Ivy League Aspirations

If you support these core initiatives:

-Effective, empowered teachers and school leaders;
-Student assessments that stress 21st century skills;
-Universal access to high-quality early education;
-A safe, healthy learning environment; and
-Affordable college for all students,

Then let President Obama know! Visit EDVOTERS.ORG and sign the petition today!

No, this is not 'key to their prospects'. Frankly, we are asking too many people today, even adults, to think way too far ahead in their lives.... it's time for that to STOP. The furthest you should have to think ahead in your life, adult or not..... 2 years! And that's only for EXTREMELY important stuff that usuallly only comes up once you are an adult.
Also, the main reason that children are not doing well in school is that it has morphed from an education system into a 'memorization and regurgitation' system..... which most children and even adults are not good at. Once they went to open book tests in the schools in my area 10 years ago when I was in school (after a threat of a lawsuit by my and some other parents)..... the grades went up DRAMATICALLY! They had children who were getting 40% on tests go up to near 90% because they weren't having to remember complex formulae in math, science, etc. anymore.

So we create the same cloned bumbling idiots that have messed up everything so far. Great idea!
Helping advance childrens education is a nobel. and well conducted endeavor, but what is being taught?
Monkey see, monkey do.

I think its important to aspire to something higher even if you don't end up going to college. Not going to a traditional four year college is not the end of the world. But people should always set their sights high and that is what the people are doing, but later on caution them to be realistic. What should be drilled in is that further education is necessary whether its trade school or college. IF parents want the kid to be an engineer he takes courses like physics, math, chemistry. But he ends up being an electrician that is better for society. In places like Germany or France, the academic requirements required to become an electrician would allow you to get into a engineering program in the US. I hear a lot of people saying that America should emulate German's system of apprenticeship instead of four year colleges. I agree, but the academic requirements to the best apprenticeship in Germany are tougher than getting into a typical engineering college in America.

It's more about having the OPPORTUNITY to go to college and the CHOICES college creates for these students. Also, we should broaden our definition of 'college' to include any and all post-secondary educational opportunities, such as technical schools, community college, military schools, trade schools, etc. Maybe it isn't realistic to think that every student can and should go to a four-year college, but in today's world it IS realistic and imperative that all students graduate from high school and receive some kind of extra training, whatever that may be. Drop-out rates are staggeringly high and strongly correlate to teen pregnancy, crime, and many of the other problems plaguing society.
While the usefulness of a college degree in helping one land a high-paying job may be in question, there is nothing questionable about the impact it has on an individual's personal growth, understanding of his or her world, potential for success, and power of choice.

To address the concern of college costs, there are many ways that students can make their education more affordable. The idea that one must attend an elite private college to get a good education or land a competitive job is simply untrue. State schools around the country provide excellent educational opportunities for students at much lower costs than their private counterparts. Financial aid is available in many forms for students as well. Grants are particularly helpful for students from low-income families as they provide need-based monies that do not need to be repaid. Over half of the students at Harvard and Yale have over 60 percent of their tuition covered by need-based grants. Scholarships are available from countless colleges and organizations and can be found through several online search engines (such as fastweb.com and scholarships.com). Many state and federal service organizations (such as Americorps) provide education awards for individuals who commit a year or two of service to the country. Some loans can be repaid by committing to a few years of teaching. Does this mean that every cent of your education can be covered? Not always, but I would never discourage an eager student from attending college because of the cost. The benefits, I believe, far out-weigh the costs.

sorry Deric isn't valedictorian, and its not Doric its Deric. I attend FCA (Friendship Collegiate Academy) with him.

ah i hate to say it but Doric is spelled wrong this actually 'Deric'

I work in a middle school and I constantly hear kids talk about how they don't want to go to college and how they think college is not necessary for a successful life. Now, though it is true that you don't HAVE to go to college to find success, most basic jobs are now requiring at least an associate's degree.

It just baffles me. I work in a middle school that is much like the ones I attended, except the diversity is now (thankfully!) higher. When I was in middle school, we were taught that college was not an option, but a requirement. Even the special needs students (who were able) were encouraged to go to community college at the very least.

Now, it's just get them through the day, get them through high school, get them out of here. This is not the teachers' faults. The school I work in is very caring about its students and we have an excellent staff. But, with how much we have to focus on testing to meet government standards (which, frankly, are hindering the educational process more than helping students achieve), we can no longer focus on the future for these students. And that is just sad.

I wish we could teach to the students rather than teach to the tests. I wish we could focus on the future rather than the present.

Good post Emily. The media has sold a bill of goods with its college rankings, conning youth and parents to think the more expensive the bill or notable the school name, the greater the likelihood of success. That's fine for old money or the new rich, but for most all it results in is crushing debt and the realities of stagnating wages. And - dumb is dumb, and lazy is lazy. Neither can be hidden or made up for with an Ivy League degree. Go to college, period.

I am a 5th grade teacher in Raleigh NC and I talk to my students about college all the time. As educators we have to talk about higher education because their parents might not and they see us typically more than their own parents. My daughter has talked about college since she was 4 and I would only hope that we could make that possible for all children to see college as a requirement not an impossibility.