Title: Education isn't Boring
Speaking of education, did you know that our planet, the beautiful planet Earth, can fit inside a few of the planets in our solar system many times over?
Earth can fit inside Neptune 57.7 times, Uranus 63 times, Saturn 760 times, Jupiter 1,300 times, and our Sun 1.3 million times. But wait, our sun can fit inside Betelgeuse 700 times, but don’t say that name 3 times in a row. Now for the wow moment. The largest known star in the universe is UY Scuti, which can fit 5 billion suns, or 6 quadrillion, 489 trillion Earths.
What am I saying!? I’m saying that education isn’t boring, there’s a lot to learn, ponder, and discover.
As I always say, an educated public is an employable public. With more jobs and professions requiring more education, from high school diplomas, an array of degrees, technical certifications, and verifiable skills, on top of continuing education credits, and employer-funded training and certifications, coupled with growing international competition, as a nation we must get education right.
Without an educated public, life on our “blue marble” becomes more difficult for everyone, as those without a proper education become more dependent on others and governments, which must take more from the public to fund it all. I’m not saying that we don’t need reasonable social safety nets, but a person needing to seek government assistance shouldn’t be based solely on a lack of education.
To decrease the number of people who are needlessly dependent on others and governments, in society, due primarily or solely to a lack of education, we need to make education make sense, by allowing teachers to experiment in the classroom versus having to teach to a test or administer some form of mandatory indoctrination.
We need to allow teachers to find ways to reach the children in our communities, and we can only do that by shielding them from bureaucracies and the undue influence of special interests. To do this, we need to be able to recruit and retain the best by providing great pay and benefits. This goes for teacher assistants and everyone who plays a role in educating the future of our country.
I believe that quality education starts by having effective and common-sense policies that guide not dictate. The saying “the government nearest the people governs best” rings true when it comes to education, which is why we need to bring authority back to states and our local boards of education by fighting back against the Federal Department of Education and pushing for its elimination. We also need to empower parents as every child has the right to have a good education and a safe learning environment that’s free from politics and indoctrination.
Notes:
1. The photos used are “Earth Rise” which was taken on December 24th, 1968, by NASA/USAF Astronaut William Anders, during Apollo 8’s mission around the moon. The second photo is known as the “Pale Blue Dot,” (Carl Sagan), who advocated for the photo to be taken. It was taken by Voyager-1 on February 14th, 1990, at 3.7 billion miles from Earth, or 40.5 astronomical units (AU).
2. Just in Note 1 above, there are so many things to look at, to read about, to study, to educate oneself on. After all, those who made those two images possible didn’t take education lightly, and neither should anyone.
Todd A. McKinley, BA, MSL
SFC, USA-Ret.