"We cannot have a superior democracy with inferior education.”
–Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark
Education affects society on almost every level. It can easily be said that the quality of education determines the quality of the society. There are personal, social, and economic costs of poor education.
Personal-
Imagine being 18 years old and not having a good education. You are probably feeling overwhelmed, not prepared for the challenges life is presenting you, and
confused about what to do next. Contrast that to a properly educated graduate who feels capable and competent, knows their options and how to evaluate them, and can make a reasoned decision about what course they will pursue.
What will the next few years be like for the poorly educated student or drop-out? How will this set them up for the rest of their life? Now think about the properly educated person who has "hit the ground running" and is already pursuing a course of action that will serve them well in the future. This is the difference a quality education makes.
Social-
The results of our poor educational system are all around us. From the clerk at the register who can't make change, to the sales and service people who can't explain their products, much less help you decide which one is best for your needs. From people taking out loans they can't pay back for houses they can't afford, to people playing games with those loans that cause wholesale banking failures- proving that even the "highly" educated aren't necessarily properly educated. From the people we vote into public office, to the scandalous things they do once there. Poor performance and bad decisions can both be laid at the feet of poor education and their consequences can be felt in every area of our lives.
We all live with the results of poor education every day. Things that cost more than they should, service that isn't as good as it should be, and who knows what products and businesses never see the light of day because their inventor or founder didn't receive the necessary education. Imagine if everyone (or at least a significantly greater percentage of people) got a proper education - if they were taught critical thinking skills, how to evaluate an opportunity, how to make rational decisions and how to set and acheive goals- how would society benefit?
Economic-
It is estimated that every high school drop out costs us as a nation about $300,000 over their lifetime. And yet we are currently producing about 1-1.5 million drop outs per year - and have been for quite a while. Yes, that's $450 billion! Drop outs, and the under educated, are also vastly more likely to be in prison or on assistance programs.
Well educated people earn more and spend more, thus supporting a healthy economy that, in turn, supports them. They contribute to the nation's wealth instead of drawing from it.
While these are fairly simplistic examples, I believe they illustrate the point that society is a product of education. When you combine these examples with the fact that the U.S. has fallen into the mid-20s ranked against other developed nations in reading and math, it paints a pretty dim picture. We led the way into the Industrial Age, and into the Information Age. We believe education can and should be the next area the United States leads the world in.
Our school system was designed in the 1950s. Today, that model simply does not work. It is ineffective and a breeding ground for failure in today’s modern world. Fixing the system cannot be just about getting rid of bad teachers or curtailing union influence. These are only band-aids and attempts at repairing the current system which is obsolete.
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." -Albert Einstein
Personal-
Imagine being 18 years old and not having a good education. You are probably feeling overwhelmed, not prepared for the challenges life is presenting you, and
confused about what to do next. Contrast that to a properly educated graduate who feels capable and competent, knows their options and how to evaluate them, and can make a reasoned decision about what course they will pursue.
What will the next few years be like for the poorly educated student or drop-out? How will this set them up for the rest of their life? Now think about the properly educated person who has "hit the ground running" and is already pursuing a course of action that will serve them well in the future. This is the difference a quality education makes.
Social-
The results of our poor educational system are all around us. From the clerk at the register who can't make change, to the sales and service people who can't explain their products, much less help you decide which one is best for your needs. From people taking out loans they can't pay back for houses they can't afford, to people playing games with those loans that cause wholesale banking failures- proving that even the "highly" educated aren't necessarily properly educated. From the people we vote into public office, to the scandalous things they do once there. Poor performance and bad decisions can both be laid at the feet of poor education and their consequences can be felt in every area of our lives.
We all live with the results of poor education every day. Things that cost more than they should, service that isn't as good as it should be, and who knows what products and businesses never see the light of day because their inventor or founder didn't receive the necessary education. Imagine if everyone (or at least a significantly greater percentage of people) got a proper education - if they were taught critical thinking skills, how to evaluate an opportunity, how to make rational decisions and how to set and acheive goals- how would society benefit?
Economic-
It is estimated that every high school drop out costs us as a nation about $300,000 over their lifetime. And yet we are currently producing about 1-1.5 million drop outs per year - and have been for quite a while. Yes, that's $450 billion! Drop outs, and the under educated, are also vastly more likely to be in prison or on assistance programs.
Well educated people earn more and spend more, thus supporting a healthy economy that, in turn, supports them. They contribute to the nation's wealth instead of drawing from it.
While these are fairly simplistic examples, I believe they illustrate the point that society is a product of education. When you combine these examples with the fact that the U.S. has fallen into the mid-20s ranked against other developed nations in reading and math, it paints a pretty dim picture. We led the way into the Industrial Age, and into the Information Age. We believe education can and should be the next area the United States leads the world in.
Our school system was designed in the 1950s. Today, that model simply does not work. It is ineffective and a breeding ground for failure in today’s modern world. Fixing the system cannot be just about getting rid of bad teachers or curtailing union influence. These are only band-aids and attempts at repairing the current system which is obsolete.
"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." -Albert Einstein
Donate
This is the "pre-launch" version of our website. If you are here, chances are it is because someone invited you specifically to come. Please look around with a
constructively critical eye. We hope you will assist us to make this site as effective as possible. We hope we always continue to grow, but the more we can
do pre-launch, the better first impression we will make. Thank you for your time and your assistance, Michael V. Fowler, President fftng1@att.net
constructively critical eye. We hope you will assist us to make this site as effective as possible. We hope we always continue to grow, but the more we can
do pre-launch, the better first impression we will make. Thank you for your time and your assistance, Michael V. Fowler, President fftng1@att.net
