What's wrong with education?

If I could wave a magic wand, there are several crucial areas in public education in which attention needs to be focused.

There’s too much emphasis – and money – put on athletics and not enough on academics. I’m not saying don’t have a football team or a baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis or golf team. What I am saying and have been saying for more than three decades is that if we had the emphasis on academics that we have on athletics, our graduation rate would be higher and most students would attending and graduate from technical schools and colleges and universities.

There’s also too many administrators in many schools. This cuts into available money that should be reserved for higher teacher pay.

It wasn't that long ago when Big Chief tablets and No. 2 pencils were high-tech education tools. Those days are gone forever. We have to think big, not just on getting by or keeping the status quo of the present education system.

Why not think big and figure out a way to provide every student from middle school and above a personal laptop computer. There are co-op programs sponsored by major computer firms. Forward-thinking state officials and progressive school districts should be working to figure out way to put computers in the hands of every student, not just those fortunate enough to be able to afford them.

The favorite item on my personal to-do list would be to start a long-term, grassroots campaign to slash the high school dropout rate, and to dramatically increase the number of students pursuing advanced training or educational opportunities after high school.

I developed this program when I was the communications manager for the Department of Higher Education. The reason it wasn't adopted is that it is a long-term program. Long-term programs do not offer easy fixes for complex problems. Long-term projects are not attractive to politicians because they don't provide instantaneous gratification results they can point to when seeking re-election or a higher office.

The program -- Education is not an option. It’s a way for life. – combines efforts from government, schools, citizens and businesses into a cooperative venture that constantly promotes to students how important getting an education is during a person’s life.

It uses real-life examples on the local level through cooperation by businesses to show students the difference in earnings from those without a high school diploma, and with higher education degrees or completion of technical courses after high school.

Establishing this low-cost program, which relies heavily on volunteers in each and every school district in the state will be the first bill I introduce and I fully expect it to pass quickly and with a minimum of opposition.

Think for a minute: Who can be against a program designed for and focused on increasing high school graduation rates and promoting continued education for our children?