Feedback Loop: Talking About The Value Of A College Degree
Merrycrafts / Flckr
Earlier this week we wrote about a Lumina Foundation study that showed Florida was not producing enough college graduates to meet the projected job market needs by 2018. The report warns that those without college education will likely find it more difficult to find work.
Readers chimed in, with many noting that a college degree is no guarantee for employment either.
Reader April Tisher notes that a college degree might not always match jobs in available fields (though research shows many grad wind up switching professional fields anyway). Americans need to value education more:
During recent decades, Americans seem to have lost sight of the value of education. Education opens doors to opportunity and to economic prosperity. If we, as Americans, desire to improve the future, this trend must be reversed. To ensure America’s economic stability, it is critical to re-engage adults and teens who have dropped out of school and to help them attain skills that will enable them to earn livable wages. This can be accomplished through America’s adult education and postsecondary education system. The effect of equipping America’s unskilled workforce with the skills needed by our nation’s employers will have a ripple effect by decreasing the need for public assistance and criminal justice funding and decreasing the rate of generational illiteracy and poverty.
And peanut12 argues the problem is due to long-term cuts to education funding:
Our legislators and governor keep cutting education funding at all levels, from pre-kindergarden to college. The only programs not being cut are the football programs. On-line degrees are not the same thing as a proper education.. I have met teens being “home-schooled” through the education system, who are home alone. I have also met a mother “home-schooling” her 7 year old when she had an eighth grade education herself…Our schools need proper funding, not attacks on teachers.
And Fran Schmidt praised students who walked out of class in support of slain Miami 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Schmidt approved of the peaceful protest:
Congratulations to those students who had the courage to not attend classes and protest the killing of Trayvon Martin. Hopefully the students learned a powerful lesson on nonviolent protest. Students want to know that in America people are safe to be different,no matter where they live or visit. Thank you students.
As always, thanks for reading and keep the comments coming.
Reader reaction is an important part of building StateImpact Florida’s education coverage. Feedback Loop will be a regular feature highlighting your questions, criticisms and comments.
