FUTURE EDUCATION PROJECT

Congressman Sanford Bishop, Jr. of Georgia (left) confers with local officials

American higher education leads the world. The American dropout rate from secondary education may be the worst among industrialized nations. The opinions as to why are broadly varied. In hardly two decades instruction has gone from black boards to interactive dry erase whiteboards. The computer age with the Internet has brought new means of instruction, learning and opportunities for students to explore or find their interests. It has also brought the distraction of computer games and the less desirable aspects of the Internet. FTAD will gather teachers, administrators, school board members, psychologists, and others having direct interest in education. It will join them with men and women from businesses of many types and others from social and healthcare institutions, the military, law enforcement and all levels of government.

Some questions:

• Are teachers primed to spark career interests? Do career interests jive with the expected long term needs of the economy? How does the No Child Left Behind Act (Public Law 107-110) relate to creating career interests and employment - job skill requirements?

• Are students being prepared to simply enjoy life as non responsible people who live in the world’s richest nation or are they being trained to be citizens of a democracy who can think deeply, be informed and participate? Is adequate attention paid to history, geopolitics and current events under the No Child Left Behind goal of passing tests? 

• Would a formal three level secondary school system as in many European countries give students of varying abilities and interests better opportunities for hope for a career future? Have elements of it been tried? What are the results?

• Can useful changes be made in administrator, counselor and teacher education? Are there innovations possible?  What, if any, reforms are needed?

• What should be the role of businesses? Should secondary school teachers have sabbaticals to work in their disciplines in business? Should business send their professionals or others to secondary school classrooms? Would other interactions be useful?

• How is the Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001 (EETT) working? What changes, if any, are necessary? Is the funding and training adequate? Are the teachers up to it?

• How is the No Child Left Behind Act working at the State level? Are there problems created by Federal regulations? Is the funding adequate for the task at hand?  Should the law be amended? Does the law provide adequately for special needs kids? Should a wholly new policy be enacted?

• Should American pay some or all of the tuitions of colleges for qualified students as in many European countries to open college as a possibility for low income students?

• In the modern age how should education and parents relate? Is there some other means of relationship?

A multi-faceted model of education polices at different levels is going to be difficult, but necessary. None of these are easy questions. There are many more questions and issues. All require massive work and time. All require those in the field who have the reality of experience and the wounds that go with it, and also those who could contribute, but are not now being invited.

For additional information regarding our future education project, please e-mail education@ftad.org