I have been watching the deterioration of higher education in the USA for the past 40 or so years. Until now, I did not see how single individuals could do much about it. Our schools at all levels have been taken over by unions and liberals to the point that they now run them without any concern about the wishes of the tax payers or the parents of the children. I know that is a very strong statement, but if you look at the facts, you will realize that it is true. The problem is, "how can we do anything about it"? How can we as individuals change the direction of education here in the USA? I think that I now have an idea that may help change the direction.
First, let's look at the average family and how they deal with their kids education and specifically how they deal with getting their kids into and thru college. All parents want what is good for their kids. I do not have any problem with that, but what I have a problem with is the fact that they "trust" their kids to unionized liberal teachers at all levels. Most parents are blinded by their desire for their kids to go to college that they accept on "faith" that going to college is "good". I take the view that college can be good, but it can be worthless and dangerous in many cases. I know parents who are conservatives, but who have kids who are liberals and so liberal in their beliefs that you would not recognize they were all from the same family. You don't find this difference when it comes to religion or believing in God, but you do when it comes to schools and colleges. This means to me that something very different is going on in schools and colleges.
This is just one part of the problem. The other is the fact that since about 1970 our kids have been dumbed down and have been taking easier and easier classes and majors in college. If you look at the degrees our kids earn today compared to 50 years ago, you will see that they are easier, fuzzy feel good type majors vs the harder technical courses or majors. Our kids, their parents and our government have left the more difficult majors to foreign students. Almost all PhD's in Math are earned by foreign students now, not our kids. During this period of deterioration we have spent more money on education and given out more scholarships, grants and student loans. We spent our money, but it mostly purchased second rate degrees that could not pay back the money spent on them. Now, how do we change that?
Before I get to one solution, I want to tell a story about a good friend of mine. This friend has for years sponsored college scholarship for technical majors. He has found it difficult to maintain control over his scholarships because the university wanted to get their hands on and control over his scholarship money. They wanted to pass out the scholarships to those who they favored. I have since found this to be very common and most donor comply and turn their funds over to the universities "general fund" for them to administer. I am sure many of you are part of organizations who have turned your funds over to the colleges and universities in your state or area. What this has done is to turn even more control over your kid's education to the very unionized and liberal groups who have been screwing up education in the USA for the past 40 or 50 years. Here is the solution.
What all us need to do at all levels is to take back control of our scholarships. We need to stop passing control over our scholarship money to the colleges and universities. If you go onto the Internet, you will find long lists of the "most worthless college degrees". We have to stop spending our money on those worthless degrees. If you are part of an organization or have any vote in how money is being spent on scholarships, you should make sure that the scholarships are "not" used for any of the many "worthless degrees". Many of those degrees are actually dangerous for our children. At their young age, it is very easy for unionized liberals to influence their thinking and value systems in ways very different from that of their parents. I don't want that and I don't think you do either. We have to stop spending our scholarship money on degrees chosen by high school counselors or our lazy kids. As parents we need to take charge of our kids education and stopping the money flowing into "worthless college degrees" is one of the first ways that we can make a difference.
Do your job!!
