Let us stop telling our kids that they have to go to “college” in order to be successful. Because “college” today is such a different term than it was sixty years ago. “College” today means telling kids that they need to go to a University or a State college where they need to learn “theory.” We have taught our kids “Psych 101” “English 101” “History 101” is the absolute basis for their ability to function in a civilized society. Never mind the ideological intentions of the liberal professors that we have given the free rein to mold our children’s minds under the guise of giving them a “step up” in life. College today is not about teaching our children the skills of tomorrow. It has become a forum for teaching our children that they need to unlatch themselves from the values that their parents have instilled in them during their formative years.
This is why liberal politicians cling to the need for “college.” Why they refuse to accept any “reform” to the current higher education model. Why you hear President Obama SCREAM at the top of his lungs that all young people need the opportunity to go to “college.” Why they REFUSE to change the federal higher education grant system? What does “college” mean to these politicians? It means the ability to keep a steady flow of the next generation indoctrinated into their school of thought. They DO NOT care that these students are not actually learning how to perform basic skills, all they care about is that they are buying in to their liberal theory on society.
This year had more protest to any type of “conservative” commencement speakers than ever in history. The protests were so blatant that we had one of the most liberal mayors in history actually speak out against it. Mayor Mike Bloomberg of New York (who considers himself an independent) but is MUCH loved by liberals actually had this to say: “Think about the irony: In the 1950s, the right-wing was attempting to repress left-wing ideas. Today, on many college campuses, it is liberals trying to repress conservative ideas, even as conservative faculty members are at risk of becoming an endangered species. And perhaps nowhere is that more true than here in the Ivy League.” “Tolerance for other people’s ideas, and the freedom to express your own, are inseparable values at great universities. Joined together, they form a sacred trust that holds the basis of our democratic society.” “There is an idea floating around college campuses – including here at Harvard – that scholars should be funded only if their work conforms to a particular view of justice. There’s a word for that idea: censorship. And it is just a modern-day form of McCarthyism.” “In the 2012 presidential race, according to Federal Election Commission data, 96 percent of all campaign contributions from Ivy League faculty and employees went to Barack Obama. Ninety-six percent. There was more disagreement among the old Soviet Politburo than there is among Ivy League donors. That statistic should give us pause – and I say that as someone who endorsed President Obama for reelection – because let me tell you, neither party has a monopoly on truth or God on its side. When 96 percent of Ivy League donors prefer one candidate to another, you have to wonder whether students are being exposed to the diversity of views that a great university should offer. Diversity of gender, ethnicity, and orientation is important. But a university cannot be great if its faculty is politically homogenous. In fact, the whole purpose of granting tenure to professors is to ensure that they feel free to conduct research on ideas that run afoul of university politics and societal norms.”
Given this surprising quote by a historically one-sided supporter. Why ARE WE AS PARENTS trying to encourage our children to attend these types of schools? Why are we breaking our own backs because we think that our children would have a better life if they had the tag “Harvard” or “Stanford” attached to their resume’s? Why are we allowing society to make that insane correlation?
It needs to stop. A long time ago, maybe, these schools were the most successful at producing graduates that had an elite ability to contribute to an existing company. Those days need to be over. Our current industries have major players that have the capital to invest in education of future employees. These companies, the Microsoft’s, the Boeing’s, GE’s and the Wal-Mart’s of the US should be investing in the community colleges and technical colleges that the majority of American’s should be attending. We need to get America’s companies on board with hiring American’s and what those companies need for eager post-high school kids to get there.
Parent’s today (myself included) are so stressed about the prospect of sending our kids to a four-year college. Why? What are they going to learn there that they could not learn from a well-directed internship from an eager company who would have an investment in training a new potential employee? We need to re-think higher-ed. The reform needs to come from our beautifully crafted system of corporations on down. Our companies need to invest in education, and they need to do it at the community college and technical college level. Those instituions need to become the norm. Because from mastering skill and confidence comes innovation. Our current societal method of from “theory” comes “innovation” is just not working.
We need people who have a solid foundation in current skill, from that comes innovation. From that comes a passion for further education and knowledge. That is where the Harvard’s and the Stanford’s of the world should come into play. We need to stop telling our parents of the US and our children of the US that theory based colleges are for them, because in reality they should only be for a select few. They should only be for those who have demonstrated a strong foundation in skill and then are passionate about pursuing additional knowledge and theory. In reality that path is not for everyone, and that path does not demonstrate success. In fact, in many cases, those who have grounded themselves in proven technique will far surpass those who have chosen to seek a new way of doing things. If we teach in early education that everyone should be on that path we are only
To send out kids into the Standford’s and the Harvard’s of the world without having a strong foundation in reality is wrong. Our kids deserve to know the reality of the world and then build upon that reality through theory if they wish. To send our kids to these institutions without a basic foundation of real world knowledge is wrong. It is not what us parents should be aspiring to. It’s unfair to us as parents that we should have to think that our kids success depends upon them being immersed in these hypothetical situations that they are taught.
We as parents need to stand up, we know that major companies go to these colleges to recruit kids. Why? What is it that they are looking for? I guarantee you that most of the skills that some companies are looking for our kids possess coming out of high school. Why do they need to go to a four-year university to be hired? We need to put pressure on these companies to hire young and then promote from within. Most innovation comes from on the job training. We need to teach our kids that they don’t need to go to an IVY league school to be successful. And we need companies to promote the fact that they don’t believe going to one of those schools is important in hiring.