Is it any wonder we have an education problem?
The sudden buzz over the relative value of senior year stems from a recent proposal by state Sen. Chris Buttars that Utah make a dent in its budget gap by eliminating the 12th grade…
…Buttars has since toned down the idea, suggesting instead that senior year become optional for students who complete their required credits early. He estimated the move could save up to $60 million, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
This proposal strikes me as odd, especially coming from a group that constantly uses Think about the children mantra along with their critiques on the problems with public education. My first thought when reading this was… if children have completed their required classes by Junior year why not up the requirements?
And while I don’t dispute “Senorits” exists, I do question the priorities. It’s as if we’re willing to sacrifice the future generation for the present generation. God forbid we raise taxes when we could simply lower the education bar to save money. I’ll say it again, if Senior year is considered a waste of time why not add value?
That said, given we’re living in a time when a degree from Harvard or Stanford is something to sneer at I can’t say I’m surprised by this proposal. Although I am having trouble reconciling the Right’s disdain for intelleckchewals with their I’m proud of my Honor Student bumper stickers. There’s a big disconnect here, and I have to wonder what message their children are receiving. Mixed? Study hard, but getting into Harvard sucks?
It just seems to me that instead of promoting a way to get kids to ditch school our efforts would be better spent in finding ways to make Senior year really matter. As my Conservative friends like to say, the children are our future – not that they walk the talk when it comes to valuing intelligence or science, but it does fit ever-so-nicely on a bumper sticker.