I am now considered overqualified to be a realistic applicant. The new hires are the 20 year olds with little to no experience. Many just spent their college days partying like fools. I’ve watched a trail of them get hired in my place regardless of my experience and credentials. Those kids are good for the budget you see, can be hired in at the bottom rung of the ladder.

Even if I were willing to negotiate a lower salary (and at this point I certainly would) the school districts will not discuss it. You see, once in a similar situation a teacher who had agreed to a much lower salary than her credentials deserved worked for a handful of years until she was tenured and then sued the district – and won. The district then had to not only adjust her salary by a LOT but also pay back pay for all of those years at such a low salary. I know this story first-hand, and you can bet that it got around to administrative and human services personnel though not one will admit it.

So this is how we ‘value’ education in the US. We discriminate against the very educated and experienced while we actively recruit those with as little background as possible to teach our young, then mouth off about how much we ‘value’ education and encourage a college degree as though it is the answer to all. I already have several of those, thank you very much, worked my butt off to put myself through college and paid dearly for every degree and certification myself.

As a teacher, I am very gifted and passionate about my work, very dedicated and take great pride in that career, in doing all I can to make a difference – even in the face of a lot of government imposed standardized nonsense. The politics in the public school system is thick. Note I use the present tense above even though I am now unemployed and am finally accepting that I may never walk into another classroom again. Meanwhile I am still a teacher, earned that title with integrity regardless of the nonsense of treating the educational system as though it is some for profit capitalist business. Teaching is in my blood as what I was meant to do, have trained to do well my entire life, because I chose to seek such.

I do not take those silly words about how we as a whole ‘value’ education in this country very seriously anymore. If we cannot value those who ARE ‘educated’, then how can we speak intelligently about why being educated even matters?

Later in life after I got married and had children I realized there was a HUGE deficit in my ability to manage life. Nothing I learned in textbooks dealing with math, physics, chemistry,…etc. prepared me or helped in managing the numerous challenges and problems that exists in a family or dealing with relationships.

Human Life is SO COMPLEX, on all levels, whether it be physically, mentally, psychologically or spiritually. Unfortunately, education has done almost nothing to solve the problems that exists in these areas.

Look at all the advancement in technology, science, physics and chemistry that has transpired over the centuries. Has anything really changed? There is still disease, mental, psychological, spiritual illness, wars, divorces, famines, and government oppression. That’s certainly not a “success” or “making it in life”.

I have seen a lot of unhappy graduates and PHDs. Educated lawyers and law enforcers break the law. Doctors are sick themselves. Pastors and priests fall into pornography and fornication.

Education can be dangerous if placed in the wrong hands. Education can block creativity because one get used to thinking in a box. I have seen AMAZING musicians who never went to music school and don’t practice much. On the other hand I have also seen music graduates that stumble on pieces they have been practicing for hours.

I’m not saying that those math, chemistry and physics subjects are wrong. However when I look at all that is happening in the world, there is something definitely amiss, something wrong.

For these reasons, I would like to conclude that:

Unless knowledge can help destroy selfishness, pride, bitterness and bring love and happiness between relationships, relieve the misery and cure disease on all levels in the world, I don’t think it is true education.

A college education has become very overexaggerated and more “the thing to do” over the years. The idea is put out there like a college education is the only way to have a “good life” and to be “successful.” That’s not to say that it’s not like that for some, but the idea isn’t put out there in an unbiased, either/or way.

I’ve been resistant to college for a few reasons: One the outrageous amount of money that it costs . Two: I’ve never been enthuiastic about school (the education system the way it is). Three: The idea of college feels so inflexible and binding to me.

I don’t label myself an artist, but I do practice art. For a while I had an internal tennis match to whether or not I wanted to go to college for an art education. I want to improve on my technique and gain more artistic confidence and I thought that going to college for a formal education was the ONLY way to do that. When I was at the point where I had convinced myself that college was the way was when I came across what I really wanted, continuing education classes. Classes that I can take that will give me what I’m looking for. They’re shoter, way less expensive and they seem more geared towards polishing me up to my own shine vs shining me the way someone else wants me to shine. My point is, there are other ways to get “there” wherever “there” is for everyone. College isn’t the only path. Learning happens regardless of whether it’s in a classroom or in your best friend’s kitchen.

In closing, for those of you at a educational crossroads, just know that you have more options than you may have been told. If college is the way for you, then go for it. If not, walk another path.

Thank you for reading.

I did the course work for a doctorate in education, in instructional design and technology, spent about three years in the field after investing in eight years of graduate work before deciding I hated the computer industry – even though I was really good at design and made lots of money.

However, I spent lots of money too – astronomical dry cleaning bills and a professional wardrobe, way too tired to cook when I got off work so I ate out a lot and bought too much prepared food so not-so-great diet, tons of stress, long hours, etc. – AND nearly 40K of student loans.

But here’s the deal – I do not regret my education at all and feel it was worth every penny. I learned tons about myself, about my beliefs and how attached I was to earning approval, how desperately I wanted *Success*, etc. and as a result I got over a lot of my “stuff.”

I also received a first class education and got to interact with a lot of fine minds during my educational process and meet many fine friends. So I now have three degrees – two undergraduate degrees in fine arts, a master degree, and then ABD in the doctoral program. I realize that a lot of people may think that is a waste – but to me it is not. My education was and still is part of my path. I’ve grown on all levels, and I feel it has been a good thing for me – despite the enormous student loans I am still paying back (of course there are lessons in that!).

So the point I would like to make is that I think and feel that everyone who wants to go to college – for whatever reason – ought to be able to do that. I would vastly prefer that everyone is able to do that like they do in Spain, for instance, where college is gratis on the state. The USA falls behind in lots of arenas like health care and education – many other countries do it better (but then I am also glad that I live here). Many other countries offer tech training gratis as well, which I think is a very good idea.

I believe that people should reach for their aspirations and desires. I imagine that most of us will make “mistakes” – but I wonder if in the big picture if any of it is really a mistake. We all do the best that we can do at any given moment in our lives – we make the most relevant choices that we are capable of, given where we are at, who we are and where we would like to go.

So if someone wants to go to college, then they should go. If someone wants to drop out of college because it seems a mistake – I applaud their insight. If someone chooses not to go to college because it doesn’t seem relevant – that too is great. Seems like everything in life is on a continuum and we all fall at various unique points on those continuums. We make “mistakes,” but hopefully we learn very important, even treasured, lessons from our mistakes, realizing that it all furthers. I just don’t think we can second guess the outcomes of everything in our lives, and that when it comes to decisions about education, we can only give it our best shot – just like everything else in life.

Also, as a related aside – some of the most brilliant and fine minds I have ever met or read did not go to college or have much education at all – but then some do.

I believe that the government should focus on improving elementary education, so when our kids go to high school and university, they are prepared. Our country needs to follow education models like those that Holland has; they prepare everyone for what they are good for. The biggest problem in American society is standardizing everything. We need to recognize differences and determine before a students finish high school if they should go to University or a technical school.

I can imagine the people reaction saying that this is unfair, well is more unfair to have so many dropouts from university and a society full of people that does not know what they are good for.

We are failing on the basis of the education system, we are loosing international competiveness and we will continue until we understand that a big change is needed.

Thank you!

Educational curriculum’s are mostly designed to keep you sequestered in your left brain and away from your intuition, superconscious, Soul Identity.

The left brain is incapable of discerning Truth, so you can be manipulated into believing anything is the “Truth.”

When I was able to integrate both aspects of my “brain” and have direct access to all the intelligence centers in my being, then I was able to start the true education of knowing Who I Am, what I came here to “do,” and how to do it.

I call such a human being “Homo Spiritus,” a Divinely Embodied human being, and this is where I see all of us moving towards as the next step in our collective evolution on this planet.

Let’s keep Awakening out there!

When I realized business wasn’t for me, I decided to try volunteering teaching English as Second Language (ESL) to see if I really liked it or not. After 6 months the teacher I volunteered with said she’d kick me in the pants if I didn’t get my ESL certification because I was able to teach effectively even though untrained. If I hadn’t taken the time to volunteer, I’d probably still be working in an office and hating it. Everyone who’s asked me for advice about work has gotten that story. More volunteering programs in high schools would help kids get the experience they need to decide what kind of job they like which, in turn, will help them understand what kind of education, if any at all, is needed for that job.

This was supported by story after story of students I taught in Japan. There was a big romanticized vision among young women of being ground staff at the airport. Several of my students tried it as part of a job placement program and hated it. Thankfully they were able to get out of the course and change into something else.

My financial advisor just took on three students from his alma mater in order to give them real world experience in the financial field. He told me that he was setting up a program of what they were going to do, including training to cold call for customers and actually cold calling. Friends’ experience has shown me that not all job placement situations are as proactive as this though, which is a shame.

After having taught for ESL for four years I actually decided to go back to school and do a Master’s in Applied Linguistics which I am currently almost finished doing. It has led me to realize that I really want to do a PhD also because I love doing in-class research but none of this would have happened without my volunteer experience.

Teaching nurtures my spiritual side as well because I feel I am following the career path that feels natural and makes me jump out of bed in the morning with excitement but also I feel I am contributing to world peace. Peace comes from understanding, understanding comes from clear communication, clear communication comes from having the ability to communicate. I encourage my students to share their cultures when they learn English and not just abandon it and adopt whatever country’s culture they admire (I really saw a lot of this in Japan).

Also, as an ESL teacher I know that there are lots of ‘training’ programs that aren’t worth the paper they are written on. The one-year certification I took was harder than my entire undergrad degree. However, unless an ESL teacher gets in with a school board, most end up going abroad or if they stay in Canada (where I am) working in private schools that bring in international
students for lots of money but pay the teachers a pittance.

So, end recommendations for me are: encouraging volunteering for everyone and job placement as part of all programs.

Thanks Barry and Heather for such a great blog.