Two Years at the Blackboard: Mr. N's Curmudgeonly Rant About Everything That is...
I must give a kudos to Mr. N over at Two Years at the Blackboard for his post on the current trend to peddle college to every student. I completely understand that getting a bachelor's degree is worth the large investment in time and money. The data implies that, from the potential earnings standpoint, we should encourage everyone to go a four-year college. However, consider the following: Is it worth it for those who had to drop out due to lack of time, money, etc? Is it worth it for those who don't want to go because they know college "isn't for them"? If you answered "no" to either question or both, then by extension, you don't believe that everyone should go to four-year college.
It's okay. You are not a bad person for thinking this, especially if you work with kids (However, you may suck as a person if you believe this about kids given social or racial factors. Just saying.) In fact, I believe that all students should be encouraged, if not pushed, into a post-secondary education program. Not necessarily a four-year college, though that's an option. For some of our students, a four-year college is not the best option for them. Not because they are "less than"; it simply comes down to "it is not their thing". This is a hard concept for folks in education to grasp. There isn't a group of factors that we can list and start sorting kids. If that were true, there would be a few less Lifetime movies in existence.
We do our students a great disservice when it comes to discussing post-secondary options; we either do a really poor job at discussing options or we don't talk about them at all. I must confess that when I was high school, I looked down on the kids in the vocational track (back when Georgia had one). Sorry, but whenever the counselor interrupted English class once a year, she looked like she was discussing the contents of poo, not post high-school education options. It wasn't until I realized that I knew a financially successful, hard-working, and smart kid who didn't go to a four-year college, that the vocational path is not one to be looked down upon nor is it one for the "less intelligent". If college were his "thing", my brother would have wiped the floor with the Harvard elite and certainly the nerds at my prestigious public college. However, he chose his own path and is running a pretty successful business of his own (Now that I think about it, he does business with the same nerds from my college). As for me? My name is "Insane" Teacher. Look up the starting salary for one of those.
As for not discussing vocational options, I don't get why not? The HVAC specialist that came by today didn't seem worried about his job security. My car technician is also not worried. However, several of my friends in nice offices are worried. Several teacher friends are worried. Seeing a trend? Many jobs that require an associates or some other training program are more available right now. Jobs that require a bachelor's? Not so much. Bachelors in some domains are a dime-a-dozen, so it is not simply about just getting one (Psychology majors, I'm looking at you! [IT is now avoiding mirrors.]). Besides, have you watched the news on our economy?
I must give a kudos to Mr. N over at Two Years at the Blackboard for his post on the current trend to peddle college to every student. I completely understand that getting a bachelor's degree is worth the large investment in time and money. The data implies that, from the potential earnings standpoint, we should encourage everyone to go a four-year college. However, consider the following: Is it worth it for those who had to drop out due to lack of time, money, etc? Is it worth it for those who don't want to go because they know college "isn't for them"? If you answered "no" to either question or both, then by extension, you don't believe that everyone should go to four-year college.
It's okay. You are not a bad person for thinking this, especially if you work with kids (However, you may suck as a person if you believe this about kids given social or racial factors. Just saying.) In fact, I believe that all students should be encouraged, if not pushed, into a post-secondary education program. Not necessarily a four-year college, though that's an option. For some of our students, a four-year college is not the best option for them. Not because they are "less than"; it simply comes down to "it is not their thing". This is a hard concept for folks in education to grasp. There isn't a group of factors that we can list and start sorting kids. If that were true, there would be a few less Lifetime movies in existence.
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| Not going for the obvious "Feed the homeless" extracurricular joke. |
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| Accurate depiction of how I look when I open my wallet. |
Looking from the earning perspective we started with, exhibit A and exhibit B. Many on this path will make as much, if not more, money than I will as a teacher. Certainly more than the social workers working in schools.
I want all of my students to shoot for the moon, and luckily for them, I know that there are several launchpads for them to use. We just need to find the right one.
I agree somewhat. What concerns me is that, with the current stigma on the vocational track, people will continue to see it as a "less than" choice. That's one reason why the school I work in avoids this conversation.
ReplyDeleteWe hope that by encouraging them to go a four year college that whether they actually do or don't go, they will continue on their education in some form another (i.e. they stay motivated to improve). As a means to ends, I say continue to encourage four-year college.