The theory that everybody is going to be running around with PHD's is b.s. that has fallen flat on its face. It wasn't too long ago that the economists were saying "Re-teach the masses that are displaced by job loss. The US will just invent new fields and new products."
Guess what, it didn't happen and never will. Go to Europe (particularly Germany) and you will find a very strong technical base. And, if something is invented here (fuzzy tech, flat screens, tv), it finds it way into the other countries because corporate execs make their bonuses. Build it here the first year then ship it overseas to cost cut which is in their contracts.
And you are not going to file everybody into a classroom and re-program them. We have 200+ million people that they fill the spectrum of education and intelligence. All have one common thread, they need to work.
Guess what, all these economists are seeing their "Ivory Tower" jobs being lost to India. Maybe they will come up with a formula for themselves.
Education is a big tool. Countries like India and China push it as top priority. In the past years, Japan would pinpoint an industry and go after it. But do not confuse educational level with a teacher's salary. Here, it depends on location.
In the collar counties of Chicago, teachers (elem and high school) make a prety good buck for 10 months of work per year. Follow this with a bloated salary in their final years before retirement to boost their retirement checks.
When industry is laying off people in droves and cutting back (for the last 5-10 years) on medical coverage, teachers have been isolated from it. Also, teachers place too much emphasis on themselves rather than the the profile of their students. Being from one of the worst high schools in Chiicago, I know what bad teachers are and also know what bad students are. Here, a big part of success is the family backing that student. The whole push for the voucher system is to due to education being hindered by teachers' unions (quote the Chicago union's president regarding the last contract "We went for the bacon but got the whole hog". Now, the governor and the mayor are scrambling to meet a deficit.
The one item that I will tip my hat to teachers is putting up with the crap from students and parents (Why does Johnny have so much homework? It is cutting into his social life!).
I am in favor of teachers who worked in the industry. Somebody who has used the equations and created something with them is a stronger teacher than somebody who goes over the same book and the same pags year after year.
But education aside, how does one compete with a worker making 1/5 his salary? When that overseas worker pays less for his utilities in return.
My point of view.
Guess what, it didn't happen and never will. Go to Europe (particularly Germany) and you will find a very strong technical base. And, if something is invented here (fuzzy tech, flat screens, tv), it finds it way into the other countries because corporate execs make their bonuses. Build it here the first year then ship it overseas to cost cut which is in their contracts.
And you are not going to file everybody into a classroom and re-program them. We have 200+ million people that they fill the spectrum of education and intelligence. All have one common thread, they need to work.
Guess what, all these economists are seeing their "Ivory Tower" jobs being lost to India. Maybe they will come up with a formula for themselves.
Education is a big tool. Countries like India and China push it as top priority. In the past years, Japan would pinpoint an industry and go after it. But do not confuse educational level with a teacher's salary. Here, it depends on location.
In the collar counties of Chicago, teachers (elem and high school) make a prety good buck for 10 months of work per year. Follow this with a bloated salary in their final years before retirement to boost their retirement checks.
When industry is laying off people in droves and cutting back (for the last 5-10 years) on medical coverage, teachers have been isolated from it. Also, teachers place too much emphasis on themselves rather than the the profile of their students. Being from one of the worst high schools in Chiicago, I know what bad teachers are and also know what bad students are. Here, a big part of success is the family backing that student. The whole push for the voucher system is to due to education being hindered by teachers' unions (quote the Chicago union's president regarding the last contract "We went for the bacon but got the whole hog". Now, the governor and the mayor are scrambling to meet a deficit.
The one item that I will tip my hat to teachers is putting up with the crap from students and parents (Why does Johnny have so much homework? It is cutting into his social life!).
I am in favor of teachers who worked in the industry. Somebody who has used the equations and created something with them is a stronger teacher than somebody who goes over the same book and the same pags year after year.
But education aside, how does one compete with a worker making 1/5 his salary? When that overseas worker pays less for his utilities in return.
My point of view.
