College Education...or Something Else..

as i see it..We in high schools, in education, are doing a grave disservice to a growing portion of our students. We, their teachers, and their counselors, and because they've been led to believe it's true, even their parents, make these students believe that they MUST GO TO COLLEGE, or they are STUPID, and that they will be losers in society. But why? Part of the truth of higher education is that COLLEGE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. In fact, the last data I saw on the subject reported that only 23-27% of Americans have 4 year college degrees. That means that the very large majority of Americans, roughly 75%, do not, and yet they live perfectly normal, wonderfully productive lives. As an educator, I realize thinking, let alone saying that college is not for everyone is truly blasphemy. And I did go to two local Junior Colleges before getting my degrees, and have a great appreciation for the JC's who prepared me and many others who wanted to, and did go on to University. But because a path was good for me, or  good for their high school counselors (who  btw all have degrees, and therefor may have a bias) it does not mean that college is right for all our students.

But if part of the "Truth" is that NOT EVERYONE NEED GO TO COLLEGE, the other, and maybe more important part of the "Truth" is that YOU DO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. In my area, small apartments rent for $1700-$1900 per month!! That's a lot!! Some places are even more expensive.Parents know all too well that, in the end, things cost a lot out in the real world, and to live in the real world, you must know how to do something that someone else is willing to pay you a lot of money to do. YOU need skills and you need training!! To be a carpenter, you need training. YOU NEED TRAINING to be a policeman, a beautician, a hair stylist, a massage therapist (go Gina!!!)  a mechanic, or a fireman, or any of the many career fields we need in society, and that can pay one a nice living wage. You do not need a college education, but if not, you need some other form of preparation.

Sometimes we have to stop and think about what we're doing...

as i see it..Whether you think sportspeople should be role models or not, kids do look up to them, and these models help define what is "COOL", or what is acceptable in society. In a time when high profile professional baseball players cheat by taking steroids, when the Olympics are scarred by drug scandals, and when college football programs at major schools are made ineligible by cheating scandals, or get rocked by child abuse scandals, and when it seems like we hear every week or so about some athlete that uses his girl friend or wife for a punching bag. or goes to a nightclub carrying a gun, we're going to chastise a certain Bronco quarterback because HE PRAYS in public..??..REALLY?? REALLY PEOPLE??