Jonathan Padilla (Harvard) on Educational Opportunity
March 27, 2012
Does Educational Opportunity Remain the Key to Success in the United States?
This January I picked up John Keegan’s Churchill: A Life and founded that it was immensely difficult to put down. From war stories in South Africa to political intrigue in the House of Commons, Churchill was a bold person who dared to speak truth in spite of the ramifications that such courage entailed. One passage in particular has been stuck in the back of mind. During his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Churchill dedicated a war memorial to the fallen soldiers of the Royal Navy and said the following: “They [the sailors] never asked the question, ‘What shall we gain?’ They asked only the question, ‘Where lies the right?’”
Now, what does this have to do with education? In short, it has both everything and nothing to do with education in America. Education is the foundation upon which all other rights are built on for “an educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people,” said Thomas Jefferson. Churchill’s commentary underscores that decisions ought to be made with the rubric of sound, practical, and honest discourse. So naturally, given the state of political gridlock in America, this language has no place in the lexicon of American political debate.
Politics on both sides of the aisle contributed to this debacle. From Senator Santorum’s position that getting a college degree makes you a snob, to those on the left who at times are unwilling to challenge the teacher unions, there is no one group without blame, except for perhaps the students who have been caught up in a generation of academic dysfunction and political brinksmanship. Education is the foundation of rights and the beginning of the road to prosperity. There’s no denying the fact that the unemployment rate for those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher is 4.4%. There’s no denying that 21st century jobs at places like Google and Facebook require extensive skill development. There’s no denying that if this nation actually prioritized education policy there would be real and tangible gains.
The education gap in this nation is widening. A 2011 study out of Stanford pointed out that the gap between disadvantaged and affluent communities has grown by 40% since the 1960’s. Without robust reforms to education, the great hope for equality of opportunity dies and with that dies a cornerstone of the American dream: that anyone with a vision, and a hope, and drive can succeed in America. We can all take part in this struggle. Personally, I turned down several lucrative lobbying and finance positions to spend two years working with Teach for America in Las Vegas, Nevada. For others, putting political pressure on Congress and starting a conversation with your neighbors is a start. This issue does not demand unanimity, but the right clearly lies on the side of putting the next generation at the center of our policy agendas. Americans of all stripes need to be audacious enough to admit something is wrong and then courageous enough to completely revamp a system that is limiting the potential of children and the future of our Republic.
Politics on both sides of the aisle contributed to this debacle. From Senator Santorum’s position that getting a college degree makes you a snob, to those on the left who at times are unwilling to challenge the teacher unions, there is no one group without blame, except for perhaps the students who have been caught up in a generation of academic dysfunction and political brinksmanship. Education is the foundation of rights and the beginning of the road to prosperity. There’s no denying the fact that the unemployment rate for those with a Bachelor’s degree or higher is 4.4%. There’s no denying that 21st century jobs at places like Google and Facebook require extensive skill development. There’s no denying that if this nation actually prioritized education policy there would be real and tangible gains.
The education gap in this nation is widening. A 2011 study out of Stanford pointed out that the gap between disadvantaged and affluent communities has grown by 40% since the 1960’s. Without robust reforms to education, the great hope for equality of opportunity dies and with that dies a cornerstone of the American dream: that anyone with a vision, and a hope, and drive can succeed in America. We can all take part in this struggle. Personally, I turned down several lucrative lobbying and finance positions to spend two years working with Teach for America in Las Vegas, Nevada. For others, putting political pressure on Congress and starting a conversation with your neighbors is a start. This issue does not demand unanimity, but the right clearly lies on the side of putting the next generation at the center of our policy agendas. Americans of all stripes need to be audacious enough to admit something is wrong and then courageous enough to completely revamp a system that is limiting the potential of children and the future of our Republic.
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