The education trap

Talk about an industry in a quagmire. I read that American schools are falling further and further behind and that our smartest – Bill Gates – are determined to make a positive dent in this space and yet, nothing seems to be happening. Call me optimistic but I think the next 10 years will bring change.

Open enrollment, charter schools and online universities are the terms of the day. On-line universities are a disaster waiting to happen. It’s tools without methods and controls and regulation.

I can’t get my head around online universities. Bad enough kids are playing on-line poker in live classes, what the hell have they concocted to breeze through online classes.

I am looking for help to manage my day to day businesses, but an on-line MBA grad from Grand Canyon University is not where I am searching. Call me cynical and old school, but this reeks of “Tony Robbin’s” or “Infomercials” for credits. Obviously, not a 100 percent scenario, but geez, we can’t protect accredited investors from hedge Funds, so who is looking out for the poor soul spending his last 20k to further himself with a degree that most people would not take seriously.

I like open enrollment and charter schools, but that is one opinion.

I think we need teachers and better trained teachers. The good news seems to be that over the next few years, 50 percent of the teachers will be retiring. This opens the door for fresh teaching and training ideas and new energy.

The opportunity lies here I think.