I’ve recently been reading Jonathan Kozol’s Shame of the Nation as an assignment for one of my teaching credential courses. Lately, I’ve only had time to read books that have been assigned, and not so much for pleasure. However, I find Shame of the Nation intriguing and pleasurable to read. One particular chapter described how state testing and test results have molded school curriculum’s, primarily in urban schools, towards a utilitarian type teaching model. Meaning, the students were being taught in subjects that would eventually employ them in specific industries and businesses. The curriculum was also limited to what would be on the state test, so many children were lacking common knowledge of history and science. What particularly sparked my interest was Kozol’s opinion that these children were being boxed into a certain career path and had very few choices. Basically, they weren’t being taught how to think independently or creatively. His explanation of this method of teaching inner-city children, is that there worth was viewed as less important factors in the overall economy. (I’m summarizing his view point in this statement).

This lead me to thinking that these school-to-work programs, as they are called, are formed upon a consumer-based economy. What would happen if our economy changed and it wasn’t so consumer driven? How would these school-to-work programs succeed if there wasn’t a need for so many restaurant cooks at the Hilton (one particular school-to-work example in the book). My thought behind this is what is to come of our future generation if we gear them towards a specific trade, but then that trade doesn’t exist in the future?

Unemployment Chart - Google

Today,  I read an article in the Los Angeles Times that our nation’s unemployment figure is 9.8%, however, this may not truly reflect the entire unemployment rate. They estimated it could be as high as 17%! The article also went on to describe how our economy may be coming out of this recession, but the employment will most likely lag behind for some time to come. Our current economic model is based on consumers purchasing items. If consumers are out of work, or scared because they might lose their jobs, they aren’t spending their money on frivolous items. This ultimately affects our economy.

If people’s spending habits change, due to this recession, what will the future economic model look like? Will our economy shrink? Will people, who have lost their jobs, have to become creative thinkers and start their own business or freelance permanently? What will the students, who are enrolled in the school-to-work program, do once they graduate? If they haven’t been taught how to think independently, or creatively, or lack the skills outside of the trade they have been taught, what kind of future do they have?

I obviously have many questions and not many answers. My obvious solution to educating our future children is allowing them to think outside the box, be creative, get those higher-thinking skills in place. This is something state testing doesn’t test, nor is it something that can be measured in a standardized test. Of course students need solid reading and math skills for everyday activities and tasks, but they also need to be knowledgeable in history and science, and ask thought-provoking questions about things that interest them. If we want to continue to be a prominent country in a world economic model, we need to prepare children accordingly.

What are your thoughts about the future of our economy? Will our economic model change or shrink? Are there other successful economic models to compare ours to? Should children be viewed as assets and taught specific trades if they are viewed as not being capable of far greater things? I’m curious to know what other’s think, feel free to share your thoughts.