More college, less common sense

This clown has the opinion that more students need to have their eyes set on college..........

U.S. students have become accustomed to making grades good enough to develop minimal proficiencies and graduate high school, but in many cases not good enough to pursue higher education and land important, high-paying jobs in emerging fields. These career fields will depend heavily on science, technology, engineering and math – what those of us in academia call the STEM disciplines.

Many students have not been encouraged to take a long view toward education. They have been taught to see high school graduation as the goal. If this level of educational attainment is the goal, there is less incentive to perform at higher standards that guarantee college admission and career success. Worse, college is only presented as only "one option" to many students.

Our nation does not have a "college-going culture." I am not so pessimistic, however, as to assume that we cannot create one. If we are to provide this cultural sea change in America – and especially in North Texas – there are several important things we must do.

First, what rock has this guy been living under. There isn't a high school in this country that doesn't count the number of kids heading to post graduate studies.

Second, I would offer that too many kids have college at any price on their minds. As a result, not enough of them are prepared academically when they enter school nor do they have any sense of a plan when they arrive on campus.

The result is tons of college dropout loaded with big fat student loans they'll never be able to repay.

For those who do graduate with that Women Studies degree too many never got the memo that employers are looking for people with requisite skills to their businesses. Being able to recite a laundry list of bra burners is generally not a skill a lot of employers are embracing in today's job market.

Third, not enough kids are being encouraged to develop skills outside of academia. What's wrong with a kids knowing how to service fuel injectors over recitation of O'Henry?

I've always been confused with the sizable population of this country who believe that a college degree says something about your character and your value to society; like the pompous sportswriters who get hung up on college football graduation rates.

I've met more than my share of college graduates who might have been the dumbest people in my life. Hell, look at our president. The guy graduated from Harvard Law School but still can't get his brain around the Law of Supply and Demand.

More.....