<p>A couple of points here. The elitists will always look for ways to say or suggest that they are superior because they went to a superior college. They will carry that arrogance with them throughout their lives. They may be in for a big surprise in the real world, as society’s needs change constantly. </p>
<p>College is not just an academic environment, its also emotional, psychological and physical. Its about growing up in all these categories. </p>
<p>Different schools serve different geographic communities but also academic communities. We should herald the choices. In Europe this is not the case and its very structured and unfair. If you don’t pass the baccalaureate with a high enough score you simply are not going to college. Period. Ever. You will be herded like cattle into a vocational school. But in our country you have many opportunities to attend college: First through Fourth tier four year colleges, community colleges and night school, or programs for adults who never attended or finished or even if they had previously flunked out. </p>
<p>We all want our kids to go to the best schools, but few of us consider what is truly in the best interests of our kids, instead pushing them into the most prestigious schools for bragging rights at the country club or grocery store. We are doing them a grave disservice. Far better to take a realistic inventory of who they are (the kid on the couch) and where they would be able to succeed and thrive the best, not necessarily the most prestigious school. For some, the military is a BETTER option, at least to start. Helps them focus and gain self confidence, plus the GI Bill benefits are awesome. For others, the community college path is better. </p>
<p>As for what a student takes or majors in college, its often the same sort of elitism. As if you tell your friends “my kid is a brilliant scholar in bio-chem or physics at MIT” is better than your kid who is “a history major at State U.” Hogwash. We should applaud BOTH kids for being in college and trying hard to become better human beings. It sure helps if they have a job when they graduate and a clear career path, but even if not, and even if they end up with a job that didnt really require a college education to begin with, it will help them later in life, they will advance faster through the ranks and they are better and more well rounded human beings.</p>
<p>Not to say kids who don’t have the “book skills” (we all learn in different ways) can’t become wonderful human beings, who give to their community and who are highly successful in whatever they choose to do, whether that is a fast food manager, a retail sales person or an apprentice electrician, plumber or HVAC repairman. </p>
<p>I was watching a show last night after the SuperBowl…it just happened to be on. About an “Undercover Executive” at Waste Management. He was the COO and President. He went undercover throughout his company and did menial jobs and met people. He failed at two of the jobs. He was literally fired at one of them. He learned a great deal about the people who work there and what they go through everyday. It was heartwarming and inspirational. NONE of the employees had gone to college, but all of them were hard working people (women and minorities among them too) trying to support families. Many of them were cheerful and a credit to the company and their communities. It was very humbling for this executive. He fixed a LOT of personnel management problems in the process, and promoted one woman on the spot and gave her a big raise. He gave one black man whose job it was to clean and sanitize port o potties, a huge award for being cheerful about his job and making it “fun.” </p>
<p>I do agree that taking Freshman English and any other core requirements is beneficial and should be strongly supported. But I also see the need to help kids find their niche and encourage them to take the ball and run with it as far as they can, whether that is math/science, or history/english/philosophy, or something quasi vocational. </p>
<p>I applaud anyone and everyone who gets into an Ivy League School or uber elite LAC. Good for them. But I reject this notion that they are instantaneously superior human beings or that everyone else is second class or a failure or mediocre. Tens of millions of people in the United States are graduating with a college degree every year and we should be proud of that fact. We need to help them find jobs and careers. </p>
<p>I also agree the world has changed radically in the last 15 years. The information age and computer/digital age has been transforming (and I would suggest to some that it has been highly destructive) in our society. Computer geeks and gadget geeks will scoff at me and throw tomatoes at me. Let them. I grieve for the way things used to be, before globalization took away tens of millions of our jobs. When we had a manufacturing based economy with clear career paths and when people had careers at one company, maybe two in their life, not this 2 or 5 year plan and constant upheaval and uncertainty and re-educating process. But that is just my opinion, being from the older generation.</p>