dedicated to developing and delivering the best possible k-12 education!
Join us in the crusade to improve education for our children!
If you want a better education for the 50-60 million students currently in our K-12 schools (and all those yet to come), then this is the right place.
Our Goal
Our goal is to make the best possible education available to the most people and for every child to have the opportunity to receive an education that equips them to live a satisfying and fulfilling life. We are going to revolutionize K-12 education in order to let every student succeed in their own way and at their own speed while giving them the best possible education.
The Benefits
A good education would change millions of lives for the better. In the process, it would also improve our economy and strengthen our nation. When it comes to a better education, our children deserve it, our country needs it, and we will all benefit from it.
TL/DR -
- K-12 education in our country is failing horribly - and it's getting worse!
- This foundation has a solution.
- Donating to improve education is the biggest bang you'll ever get for your charity dollar - a good education changes a person's whole life. Give enough people a good education and you will have a better world!
- The funds we raise now are crucial to launching the foundation. We need to get a more professional website and increase our outreach so that we can raise enough funds to start hiring people and give them a place to work. This is your chance to truly be in on the ground floor of a wonderful new thing in the world!
- K-12 education in our country is failing horribly - and it's getting worse!
- This foundation has a solution.
- Donating to improve education is the biggest bang you'll ever get for your charity dollar - a good education changes a person's whole life. Give enough people a good education and you will have a better world!
- The funds we raise now are crucial to launching the foundation. We need to get a more professional website and increase our outreach so that we can raise enough funds to start hiring people and give them a place to work. This is your chance to truly be in on the ground floor of a wonderful new thing in the world!
- 130 million people in the U.S. lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level. (U.S. Dept. of Ed.)
- According to the "Nation's Report Card", put out by the Dept. of Education, only 37% of high school seniors read proficiently, only 24% are proficient in math, and only 12% are proficient in U.S. History!
- Spending on education has doubled since 1970 to between $14,000 - $16,000 per student - but our results have remained the same.
WOULD YOU SAY IT'S NOT WORKING?
Our education system is failing miserably - and is getting worse! Spending has doubled but results haven't changed!!
Our children are not being equipped to have a good life - we take 13 years of their young lives and give them a terrible education!
- WE CAN CHANGE THAT!
It is within our power to create the greatest education system the world has ever seen! This may sound like "hype," but look around - we have better cars, medicine, communications - nearly every aspect of our lives is the best it's ever been - except education! If you really want to make the world a better place, support the Foundation for the Next Generation in developing that education system and making it freely available!
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What we will offer -
For parents -
Information on how to work with and help their child while developing a better relationship with them in the process.
A place to go to interact with other parents and give each other the benefit of their personal experiences, as well as seeking help with specific issues.
When completed, we will provide you the best homeschooling program ever developed.
For donors -
The opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a world-changing charity. A chance to absolutely know that your donation is going to make a difference.
Impact - a way to help the most people, for the longest period of time. The program you make possible will be freely available to everyone who wants to get a better education. This will give them the opportunity to have a better life, and will lead to a better society. Compare this to many charities that only benefit a few, and only for a limited amount of time.
Fulfillment - Unlike many charities that seem to have become permanent research efforts with very little to show in the way of results even after decades and billions of dollars, we will have at least one phase of our program up and running within a year, and a complete, workable K-12 education program in less than a decade. These programs will produce tangible benefits as soon as they are implemented.
Legacy - You will know that part of your legacy is helping millions of people have better lives and making our nation better and stronger. Not since Carnegie's libraries has a charity had this kind of benefit to society.
For corporate sponsors -
Image - It seems difficult these days to find a good cause that doesn't offend somebody! Everybody supports education, and will appreciate your support of this foundation. Who wouldn't want to be affiliated with giving kids a shot at a better life?
Exposure - Part of the problem with education these days is parental involvement. This can be seen as a public relations and marketing problem. Our goal is to get students a better education, and that means reaching parents. There will be traditional marketing/outreach, grassroots efforts, and major events. You will get great "bang-for-your-buck" while helping to make something great happen.
Sales - We will, over time be selecting, and when necessary, creating products. These products will receive the foundation's Trustmark and recommendation. In some cases, companies may earn the foundation's Trustmark to show their support and alignment with our cause.
For students -
We will develop a program that will help you discover your individual interests, abilities, and talents. This will help guide your efforts to get the best education for you.
Our program will give you the flexibility to learn at your own pace. You will also have the freedom to choose your own path, balanced with your basic education.
All the basics: The sciences and engineering. Reading and language skills. Writing, both creatively and factually. Math and geometry. History and sociology.
The basics of responsible citizenship. You will understand how our system of government works, and how it compares to others. You will also learn about ethics, morals, and civics.
We will include the arts. There is immense value in the arts, and we will expose you to the widest possible range of them. Coverage will range from a simple overview, to deep immersion and participation.
True physical education. You will learn and experience how your body moves and works, how to develop and maintain your physicality, and proper nutrition.
Living skills. Communications skills and understanding their importance. Working and living with others. The elements of sound decision making (at the appropriate time in your development), skills like critical thinking, logic, and specific decision making techniques. The meaning of success and ways to achieve it. Goal setting and achievement. Dealing with stress.
Real world skills. Since most students are legally adults (18 years old), or soon will be, when they graduate, we will provide the knowledge you will need to function as an adult in society. Financial skills, understanding contracts, housing, employment, and transportation, to name a few.
And finally, we will give you a framework to decide your path upon leaving high school, and in some cases, help you get started on it. You will learn about the different paths available, and the pros and cons of each. The right path for you can depend on many things - your interest, skills and abilities, your financial situation, your temperament, location, etc. You will be able to choose a path, learn how to pursue it, and know how to change paths if the one you chose turns out not to be what you want.
For our nation -
A nation is built on the education of its children. If we give our children a better education, we will have happier, more productive citizens. Won't this make a more pleasant society?
A good education will produce less drop-outs. This will mean less crime, fewer people in prison, or on assistance programs. Won't this make a happier, richer society?
A good education will result in more people making better decisions. This will mean fewer problems being created, and more problems getting solved - and with better solutions. Won't this make for a better, stronger nation?
Please join us in making this happen - it is only possible with your support! Our children deserve it, our country needs it, and we will all benefit!
For parents -
Information on how to work with and help their child while developing a better relationship with them in the process.
A place to go to interact with other parents and give each other the benefit of their personal experiences, as well as seeking help with specific issues.
When completed, we will provide you the best homeschooling program ever developed.
For donors -
The opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a world-changing charity. A chance to absolutely know that your donation is going to make a difference.
Impact - a way to help the most people, for the longest period of time. The program you make possible will be freely available to everyone who wants to get a better education. This will give them the opportunity to have a better life, and will lead to a better society. Compare this to many charities that only benefit a few, and only for a limited amount of time.
Fulfillment - Unlike many charities that seem to have become permanent research efforts with very little to show in the way of results even after decades and billions of dollars, we will have at least one phase of our program up and running within a year, and a complete, workable K-12 education program in less than a decade. These programs will produce tangible benefits as soon as they are implemented.
Legacy - You will know that part of your legacy is helping millions of people have better lives and making our nation better and stronger. Not since Carnegie's libraries has a charity had this kind of benefit to society.
For corporate sponsors -
Image - It seems difficult these days to find a good cause that doesn't offend somebody! Everybody supports education, and will appreciate your support of this foundation. Who wouldn't want to be affiliated with giving kids a shot at a better life?
Exposure - Part of the problem with education these days is parental involvement. This can be seen as a public relations and marketing problem. Our goal is to get students a better education, and that means reaching parents. There will be traditional marketing/outreach, grassroots efforts, and major events. You will get great "bang-for-your-buck" while helping to make something great happen.
Sales - We will, over time be selecting, and when necessary, creating products. These products will receive the foundation's Trustmark and recommendation. In some cases, companies may earn the foundation's Trustmark to show their support and alignment with our cause.
For students -
We will develop a program that will help you discover your individual interests, abilities, and talents. This will help guide your efforts to get the best education for you.
Our program will give you the flexibility to learn at your own pace. You will also have the freedom to choose your own path, balanced with your basic education.
All the basics: The sciences and engineering. Reading and language skills. Writing, both creatively and factually. Math and geometry. History and sociology.
The basics of responsible citizenship. You will understand how our system of government works, and how it compares to others. You will also learn about ethics, morals, and civics.
We will include the arts. There is immense value in the arts, and we will expose you to the widest possible range of them. Coverage will range from a simple overview, to deep immersion and participation.
True physical education. You will learn and experience how your body moves and works, how to develop and maintain your physicality, and proper nutrition.
Living skills. Communications skills and understanding their importance. Working and living with others. The elements of sound decision making (at the appropriate time in your development), skills like critical thinking, logic, and specific decision making techniques. The meaning of success and ways to achieve it. Goal setting and achievement. Dealing with stress.
Real world skills. Since most students are legally adults (18 years old), or soon will be, when they graduate, we will provide the knowledge you will need to function as an adult in society. Financial skills, understanding contracts, housing, employment, and transportation, to name a few.
And finally, we will give you a framework to decide your path upon leaving high school, and in some cases, help you get started on it. You will learn about the different paths available, and the pros and cons of each. The right path for you can depend on many things - your interest, skills and abilities, your financial situation, your temperament, location, etc. You will be able to choose a path, learn how to pursue it, and know how to change paths if the one you chose turns out not to be what you want.
For our nation -
A nation is built on the education of its children. If we give our children a better education, we will have happier, more productive citizens. Won't this make a more pleasant society?
A good education will produce less drop-outs. This will mean less crime, fewer people in prison, or on assistance programs. Won't this make a happier, richer society?
A good education will result in more people making better decisions. This will mean fewer problems being created, and more problems getting solved - and with better solutions. Won't this make for a better, stronger nation?
Please join us in making this happen - it is only possible with your support! Our children deserve it, our country needs it, and we will all benefit!
John F. Kennedy said "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource." and "A child miseducated is a child lost." Think of the cost to our country and our society to be giving our children such a poor education. Even better - think of the benefits of giving them a great education!
Year after year our government education system plods along, spending ever more of our money and achieving ever more dismal results. Yes, they want you to call it "Public" education, but government education is what it is. They set the standards, decide the curriculum, and control the funding.
From 1950 to 2009, student populations increased by 96%, while non-teaching staff increased by a whopping 702%. Spending per student went from $751 in 1970 to between $13,187 and $15,673 (depending on who you listen to) - that's $752,300,000,000 in 2019! Over $1300 per student per month and yet we still have teachers in line at the dollar store buying school supplies for their classes! In spite of all that spending, there has been no meaningful improvement in the 50 years the Department of Education has been tracking it.
The result is the U.S. is now ranked 17th in the world in overall education by the Program for International Student Assessment, and according to a study by Gallup, our low levels of adult literacy ("54% of U.S. adults 16-74 years old - about 130 million people - lack proficiency in literacy, reading below the equivalent of a sixth-grade level." - U.S. Dept. of Ed.) could be costing the U.S. as much $2.2 trillion a year.
If you look at any other field over the last 10, 20, or 50 years, you see tremendous growth and advancement - but not education! There has been less than 5% improvement in our scores in education over the last 50 years. The world has moved on, gotten more complex and is changing at an ever increasing rate, but we're still giving our children a 1970's (actually, a 1950's) education to deal with it!
We have amazingly fast computers with multiple processors (and internet that's fast enough to keep up with them), cameras that can take amazing pictures, and instantaneous communication with anyone, anywhere in the world - and that's just in our phones! Genetic engineering, "space-age" fabrics, lasers you can buy for $2, MRI's, and 85" flat screen TVs. The new Honda Accord family sedan is faster than the 1970 Corvette - and gets better gas mileage! It is a whole new world compared to 1970, much less 1950, but K-12 education hasn't changed much at all and, in many ways, has gotten worse!
- As technology progresses and education doesn't, more and more people are left behind.
Maybe it's just a coincidence, but the rate of incarceration in the U.S. has grown from 200,000 inmates in 1970 to over 1,500,000! During that same period, nutritional assistance programs went from 2.88 million recipients to 39.88 million recipients, and Medicaid enrollment went from 4.04 million to 75.14 million. In spite of all our "advancements", our society is getting worse instead of better for many people, and I blame poor education.
According to the Department of Education, every year over 1.2 million students drop out of high school - that's one every 26 seconds – 7,000 a day. A Tavis Smiley report on PBS reported that 75% of crime in the U.S. is committed by high school dropouts. We can develop an education program that's interesting and engaging, that will make students want to come to school!
Imagine the difference in society if a great education was freely and universally available!
- 50 YEARS OF FAILURE - WHY CAN'T WE SEEM TO FIX IT?
The NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) which administers the testing for The Nation's Report Card is under the NCES (National Center for Education Statistics) which is under the IES (Institute of Educational Sciences) which is under the U.S. Department of Education - does that give you some idea of the size of the bureaucracy involved? And why it costs so much!
Add to that the fact that there are between 13,000 and 16,000 individual school districts in the U.S. at any particular time (yes, there's really that large a spread in reported numbers), and you can see some of the difficulty in generating change. At least, that was my thought until recently when things like CSE (Comprehensive Sexual Education), CRT (Critical Race Theory) and Gender Studies were introduced almost overnight.
How is it that they can institute such sweeping programs so quickly when they still can't teach students how to read or do math? And what does it say about their priorities when they are willing to devote classroom time to these issues in the face of their continuing failure in more essential areas?
This highlights another characteristic of the current system, a willingness to introduce untested "band-aids" and ill-conceived notions in the name of improvement without giving them the thought, research, or testing called for, considering the importance of the field - our children's education and their future!
We have administrators making 2, 3, and sometimes even 5 times as much as teachers, and yet they seem to have no accountability for poor performance. Book publishers that make money with a "new version" every couple of years, and the well-entrenched teachers' unions working to keep things the way they are. Our current system seems only devoted to making money for the adults associated with it - no one is putting the interests of the students first!
- What we CAN do about it!
Socrates said “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” Then Buckminster Fuller modernized the same thought when he said, “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Well, that should be easy enough - the current model is definitely obsolete!
And Warren Buffet agrees when he says, "In a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks." It will be easier, and more productive to develop a completely new education system than to try to fix the existing one, there are just too many powerful interests who want to keep things the way they are. But cheer up! This is good news, it gives us a wonderful opportunity!
There have been so many advances in so many areas that we have tremendous resources available now that weren't available back when the current programs were developed.
By starting fresh, we can develop an education system built on those resources and what we can learn from the shortcomings of the current program.
We can turn out graduates that are truly prepared to join society as functional young adults by designing a curriculum that will accomplish that.
And finally, we can combine those two elements with up-to-date technology and knowledge of how the brain learns to produce the best education system the world has ever seen!
Since we are starting from scratch, we can build in lots of synergy - making the most of students' time by teaching them multiple things at the same time. We can build in the flexibility for students to discover, follow, and develop their own individual interests and talents.
We can insure that students graduate with a firm grasp of reality - understanding what their true potential paths forward are - and knowing themselves well enough to choose the one that suits them best.
- They should know at least the basics of personal finance, contracts, and our laws.
- They should be given a true "physical education" and know how to properly feed, exercise, and care for their bodies.
- They should have an understanding of how business works and the concept of creating and delivering value.
- They should have an understanding and appreciation of the arts, their significance, and potential uses.
- They should understand how our government works and how they will interact with it as adults - most high school graduates either are 18 or will be shortly.
- They should already have chosen their next step in life, and possibly already be on that path, as well as understanding how to change paths later.
We can stop taking eager, curious children and turning them into bored, miserable dropouts! We can stop turning out high school graduates that need remedial reading and math classes when they get to college.
Just think about what we can give a student in 13 years with a program that has been developed with a clear goal in mind, designed as an integrated whole, and that makes the most of modern technology!
- Why support the Foundation for the Next Generation?
When I donate to a charity, I like to know that my donation will make a difference, and have an impact - what could have more of an impact than giving children a good education? Many of the largest charities only address, or benefit, a small group of people during a particular time in their life, usually a temporary financial or health situation.
Creating a better education program can benefit everyone - and for their entire life! Give enough people a better education and you improve society and can even make the world a better place!
In the Forbes list of the 100 largest charities in the U.S., only three are related to education - one gives scholarships to underprivileged children in Florida, one does college scholarships, and the third encourages college graduates to teach in inner city schools.
None of them address the basic problem of our underperforming education system!
Feeding and helping the poor account for 10 of the top 11 charities (St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital is the other one), but they don't solve the problem, they just address it. What better "cure" for poverty than a great education?
The reason I mention the top 11, is that they all bring in over a billion dollars a year! A million dollar donation to the top charity, United Way Worldwide, would amount to less than .02% of their annual income - how much of an impact does that feel like?
Even the least of the top 100 charities brings in more in one year that we need for our whole program! The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews brought in $167 million last year. I believe we can develop a state-of-the-art education system for around $100 million in less than 10 years!
That same million dollars that doesn't even make a drop in the bucket of the large charities, and usually leaves no lasting impact when it gets spent, would be 10% of what we need to operate for a year!
- IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE IT WOULD MAKE IN A CHILD'S LIFE TO GET A GREAT EDUCATION
First off, learning their own unique interests, talents and abilities - which should be one of the main purposes of education - would let them find meaningful and satisfying work. The Latin root of education is "educare" - it means "to bring out", not "to pound into" as our current system is designed to do.
By knowing themselves, they can choose a course in life that maximizes their abilities and their happiness. Between choosing the right course and being prepared for the realities of life - work, housing, finance, health - they will be able to spend their time much more productively than the current norm of having to learn by making mistakes for most of their young adulthood, and then paying the price for those mistakes for a few more years.
Now think of the difference it will make to society if a much larger percentage of people have a great education. The pool of potential problem solvers will grow exponentially, because the current system loses many of our brightest people due to its rigidity and poor design. Crime would drop. We would have fewer people in prison and on assistance programs - and think of how much better their lives would be!
Education is truly the rising tide that lifts all boats! People who receive a good education don't need to turn to crime or welfare, so a great deal of that burden would be lifted from society. There are many potentially good people rotting in jail because they didn't get a good enough education to know how to support themselves.
Most importantly, people with a great education make better decisions. Think of how many areas of life and society could be improved if more people just started making better decisions! I'm already old enough so this won't impact my life, but remember, these children will be the ones running the world that you grow old in.
What can you do to help?
We are in first stage fund-raising right now, so your support will really make a difference! You can donate, help spread the word to others so they can donate, do fund-raising, or all of the above.
By using the "Donate" button your contribution goes straight to the foundation with no middleman commissions (except credit card fees). You will receive an immediate receipt through your email for your tax deduction.
You can also offer your services to the foundation. We have many opportunities for those with a few hours to devote to this great cause. Just go to the Contact Us page and tell us how you'd like to help.
You can also really take charge, and be the change! Help your children, or those in your community, to succeed. Start a tutoring program, or find a way to match students who need help with those who are willing to help (senior centers are a great place to look). We can make a huge difference in our children's lives if we work together!
The Foundation for the Next generation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization.
OUR PLEDGE
To never betray your trust, financially, ethically, or in any other way.
To do everything we can to improve the quality of education our children receive.
To keep this foundation and the educational programs we develop free from any religious or political affiliation or agenda.
To be responsible stewards of funds given us and to put them to the use intended as put forth in our mission statement.
By using the "Donate" button your contribution goes straight to the foundation with no middleman commissions (except credit card fees). You will receive an immediate receipt through your email for your tax deduction.
You can also offer your services to the foundation. We have many opportunities for those with a few hours to devote to this great cause. Just go to the Contact Us page and tell us how you'd like to help.
You can also really take charge, and be the change! Help your children, or those in your community, to succeed. Start a tutoring program, or find a way to match students who need help with those who are willing to help (senior centers are a great place to look). We can make a huge difference in our children's lives if we work together!
The Foundation for the Next generation is a registered 501(c)(3) tax exempt charitable organization.
OUR PLEDGE
To never betray your trust, financially, ethically, or in any other way.
To do everything we can to improve the quality of education our children receive.
To keep this foundation and the educational programs we develop free from any religious or political affiliation or agenda.
To be responsible stewards of funds given us and to put them to the use intended as put forth in our mission statement.
FOR A STRONGER NATION, SUPPORT EDUCATION!
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