You go to school, you get a good job and raise a family, you retire, you die. Abbreviated, this is the lifestyle prescribed to the baby boomer generation. It worked for them. Little box houses sprouted around cities and towns each declaring the lifestyle success of its occupant. Two point five children were born per house, one point seven televisions watched, and the inflation adjusted median wage of the house sat around fifty-thousand dollars. And when the two point five children grew up, they were expected to go to college. Why? Because it worked for the previous generation.

I can tell you though, it most certainly isn’t working for the current generation. The restaurant across from where I work has mediocre food. I shouldn’t be suprised, though. My meal was prepared by a history major and delivered by a girl who claims the major “Film Studies”. Neither have been to cooking school beyond their mothers kitchen; both were grossly mislead on the value and necessity of their degree as evidenced by their current job. My meal was disappointing, but its failure pales in comparison to the failure of modern education.

There are many instances of teachers, classes, etc. who break the mold. Almost everyone has “that one life changing teacher.” This discussion isn’t meant to demean their work, rather the system they must break free from. Par in education, with education arguably being the most important aspect of a civilization, is an abysmally low standard when compared to what our students could be.

Over the next few weeks I hope to highlight specific issues within the education system. These posts should not be taken as pot-shots at teachers, nor should they be dismissed out of deferrence to an emotionally protected industry. The hope is to spur healthy discussion on where our education system stands, and what it could be, as preparing our future population is arguably the most important task our society faces today.