Education
In our extensive travels, I've interviewed a wide cross section of people on a multitude of educational issues. Parts of these interviews are reflected in our rather comprehensive position paper on education. The following is an interview I did for my wife's magazine. I sat down with the president of the University of Findlay (U of F) to talk about what's "trending now" in education. --Joe
[Note: The article starts below the picture collage.]
Education, with a focus on “local”
One of the keys to our education platform, when it comes to secondary education, is that there should be community colleges in practically every county in our country. Why? Youth spend, say, 18 years of solid community building with family, neighbors, teachers, coaches… in a community. Then, often, they go often to a college far away. And then, almost as often, they take a job far away as well. So, in effect, college, and then the “best paying job,” trumps all those years of family and community building. Ours has become a tremendously fractured society when it comes to long-term, solid community building.
Having quality community colleges in each county would go a long way toward beginning to keep more people “local.” What’s more, our education platform also calls for, say, two year degrees focused on subjects in a person’s major – without having to take a lot of often extraneous elective courses. And for those who want a four year degree, with those electives, we propose community colleges expand to offer a four-year-degree.
When I was a journalist in Lorain, Ohio, I was assigned to write a story about Lorain Community College – which was the first community college in Ohio to establish a “permanent campus.” The article follows…
Every school a charter school…
Charter schools, with all their creativity, etc. are great opportunities for students. However because charter schools are limited in number, not everyone can attend. What’s more, the way it’s currently set up, charter schools siphon off the best students from other schools – leaving those other schools in worse shape than they often already are.
Part of our education platform calls for every school in America becoming “charter school quality.” Every one. In the heart of Cleveland, Ohio, I researched an award winning charter school that we would point to (as one of many) models for other schools across the country.
The following is a chapter taken from our book “America’s Best Urban Neighborhood” about this school and some of its tremendously creative components…
