There has been sadly little in the news recently on education.
However, unemployment makes the headlines daily, and with good reason as a large portion of our citizenry is either unemployed or under-employed.
How little we think of unemployment and education being vitally important to each other…and then last week I came across an article about employment and a company’s woes as it tried to hire some 1300 people and their lament of only being able to find less than a hundred whom they could employ. Why, you ask? It is easy, less than 100 applicants could pass the simple 9th grade mathematics exam for employment! That is correct, Gentle Reader, they have some 1300 positions they are trying to fill but cannot find workers who are capable of doing the work because they cannot do 9th grade math!
Yet state and local governments everywhere are more than contemplating cutting education budgets, they are doing it.
For years, teachers all over this nation have suffered with declining budgets and increased student to teacher ratios, all of which is taking its toll on our nation.
Too many parents believe that schools are a “free daycare provider” for their children. They complain about homework, and I know this first hand, because there were plenty of days where I wished we had something else to do besides the volume of homework my children brought home. However, for as many days that I rued homework, there were ten times as many that I was thankful for it. It opened the door for intelligent conversation between my children and me and I was able to show them that I liked learning new things and that I did not know everything!
All that being said, do I believe that it is all on the hands of our elected leaders or the teachers to solve the dilemma that educating our youth is?
Absolutely not!
As you can imagine, I am a vocal advocate of public education. I believe that education is a basic right of every citizen. I am not a fan of private or charter schools at all, and believe that the diversity offered at public schools create an atmosphere where more than “book learning” can take place.
Therefore, I want to challenge all of you, Gentle Readers, to venture out and get involved with your local public school. Go, volunteer, and spend some time there! You do not need to have a student in the schools to volunteer your time there!
Do not limit your voice and actions to your local school, though – write a letter to your representatives and let them know how vitally important you believe education is!
Help turn America around from one that does not value education, to one that does. The statistics speak for themselves, if you do not believe me, you can see for yourself here. We are dead last in reading, in the bottom third in mathematics and science.
Statistics that sadly speak for themselves on where we place the importance of education…
Wise advice