In my class the other day we were discussing compulsory education. Should we have it? I said yes, to my great surprise most of the rest of the class said we shouldn’t! And the arguments they gave for their opinions were shocking! I was sitting in a classroom full of teachers getting maters degrees to become principles and they were saying things like, “This country spends too much money on education! Not everyone needs a Cadillac education!” Good Lord, have Mercy! We are a rich nation, if we aren’t spending money on education, what exactly should we be spending money on?!! And the implications of that statement . . . if not everyone should have a “Cadillac” education, who gets one? Who decides on who gets one? What do the rest get? A “Kia” education?

Another woman said, “Well, ‘tortilla makers’ don’t need math and science.” My jaw dropped at the offensive nature of that sentence. A group of educators agreeing that high school should not be required, that math and science should be allowed to fall by the wayside and that children should have the right to decide what education they need past the 8th grade.

Given the choice I wouldn’t have struggled through math and science in high school, but I’m glad I didn’t have the choice. I’m glad I was forced to use my brain and encouraged to try things (and even fail at things along the way) that stretched my understanding and knowledge of the world.

I agree that education in this country certainly could use some reworking. I agree that not every child is destined for college. But even ‘tortilla makers’ can benefit from math and science.