Here's an image for you-when these little toddlers are old enough to talk ask them what they want to be when they grow up-
and hold them to it
I swear, we get crazier and crazier about what we want for our kids.
Check the majority of the Charter schools in your district. Most have the name Academy in them and they all talk about starting college prep courses in kindergarten.
Charter schools are not the only sinners in this area. Public schools have jumped on the bandwagon. In fact the new educational mantra is
Set goals
Make a commitment
Work toward those goals
Prepare for college
Third grade kids are supposed to know what they want.
Day planners are sent home with third grade students.
What goes in that day planner?
Ride bike on Saturday at 4pm.
Watch Bratz cartoons on Sunday morning 6am
Do math worksheet tonight?
Take a bath
Ask mom for money
Honest professions are becoming persona non grata
Look at this list and tell me you wouldn't die for one of these-
-an honest, competent, auto mechanic
-a real carpenter
-someone who can FIX things
-a plumber
-an air conditioning repair person
a salon stylist who can really cut hair
-a welder
-builders and contractors
appliance repair
-computer repair
-a decent lab tech/x-ray tech/medical tech
-well trained EMT's and Paramedics
-carpet installers
-wallpaper and painters
aviation maintenance and repair
Most of those professions and many more do not require a four year degree. They require hours of training in that specific field.
As an educator I am the first to believe a college education is a wonderful tool. As a kid who grew up in the inner city of Detroit without much opportunity I have say my college degrees have provided me with the means to support my family and work in fields I love.
I still owe on my student loans. I will be paying until I die. It is the way of the world, I guess.
Most of those honest professions I listed above? They make more money than I do, a college educated person with two Master's Degrees.
Since when is Elementary school about preparing for college? When did college for all become the new mantra?
When did we decide that kids couldn't be kids anymore? Do they need to start writing in those day planners to remind themselves, "Today, be a kid"?
