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‘Never’ Does Not Exist – Education
“We will never have the prosperity we had in the 90’s. The people of Michigan just have to learn to live with less.â€
–Richard Ball, debate with Mike Powers, September 2004
Note: This is the tenth in a series on revitalizing Shiawassee County
Education
In order to increase our self reliance, we must nurture and market our educational opportunities. Our small schools are very attractive to young families who are looking for a place to raise their children, and our central location places us within one hour of three major universities.
Strong public schools — Public schools are the great social equalizers of America, but there is little doubt that some of these schools are better than others. With focus and prioritization, Shiawassee schools can be among the best in the nation.
- Commit to small schools — Many communities have consolidated schools and cut teaching staff in order to save costs, but increasing the size of classrooms has a negative effect on education. The hidden costs of these larger schools often drive the cost per student up to the point where large schools are more expensive than small. Studies have also shown that small schools graduate a higher percentage of students than larger schools, and small class size contributes to less violence, more participation, and higher grades. Teachers are better satisfied with the environment, and the community is more involved with the schools.16
- Create a public education foundation – a county wide public education foundation, funded by private and public dollars, can help our young people realize their potential. In conjunction with current educational resources, such a foundation could promote literacy, identify at risk students, and sponsor leadership discovery programs. Similar foundations offer grants to schools and scholarships to students, and facilitate the sharing and exchange of school supplies. A public education foundation demonstrates our commitment to public schools and to the young people of our county.
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Lifelong learning — Globalization and automation has made lifelong learning a competitive necessity. 40% of America’s workforce will change jobs every year, and more workers are not retiring until later in life. Workforce literacy is shifting from the traditional skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic, to the new skills of navigating information presented on a screen and assembling knowledge from data fragments. In order for the Shiawassee workforce to succeed in this economy, we must promote lifelong learning and invest in the necessary resources to deliver this training to our residents.
- Short, accelerated programs – classes that are designed specifically to address certain tasks and skills are offered by private companies and consultants. The county should encourage these training investments by our local employers. Training centers and high speed internet access are essential to the delivery of these classes.
- Distance learning – The ability to earn college credit by taking classes over the Internet has revolutionized access to higher education. Distance learning offers convenience and flexibility, individualized instruction, interaction with a diverse student body, and access to remote resources. Students have no travel expenses and can schedule their coursework so that it doesn’t interfere with their employment. Shiawassee County must make an effort to ensure that our residents have sufficient technology training to participate in distance learning. Furthermore, all residents must have access to high speed internet access, regardless of how rural their location.
Next Time: Health Care
16 http://www.smallschoolsproject.org/PDFS/dollars_sense.pdf
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