Strategies Inventory Staples is looking to reduce physical inventory in stores and offer a wider variety via Staples. com (Donoher as cited in David, 2013). In doing this, they can limit the size of store locations and be able to cut building costs, utilities and floor space on new locations. In addition, research done by Shankar, Rangaswamy Pusateri (1999) indicates that online shopping is more convenient than offline shopping and allows consumers to find products to best fit their needs. This strategy, once fully implemented may promote more business to the website and offer better selections. The only issue that may arise is not having an item in stock that competitors might have. It would helpful to research buying trends and patterns of this industry and keep those items stocked. Prices Low prices have been the ultimate focus of Staples. This is understandable in retail today, however customer service and loyalty programs are just as desirable to consumers. Indicated by Shankar, Rangaswamy Pusateri (1999), customers are not sensitive just to price increases, but rather a mixture of factors that contribute to the overall buying experience. Slightly raising prices and focusing more on customer service can produce a better experience for in-store shoppers and may encourage them to return. Also, in some cases, low prices can correlate with low quality. When Staples offers their own brand items for extremely low prices, consumers may consider the price in relation to the quality. Recommended Strategies Based on the case study, Staples, Staples has seen gradually declining sales and profits in recent years (Donoher, as cited in David, 2013). In order to turn that around and be a successful office supply company, they need to implement new strategies. Staples is not a competitor with other office supply companies. They cannot maintain desirable inventories of what consumers are looking for and they cannot beat the prices and leverage that other similar stores offer. If left alone, Staples will go out of business. Suggestions on strategies that may offer aid to Staples are outlined below. Retrenchment â€Å"Retrenchment occurs when an organization regroups through cost and asset reduction to reverse declining profits† (David, 2013, P. 146). If Staples would try this strategy, they might be able to save the company and turn it around. In order to implement this strategy, they would stop opening new stores, and perhaps even close stores throughout the United States. Closing stores throughout the United States can greatly reduce costs and increase revenues. It would be most logical to close the locations with the lowest annual sales. In addition, by reducing the number of store openings would allow for more focus to be within what Staples already has. This means there would be more time to focus on customer service, inventory management, product display, management, and online sales. Online sales are such a large portion of their business, it may be more effective to put more efforts into obtaining sales through that medium, rather than brick and mortar locations. Related Diversification In order to remain in the competition, Staples must be open to diversifying the products they currently offer. Staples needs to revamp their current inventory and look at what it is consumers want today. With such a boom in technology, there is a consumer desire for new and up-to-date items. The items they rarely sell need to be taken off the shelves or offer a very limited inventory in stores. That clears up space for new items, and a greater inventory capacity. By stocking items that customers want can increase the traffic flow through the store. Often, consumers know competing stores, such as Office Depot and Wal-Mart have more of what they need, so Staples is eliminated completely. Recommended Annual Objectives and Policies Organizational Annual Business reports are a vital tool in making recommendations for annual objectives, and policies. The annual report identifies the company’s short falls, but more importantly it shines the light on the organizations achievements. The annual report also illustrates the plans and strategies to rectify its weaknesses, and refute potential threats. According an article by Jill Leviticus, an annual report; â€Å"provide information on the health of your company to shareholders, stakeholders, the media and your community. † (Leviticus, 2012) The article also states that the organizational annual report provides financial information, highlights achievements, promotes the organization, and other key information to the stakeholders (Leviticus, 2012). Staples 2011 Annual Business Report outlines the organization’s recommended annual objectives and policies, which is based on the needs of the employees, shareholders, and customers. Annual Business Reports and meetings cover a broad range of objectives and policies. Staples 2011 Annual Business Report covered topics on beneficial of ownership of common stock, corporate governance, and election of directors, employee stock plans, and long-term cash plans (Staples, Inc, 2012). Adjustments to these specific objectives and policies will specifically impact the viability of Staples, Inc. The aforementioned Staples Soul Program has been instrumental in making the organization the â€Å"employer and neighbor of choice. † (Staples, Inc, 2012) Staples has been proactive in implementing policies and objectives to acilitate the organization in achieving goals centered around the four pillars of the Staples Soul Program, which are community, ethics, diversity, and environment (Staples, Inc, 2012). Strategy Review and Evaluation Defining a strategy is an educated guess. The guess is a key process in any organization. The changes that occur in today’s society ca n make or break an organization. Strategy, as any other process improvement, cannot be determined unless it is measured. There is an old saying that says it is hard to know where you are going until you know where you have been. Strategy has to be evaluated to determine if the direction of change is favorable or unfavorable to the organization. There are acronyms of famous cycles to help lead an organization to improve. PDCA, PDSA or DMAIC are some of the well-known cycles. These cycles define a basic process of evaluating changes made to determine if the actions taken reflect the desired results. A similar process of planning, doing, studying and acting has to be defined in each organization. Organizations can vary in the data used but the process will be the same. Data There are a number of inputs that need to be included into strategy development. External inputs include items such as customer needs, customer survey results, industry trends, regulatory requirements, technological advancements, market risks and competitive intelligence to name a few. Internal inputs include company vision, mission, goals, philosophies, employee survey results, SWOT analysis and balanced scorecard results. These inputs will help determine what a company’s balanced scorecard should be. The balanced scorecard could be used by location moving up to the organizational level. It could also translate down to specific goals and objectives for individual performance management. Measure Once the balanced scorecard has been developed then it is time to capture the results. In most cases these results are measured monthly. There are some cases where the time frame may extend to a longer period of time depending on the metric being measured. For instance, financial information would probably be calculated monthly by an internal team. An external assessment could be used to challenge or protect your company such as Sarbanes-Oxley audit. These measurements help determine direction. Review Periodic reviews of balanced scorecard information are required to determine if the actions taken are effective or not effective. These reviews can occur at different time intervals. Changes or actions taken can immediately take effect or it could be a period of time before the change is realized. An example of immediate effect could be actions taken to reduce inventory levels. Depending on the action the company may see the results on the following month. An example of a longer term effect may be implementing an â€Å"open door† policy which involves a cultural change that may not be seen immediately. A general understanding of the metric and the anticipated impact time should be rationalized during the review process. Adjustment Once the review has been analyzed actions should be taken to correct metrics that are not performing to the desired results. There are several methods of problem-solving that can be used to help work through the possible contributors of poor performance. The A3 process was derived by Toyota. The process is a collaborative problem-solving tool used to manage individual issues from beginning to end. The A3 process identifies the team, the problem, the metrics used to measure the issue, potential causes, countermeasures to potential causes, responsible party assigned and results. The cycle starts again similar to the Plan, Do, Study and Act cycle mentioned earlier. Recommendation The recommendation for Staples is to have monthly reviews as well as annual reviews. The monthly reviews would consist of A3’s developed for each of the metrics. The A3’s would be reviewed to see how the countermeasures are impacting the metric. This type of review will help monitor performance in the short-term time frame. Annual reviews should be conducted on the internal and external inputs and balanced scorecard results. The annual review would be designed to develop the strategic plan for the following year or longer. References Business Improvement Architects. (n. d. ). Understand the organization’s vision. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. bia. ca: http://www. bia. ca/vision. htm David, F. R. (2013). Strategic Managment: A Competitive Advantage Approach (14 ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Leviticus, J. (2012). What Is the Purpose of Company Annual Reports? Retrieved November 23, 2012, from www. smallbusiness. hron. com: http://smallbusiness. chron. com/purpose-company-annual-reports-57428. html Shankar, V; Rangaswamy, A. Pusateri, M. (1999). The online medium and customer price sensitivity. Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology. Staples, Inc. (2012, April). 2011 Annual Report. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. thomson. mobular. net: http: //thomson. mobular. net/thomson/7/3218/4642/document_0/SPLS_2011AR. pdf Staples, Inc. (2012, November 14). Corporate Profile. Retrieved November 22, 2012, from www. staples. com: http://investor. staples. com/phoenix. zhtml? c=96244p=irol-IRHome How to cite Comprehensive Analysis of Staples, Essay examples

Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol Essay Example

Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol Essay The author of the book â€Å"Savage Inequalities† is Jonathan Kozol. The book explores the education system for children in the United States and exposes the extremes of wealth and poverty in Americas public school system and the tragic impact it has on the underprivileged children. Kozol worked as a teacher in the Boston Public School during the early 1960s and witnessed the unfairness of the system towards the poor students of the community. He worked in the basement of an underfinanced, entirely black freedom school that had been set up in a Roxbury Church. It was here that Kozol directly experienced the dismal conditions in which children studied, due lack of state funds. The children were cramped in dirty corners and there were no study materials. Their reading levels were not standard and moreover, there was extreme racial segregation. In the early nineties, he worked at Mott Haven in South Bronx, New York City – another impoverished neighborhood. He also saw that the children also suffered from inadequate medical care, lack of proper housing, unemployment and violence. Coming from this teaching background Jonathan Kozol does have a bias towards the poor and downtrodden and has through this book, he successfully exposes with examples and arguments the neglect of poor and black children in America.Author’s major hypothesis:Kozol unfolds the dark conditions in which poor black children study by narrating his experiences at East St. Louis, Illinois, which as a 98 percent black population and dubbed by the press as â€Å"an inner city without an outer city. The question Jonathan Kozol puts before his readers in ‘Savage Inequalities is whether America is providing equal opportunities in education and if yes, how can one explain the conditions of the children left behind in places such as East St. Louis, Ill., Chicagos South Side, Camden and Jersey City, N.J., the slums of San Antonio, the South Bronx.His major finding is that childr en who attend schools in these places are cramped with 40 or 50 kids to a classroom, a new teacher every few weeks, little or no art, music, foreign language, or advanced science courses, and too few books to go around. These schools have just one counselor for every 700 students, holes in the roof, raw sewage in the basement and a record of 80% dropouts before graduation.   These are innocent children, after all, Kozol writes in Savage Inequalities:   They have done nothing wrong. They have committed no crime. They are too young to have offended us in any way at all. One searches for some way to understand why a society as rich and, frequently, as generous as ours would leave these children in their penury and squalor for so long-and with so little public indignation†. Kozol shows that the normal response to lawsuits or legislative action in various places in America just forces states to spend equally on all school districts. This does not result in any solution because the richest school districts have four or five times more money to spend per student than the poorest. Moreover, there are politicians who claim that money has nothing to do with quality in education. Frustrated with the ground situation, Kozol raises emotion laden questions as ‘Is fairness less important to Americans today than in some earlier times? What do Americans believe about equality?’Quality of Evidence and Solutions:The problem is put forth before the readers in a very convincing manner and with lots of evidence including eye-witness accounts, statistics and interviews. The book is the result of two years of research as Jonathan Kozol visited Americas public schools, especially those in its large cities. He spoke with teachers, students, principals and superintendents, as well as with city officials, newspaper reporters and community leaders. His arguments are built mostly on direct experiences in East Saint Louis, poverty stricken sectors of New York and Chic ago, in the ghettos of Washington D.C., and economically disenfranchised Camden, New Jersey. The author is meticulous in his accounts as he describes buildings, faculties, curricula, and school boards that are all but falling apart. He highlights the plight of the public school systems in poorer sections of America with Chicagos New Trier High or Rye, New Yorks Morris High, where students are allowed luxurious campuses with new auditoriums, student lounges, wood-paneled libraries brimming with books, extensive computer laboratories, and excellent teachers whose average salaries will soon reach $70,000. Kozol even points out that in these schools, students typically study foreign languages for five years, and approximately 40% of the student body enrolls in Advanced Placement course work. Kozol also supports his arguments with statistics. He says, in one of the wealthiest districts on New Yorks Long Island, the per pupil spending amounts to $11,265 annually. Meanwhile, impoverished s ectors of New York City see only $5,590 per student. The inclusion of such statistics and detailed accounts make the book very authentic and Kozol’s arguments evidence-based.Kozol also treats the issue from the legal viewpoint. He refers to the case when the Supreme Court held blacks and whites as separate but equal in Pleasy vs. Ferguson case, almost 100 years ago and to the 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education decision in which the court found that segregated education was unconstitutional because it was inherently unequal.Kozol in fact takes the readers on a personal journey of exploration through public schools across the nation. Through the words and actions of children, adolescents, teachers and administrators, he helps us perceive the dreams and desires of children for a complete adulthood. While many of these dreams are similar across economic, racial, or gendered lines, we learn that the paths for reaching those futures are unevenly paved.Kozol also approaches the issue from various viewpoints. There is a psychiatrist who tells Kozol that white Americans are literally bored hearing about racial injustice. The psychiatrist explains: They see a slipshod, deviant nature-violence, lassitude, a reckless sexuality as if it were a character imprinted on black people†.   A school principal in the Bronx eloquently puts it: â€Å"if they do not give these children a sufficient education to lead healthy and productive lives, we will be their victims later on. Well pay the price somedayin violence, in economic costs†. Gifted children, says Dr. Lillian Parks, the superintendent of the citys schools, are everywhere in East St. Louis, but their gifts are lost to poverty and turmoil†¦They have no feeling of belonging to America . . . Impact of the book:Personally, on reading this book, I was shocked to realize that such conditions exist in such a country like the United States, which the whole world looks up to. A civilized population is not o ne that would be practicing racial discrimination especially on children. The book also shows that there are in reality neglected school systems and much modernized school systems existing side by side in the United States. It is clear from Kozol’s arguments that funding is a major reason for the differences; Kozol is not convincing in his argument that money can solve the problem of education. There are many children from poor immigrants who have come up in life through sheer hard work. The United States offers them opportunities at all levels to come up as long as they are willing to work hard and think constructively. There are many celebrities who have come from poor black communities. Moreover, the issue of education should be seen more holistically and include other problems such as children’s exposure to social evils such as gang problems, drug addictions and domestic violence. Thus, the problem of education for poor children should be viewed from a socio-psycho logical angle rather than from an economic one.Apart from that I also find that the book is highly powerful and invokes the noblest of emotions with ease. I was most deeply touched by Kozol’s experience during Black History Month when dutiful references were sometimes made to The Dream. Martin Luther Kings vision was that of a nation in which black and white children went to school together. We have a schoolnamed for Dr. King, said one 14 year-old girl, The school is full of sewer water and the doors are locked with chains. Every student in that school is black. Its like a terrible joke on history.Moreover, Kozol helps the reader to make his own deductions by emotionally appealing to his judgment. Savage Inequalities is not full of statistics and officially documented pages. Rather it is rife with images that enable the reader to directly sense the â€Å"manner of being† of poor students in under-funded city schools. For example, in a passage Kozol (1992) describes the oppressive life conditions of an eight-year-old Chicago orphan: â€Å"He talks to himself and mumbles during class, but he is never offered psychiatric care or counseling. When he annoys his teacher, he is taken to the basement to be whipped. He isnt the only child in the class who seems to understand that he is being ruined, but he is the child who has first captured my attention. His life is so hard and he is so small; and he is shy and still quite gentle. He has one gift: He draws delightful childish pictures, but the art instructor says he â€Å"muddles his paints.† She shreds his work in front of the class. Watching this, he stabs a pencil point into his hand†.He then talks about the same child sever years later: â€Å"Seven years later he is in the streets. He doesnt use drugs. He is an adolescent alcoholic. †¦To affluent white shoppers he is the embodiment of evil. †¦Three years later I visit him in jail†¦He was jailed for murdering a white man in a wheelchair† (pp. 194—195). Kozol captures the spirit of the child, frustrated by the way society treats him, being transformed into a criminal one. The book is a must read for all citizens of the United States. It can help us understand the reasons of increasing violence and drug problems among the youth. As far as I have thought about Kozol’s arguments, I believe, changes in public education can be wrought by the adoption of a flexible way of understanding and defining community for purposes of schooling, the securing of the independence of all schools and teachers from government regulation of content, and the establishing of an equality of school choice for all families regardless of wealth.Conclusion:Savage Inequalities is about the lack of resources to make the America dream come true for every child. The book is primarily an appeal for fairness in American public education. It is a work that appeals to the educated public and government to do something to ensure that the life of every young person in the United States be afforded dignity, respect, and the hope for worthwhile future. Kozol shows clearly in his book â€Å"Savage Inequalities† that this can be achieved only if we are first of all ready as a nation to provide an equitable education for all American youth. While the book does not offer any concrete solutions for solving the problems in education faced by poor black children in America, the book does has the power to make people think. As Somerset Maugham says in his novel â€Å"Razor’s edge†: â€Å"the effect may be no greater than the ripple caused by a stone thrown in a pond, but one ripple causes another† and Kozol’s work is presently just that; a self-expanding ripple.

What is Really Happening with Isee Essay Samples

What is Really Happening with Isee Essay Samples Isee Essay Samples - Overview The sole difference between these 3 ISEEs is the difficulty. While keeping your eye on the clock is an excellent tactic, rushing through questions is not. If your test was rescheduled to a date you are able to attend, no extra action is required. Learn your probability of getting into. Even if the precise word isn't listed, such preliminary work can an excellent starting place, as your student may look for the word that most matches the synonym which he or she student brainstormed. Knowing the format of a normal prompt can help you defamiliarize yourself with the appropriate writing style, and provide you a more hands-on idea od the writing process which will be involved. It is essential for your student to realize that multiple answers may appear correct, but only one will ultimately be the ideal fit. Students who want a sample essay would need to dig out libraries and thousands of online sites , but a suitable sample essay can be not really easy to find. Schools have a tendency to utilize your essay in a couple of different ways. So far as students are involved, there isn't much to be gained from discussing scoring. Even better, they can download detailed answer explanations for every question. The students are given 30-minutes to extend a written reaction to one. The Supreme Approach to Isee Essay Samples In addition, you must rewrite the prompt at the very top of the very first page. Be aware it is required to have the prompt rewritten on the very first page, right at the very top. While there might be some competition among stars, a production is normally a cooperative work. A Real Estate company unlike any other centered on the mission of constructing a network of career-minded pros who strive to cultivate their organization and their future. Reading sample prompts, consider practicing. The AP English essay a part of the last exam to find out if you get your. The ISEE practice test pack incorporates realistic practice tests and useful tips, allowing your kid to become acquainted with the test structure. You may be asked to spell out your favourite book or your favourite relative, or. The Mathematics Achievement section includes 30 problems that you get a half hour (thirty minutes) to fix. Students will have the ability to assess the class material on a number of devices, and our instructors will be pleased to answer any questions your students could have. You will be able to revisit the lessons as many times as you will need to, and each lesson includes a printable lesson transcript you can utilize to assess the information offline. Accompanying each lesson is a brief quiz that reinforces important details. Isee Essay Samples Help! Bridget's essay is quite strong, but there continue to be a couple little things that could be made better. This will provide you with a notion of what essay graders are expecting of you. For example, a rising ninth grader wouldn't be expected to score together with a rising twelfth grader. Instead, have a minute to skim over your essay and establish any tiny errors you might have left behind. Sample essay will be able to help you make sure the paper you should submit to your teachers will obtain optimistic remarks. The trick to mastering the ISEE essay is preparing yourself for the difficulty of creating a complete essay within thirty minutes. All fees related to rescheduling the test is going to be waived and the ISEE Operations Office is prepared to aid you with your choices. It is possible to discover up-to-date registration data in the ISEE Student Guide, and you might complete online registration on the official ISEE test site. You can also locate comprehensive and up-to-date registration info in the ISEE Student Guide. SAT inside this detailed list and provide advice on ways to use them in your prep. A Secret Weapon for Isee Essay Samples If math is your kid's strong point, on the opposite hand, then the ISEE may be better for her. The course can be tak en from beginning to finish, or you'll be able to jump to the chapter topics you wish to study employing the class dashboard feature. There's nothing more bedeviling than trying to explain ISEE scoring. There isn't any way to cram for it and boost the score. Another kind of evidence that's often employed as an alternate to actual facts or statistics is the anecdote. The most important point is, you don't need to wait until you find the prompt to come up with an arsenal of kinds of argument-building techniques you may use to back up your points. Factual evidence may also be in the shape of non-numerical info. For use examples if necessary!

Essay Topics Related to Disability

Essay Topics Related to DisabilityHere are the essential King Richard III essay topics related to disability. These essay topics may vary depending on the topic chosen, but they can also be specific to a topic of disability.In an essay related to disability, students may want to examine Abraham Lincoln's 'compromise' approach to his disability. During his campaign and presidency, he performed poorly when it came to his physical appearance. It was only after his death that historians discovered that, in fact, his disability may have been a result of a stroke.In another essay topic related to disability, students might consider the 'Lincoln biographies' that focus on disabilities or mental illness. These include such notable biographies as the article 'Elias Canetti', by Gary. Wilson. In this biography, Canetti is quoted as saying that his disability was caused by his having 'already made up his mind'.One way to make an accessible format for your document is to use the text to html tra nslator (TTF). This converter will automatically convert your document into an accessible format. A TTF converter is also available for textbooks and other resources that were created prior to 2020.Disability is sometimes used to refer to cerebral palsy or spastic cerebral palsy. It may also be used to refer to such conditions as hemiplegia, quadriplegia, paraglottism, amyotrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral dysphasia, CCSVI, spastic cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, tetraplegia, and cranial neuromyelitis. There are, however, more recent terms for these conditions that students might want to consider, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, Prader-Willi Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Autistic Disorder.Disability often refers to intellectual disability, which is a common form of developmental disability. Sometimes mental retardation is included. However, as there is not a definitive agreed upon definition for the terms disability and retardation, it is generally accept ed that people with disabilities will be treated just as others are, provided that they maintain an average level of skills and that they do not take attention away from others.Being able to communicate effectively with the individuals who are most able to hear and see with you is very important. Also, if you choose to use a special hearing aid, this can help you. Students should therefore make sure that their needs are appropriately addressed.Many people with disabilities need support and assistance with many aspects of their daily lives. These needs can vary greatly. Some disabilities may be related to how the body is used or react to stimuli, while others may be a result of a disease or disorder that requires medical attention.

Custom Firmware For Your Nintendo DS

Custom Firmware For Your Nintendo DSCreating your own custom Firmware for your Nintendo DS is a very challenging task that you can do with the help of a Nintendo 3DS image writing software. The Custom Firmware for your Nintendo DS was developed with such an aim in mind. You can download this program from the internet and customize your device to cater to your needs as you are aware of. By creating your own custom firmware, you can have an improved experience of using your device.All you need to do is use the downloaded file in your system and get into touch with the Custom Firmware page. You will see all the features and components that are offered by the software and then choose the one that you are looking for. You can download the files from the internet and this will save you lots of time, effort and also enable you to learn more about how the system works. Once you have chosen the custom firmware, you can install it on your system easily.To install custom firmware on your system , you just need to get hold of the downloaded file, click on the start menu and then select 'CD Creator'. After selecting this option, the folder will be displayed with a bunch of files and folders. Click on the folder where you have saved the file, and then click on 'save settings' and then you are able to save the Custom Firmware program. This will enable you to install it right on your system.Your computer system will be the main contributor of all the files you will use to customize your system. The Custom Firmware for your Nintendo DS will contain all the file you need to use to customize your Nintendo DS. These are the default files that are present on your system. For your convenience, you can rename the existing files or install the new files.If you decide to install a new file, you have to delete the existing file that is inside the folder. Just run the program on your system and click on the 'load new firmware' option. The file will then be added in the right place, and th is will enable you to use the newly added file.The Custom Firmware for your Nintendo DS can be used to change any part of the system that is not included in the original firmware. This can be done to improve the performance of the device or even make it more compatible with various games. This will allow you to load up some new games without the need to unlock the System.With the Custom Firmware for your Nintendo DS, you can enjoy your favorite games without the difficulty of trying to install the game manually. You will also be able to download your favorite games and save them online without any restriction. You will also have the chance to play these games using different themes.

The Advantage of DUPLONT Essay Samples

The Advantage of DUPLONT Essay SamplesThe advantage of obtaining DUPLONT essay samples is that the companies that produce these offer them at a discounted price. The company will take this time to look at all of the transcripts, essays and test questions that they receive and provide only the top ones to you for free. This is so important because it will help your scores and they will also be able to determine which words to leave out and the ones to use.If you are applying for a federal job, or even a state job, you are going to want to get DUPLONT essay samples. Many colleges will take them to improve their score and they are just as important as a transcript in this regard. Most colleges that you would attend are not going to give you a score unless you have them on hand.One thing to keep in mind with DUPLONT essay samples is that you need to be honest when submitting them. Because there are so many companies that produce them, not all of them offer them at no cost. Some even char ge a fee for this, so it is up to you to look into the deals. Remember that you are taking a test and you need to be sure that you are being completely honest.Another thing to keep in mind is that you need to make sure that your sample stays current. Because many of these essays are given out in the late spring and summer, you want to make sure that your answers stay current and that you don't forget any important pieces of information. If you fall behind this can be an issue and you may not be able to finish early enough to get an acceptable score.Finally, while DUPLONT essay samples are very important, they are only as good as the company that produces them. In order to make sure that you get the best quality, it is important to contact them about it. They may offer you a free sample to see how it turns out.If you have some free time on your hands, you may want to check out DUPLONT to see if they have a catalog available. It will be a great tool to use when looking for DUPLONT ess ay samples.Since the name DUPLONT is now synonymous with quality and reliability, they should be highly recommended. When using DUPLONT essay samples, you are helping yourself to get into a better school, which will help to boost your college score, and you are getting a significant discount.

Change Anticipate Change Essay

Change Anticipate Change Essay Change: Anticipate Change Essay Change Paper August, 2013 Introduction Change is normal. That’s how we grow and evolve as humans. As stated by Dr. Spencer Johnson, â€Å"if you do not change, you can become extinct†(Johnson, 2002). Change is difficult for most people. They like what they have grown accustomed to and prefer to stay in their â€Å"comfort zone† They detest being stretched beyond the limit of their comfort zone. Some are pushed outside their comfort zone by other people or circumstances, while others intentionally push themselves outside of their own comfort zone to enable them grow and develop personally. When people refuse to plan and prepare for change, the become stuck in the event of unforeseen circumstances or situation, they can be likened to one of the four characters in â€Å"Who Moved My Cheese† the mice, Sniff and Scurry, ‘sniff out change and Scurry to move with it’ or Hem and Haw, the two little people in the story, who found their ‘Cheese’ and when it is lost , they become lost, until they made up their mind to change. Change in Professional environments In today’s fast-paced and highly competitive environment, it is very crucial for organization to be flexible to change in order to grow and remain profitable. Employees are often faced with the tedious task of navigating through this change. This process can be very distressing and frustrating to the employees. It is always advisable to recognize the different stages of change and anticipate its impact in order to take preventative measures. California budget crisis, for instance, has induced budget cut in all the sectors and counties. Notable among these sectors are the school district. Two years prior to this, the Los Angeles County of Education (LACOE), has announced that budget cut will force the district to close down some classes and lay off classroom teachers. Teachers who have been in the job for several years started to live in denial, thinking that they would not be affe cted. Others are gripped by fear that they will not be able to get another job if they lose their job. However, some of them acknowledged the impending change and started preparing for the change. I know of one of the teachers, who has been with school district for many years, and is enrolled in a weekend program at California to study Speech Therapy in order to enhance her marketability in the event of lay off. This teacher can be likened to Sniff and Scurry, the mice who ‘sniffs’ out change, and realize that the looming change is inevitable and started making plan. She did not dwell on the fact that she has been in the teaching for several years and become too comfortable and refusing to see the inescapable change, just like Hew and Haw. Rather, she accepted the change and focuses her efforts in absorbing it and moving forward. How to handle change Change is inevitable and continuous and as a student I learned that the best approach to handle change lies significantly in having a positive attitude about every experience. Nursing is a new profession to me, due to my previous background in business administration, I found nursing challenging, yet interesting. It became obvious that every new encounter has its pitfalls, but the fact lies on my being able to persevere and identify good sides of every experience. How I perceived changes have changed for the better due my realization that changes open a world of possibilities, stimulates opportunity of learning new things and provides an enabling environment for personal growth. Change in the health care environment Prior to the introduction of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), paper charting was used in collecting and sharing patient information among the care team members. The initial introduction of EMRs was met with fierce resistance. They start questioning the reliability of EMRs in collecting, storing, and sharing patients`