| There are unemployment solutions, but they are | | | | need more education, not less as proposed with |
| not always what you would like them to be. Many | | | | shorter school years, weeks and days. To be |
| college graduates are coming into a world where | | | | competitive we need our students to have not |
| there is no work to be had, at least not in their | | | | adequate, but outstanding education that prepares |
| chosen fields. As a tenured teacher and Crisis | | | | them for life. |
| Counselor, I was devastated to lose my job due | | | | Part of life is computers. Newly recognized as one |
| to economic downturn. As far as I could tell, I had | | | | of the new literacies is computer literacy. If we're |
| done everything expected of me: I went to | | | | going to contribute to the deficit, why not at least |
| college, got great grades and an advanced degree | | | | make it a revolutionary plan that will be more self |
| and received tenure. | | | | sustaining. Use money to buy computers for |
| But the world has changed and only change will | | | | those who can't and make wireless broadband |
| right this teetering vessel.The economic stimulus | | | | available as the new communication. Then use |
| money is almost gone, by and large, and there is | | | | that communication ability and new technological |
| talk of this as a genuine crisis. And, make no | | | | infrastructure to have kids learn at home. |
| mistake, this is a crisis. | | | | Of course, with teachers not having to drive, |
| As American education lags behind so much of | | | | these early electric cars with a somewhat limited |
| the developed world, the future looks a little less | | | | range will look better and better. Which should |
| bright when our education system has little hope | | | | correspond with a drop in the need for oil. As a |
| of recovering in it's current state. So why not | | | | wonderful side effect, families would be |
| make a major change and fix the educational | | | | responsible for helping their children organize their |
| system? Some are calling for a bailout of the | | | | schedules to get their work and projects done. |
| educational system, adding billions of dollars to the | | | | An unpopular part of my idea is likely to be the |
| deficit. But even these advocates admit that this | | | | lowering of teachers' salaries. But you need less |
| would be only a temporary "Band Aid" fix at best, | | | | money with this system because costs are |
| requiring even more money the following year. | | | | lowered dramatically, not to mention that this |
| Two ideas strike me as interesting: one is | | | | would be a great unemployment solution for |
| President Obama's interest in educational reform | | | | teachers and other industries would follow as well. |
| and the other is the proposal to make broadband | | | | If we're to be an economic force to be reckoned |
| internet the communication standard for the | | | | with it would be a smart idea to consider a radical, |
| United States. From my point of view, having | | | | but logical, step toward revamping our educational |
| worked with students from disparate | | | | system for the betterment of all students. |
| backgrounds for over 9 years, is that students | | | | |