Future of Jobs in U.S.

The CBS Evening News is doing a series called "Where America Stands". It's a much more in-depth report than most news shows usually do (except on PBS). This one was on the future of jobs in the U.S. especially in technology and what we are going to need to do to create them. I thought it was interesting in light of our discussions about STEM.

Comments

seattle citizen said…
Today's Times has two contrasting headlines above the fold:
"State faces nothing but bad choices";
and
"Banks prepare for big bonuses"

Seems like if all we are perparing students for is "college and work," and eschewing any sort of preparation for their duties as citizens and human beings, we should follow the lead of Arne Duncan's Ariel Charter School in Chicago which prepares K-8 students to be investment bankers.

Goldman Sachs is paying its employees, on average, $468,000 this year. Of course this is in recognition of all the fine work the financial sector has done to make our nation and world stronger. Instead of perparing students to be nurses, cops, teachers, utility workers etc, all of which pay a mere pittance compared to our "captains of industry" (or "masters of the universe," if you prefer the model of Sherman McCoy in Wolfe's "Bonfire of the Vanities")

When will we return education to its rich heritage, instead of this increasing focus on "get a job"?

When will art and government and social studies be on the standardized tests?

How will future employees and citizens be prepared to live fully in the world, serving their state, their nation, their world, instead of allowing governments to go broke as the priveleged (and amoral) few grab their $468,000 from those who barely make rent?
1/10/10, 11:31 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday Open Thread

The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested.  It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio.  (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Read more

Breaking It Down: Where the District Might Close Schools

Update 2: an absolutely fabulous interactive map made by parent Beth Day (@thebethocracy on Twitter - she covers Board meetings and is fun to read).   end of update    Update 1: Mea culpa, I did indeed get Decatur and Thornton Creek mixed up. Thanks to all for the correction. end of update   I suspect some who read this post will be irate. Why do this? Because the district seems very hellbent on this effort with no oversight skid marks from the Board.    To clearly state - I do not believe that closing 20 schools is a good idea. I think they hit on 20 because they thought it might bring in the most savings. But the jury is still out on the savings because the district has not shown its work nor its data. I suspect closing schools and THEN leasing/renting them is the big plan but that means the district really has to keep the buildings up.   But this district, with its happy talk about "well-resourced schools" is NOT acknowledging the pain and yes, gr...
Read more

Education News Roundup

From the ever-amusing Washington Policy Center : Vouchers are Pell Grants for students under 18.  Vouchers are no different than Pell Grants or GI benefits, except the money goes to the families of students younger than age 18.  Except they are. Pell Grants were created to help needy students and that's not really the goal of the voucher program.  The Pell grant website does have a couple of great studies on why low-income students drop out before finishing their higher ed and what makes a difference.
Read more