We Don't Need No Education!!
...How many times have we returned to this Pink Floyd song throughout this semester??... And how true is it??
Anyway, I was going to post my response to Task 1 all at once, but after reading Robert Epstein's article "Let's Abolish High School," I decided that I needed to give this one article special attention. I was a little, ahem, miffed that he made the claim that the only jobs that high school students can look forward to working are babysitting, yardwork, or mopping floors at a burger joint.
I thought of my just-turned-18 year old brother Ian, a senior in high school. Ian has never held one of the aforementioned jobs, yet he holds a high work ethic. Ian has consistently earned at least $8.50 / hour working as a groundskeeper at a local golf course and working for my parents' milk hauling business. He currently works at the Maines Warehouse making $10.00 / hour... and he's still in high school. Ian's not one of those "non-achieving" school students whose only prospect in life is to hold a manual labor job. Ian is graduating high school this June with honors: his overall average is above 90, he is involved in Student Council, FBLA, and he is a member of the Varsity Golf team (who, by the way went to States this year). He also manages the School Store and has raised profits to something like 400% in this year alone. Ian just bought his first truck with the money that he earns- it's a 2003 Dodge Ram (ask him- it has a Hemi!). No, our parents didn't pay for it- he's making the payments on his own.
While I'm overly proud of my brother's achievements (we're extremely close), I am more proud of his non-comformist attitude when it comes to holding a job. He knows that he's not cut out to be someone's robot- that's why he does work that he can control. This is largely in part because my parents pushed him to be all that he can be and to be proud of it. It's also because his school has allowed him the opportunity to BE something.
So, after looking at this, I guess I do agree somewhat with Epstein... It's true- certain stereotypical jobs apply to teens... which is fine (I worked as a cashier in a drugstore as my first job). I also think it's the responsibility of parents and of schools to recognize potential in students and suggest or push them into jobs that they know will better fit the needs and desires of the individual student. It's one of the many ways to help students understand their abilities, talents, interests, and societal values.
After reading through the rest of the article, I believe that Epstein's perceptions of America's youth and the systems opposed upon it are not too far from the beliefs that I hold myself. O agree- schools are channeling students based on a "one-size-fits-all" mentality. They're giving kids the feelings that they're not yet good enough for "real" work or to have a "real" purpose. Now, what are we going to do about it?????????????
Anyway, I was going to post my response to Task 1 all at once, but after reading Robert Epstein's article "Let's Abolish High School," I decided that I needed to give this one article special attention. I was a little, ahem, miffed that he made the claim that the only jobs that high school students can look forward to working are babysitting, yardwork, or mopping floors at a burger joint.
I thought of my just-turned-18 year old brother Ian, a senior in high school. Ian has never held one of the aforementioned jobs, yet he holds a high work ethic. Ian has consistently earned at least $8.50 / hour working as a groundskeeper at a local golf course and working for my parents' milk hauling business. He currently works at the Maines Warehouse making $10.00 / hour... and he's still in high school. Ian's not one of those "non-achieving" school students whose only prospect in life is to hold a manual labor job. Ian is graduating high school this June with honors: his overall average is above 90, he is involved in Student Council, FBLA, and he is a member of the Varsity Golf team (who, by the way went to States this year). He also manages the School Store and has raised profits to something like 400% in this year alone. Ian just bought his first truck with the money that he earns- it's a 2003 Dodge Ram (ask him- it has a Hemi!). No, our parents didn't pay for it- he's making the payments on his own.
While I'm overly proud of my brother's achievements (we're extremely close), I am more proud of his non-comformist attitude when it comes to holding a job. He knows that he's not cut out to be someone's robot- that's why he does work that he can control. This is largely in part because my parents pushed him to be all that he can be and to be proud of it. It's also because his school has allowed him the opportunity to BE something.
So, after looking at this, I guess I do agree somewhat with Epstein... It's true- certain stereotypical jobs apply to teens... which is fine (I worked as a cashier in a drugstore as my first job). I also think it's the responsibility of parents and of schools to recognize potential in students and suggest or push them into jobs that they know will better fit the needs and desires of the individual student. It's one of the many ways to help students understand their abilities, talents, interests, and societal values.
After reading through the rest of the article, I believe that Epstein's perceptions of America's youth and the systems opposed upon it are not too far from the beliefs that I hold myself. O agree- schools are channeling students based on a "one-size-fits-all" mentality. They're giving kids the feelings that they're not yet good enough for "real" work or to have a "real" purpose. Now, what are we going to do about it?????????????
Here's one of Epstein's solutions (one of which I highly agree)
Teenagers are inherently highly capable young adults; to undo the damage we have done, we need to establish competency-based systems that give these young people opportunities and incentives to join the adult world as rapidly as possible. -Robert Epstein
Ian - Windsor's Varsity Golf Team
1 comment:
Megan, thank you for sharing your brother's accomplishments. I can see why you're so proud of him. Where is Ian going to college?
Epstein is provocative. His thesis is mine: when we infantilize adolescents in our classrooms we get what we deserve--disaffection, alienation, boredom, procedural display and not genuine engagement, outright resistance in some cases.
When we construct adolescents as the capable thinkers/doers they are, and put them in charge of their own educations, giving them some control over what they are learning, the partnership we enter into with them is much more productive.
Nice post Megan.
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