Mary Angel

(10/2019) So, I got into an odd conversation with my best friend the other day. We were talking about the kids (it is either that or husbands or for us maybe Disney) and how prepared or not prepared we felt the college kids were for adult life.

The fact is that since we both have kids ranging from 12 to 20 years old we have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of what is required for graduation and what is taught to our children to prepare them for the real world. I have written many articles with praise towards the teachers and schools my kids have attended, however there are a few things in the way of curriculum and rules that I would question. Let’s face facts, there is never going to be a school that you love 100% (from elementary to college). The question is does the good outweigh the bad and are you trying to make changes for the better.

In our public school system there are a few classes that are required for graduation that came up in our conversation. There are many graduation requirements that did not come up, like the ELA, History, or Science requirements (the extent to which the kids have to go in Math was a topic for debate). The first class we discussed was Foundations of Tech. We both assumed it might have something to do with computers or apps or maybe even take the place of what was woodshop in our day. It is actually none of these, it turns out that Foundations of Tech is more of a beginner engineering class. You know, a build this and test that kind of a class. For many kids this is a fun easy “A”, but we are not sure how it in any way prepares them for adulthood and their future.

The nest class that we discussed was personal finance. Again, we assumed incorrectly that this class would go over bank accounts (checking vs. savings), the dangers of credit card debt, building good credit, budgeting, paying bills, and maybe even a few life lessons in rent and utility bills (we both thought of the episode of The Cosby Show when Theo gets a life lesson in the real world called “Theo’s Holiday” I believe). My kids brought home a lot of homework on compound interest and investments and quite a bit. There was also a huge statistics piece centered on deadly diseases (weird I know). The questions went something like this…If you were diagnosed with cancer and drug A was 75% effective but cost $10,000 and drug B was 50 % effective but cost only $2,000 would you choose A, or B, or A and then B, or B and then A. I told my son to ask if they had a more effective drug! I know sarcasm is not the best direction but really?!?!?!?!

During our conversation we started discussing a class or group of classes that would be much more helpful to these kids than a homemade roller coaster and making decisions about an imaginary disease. What if there was a class that really taught our kids the ins and outs of micro soft office. Not a voluntary class but a mandatory one and not the basics but more in depth. There are so many things you can do with Excel, for example, which could benefit them in their future. Creating a budget and having the spreadsheet calculate for you, linking certain cells or columns from your spreadsheet to other documents, the possibilities are endless. The kids do learn many things through trial and error but the amount of tricks and tips that are not learned would be very beneficial in their futures, whether they go to college or open their own business or start a Blog.

What if they left high school and knew how to change a flat tire, check their tire pressure, and top off all of their fluids in their vehicles? What if part of the class spelled out the dangers of credit card debt while touching on the importance of building credit and good credit at that? What if there was a section of one of the classes that talked about designing a budget and what to include and how to plan for that unexpected car repair? What if more time was spent on writing a resume and interviewing? What of there was time devote to preparing the kids for how different college will be (no retakes, no late work, loose points if you don’t show up for class, etc.).

I am sure I am going to have people up in arms saying that their school did talk about credit cards and that their school does offer a computer class, but on an in depth, prepare them for the future level there is nothing. I also know some parents touch on some of these things at home but let’s face facts, a lot of kids at this age don’t hear what their parents are saying nearly as quickly as when a teacher says it and their grade depends on it. I believe as parents we should always be educating our children and preparing them for adulthood. Not only do I believe it but also I think it is our responsibility and job. I also believe if we are going to have graduation “requirements” they should be important to the future of our children.

In closing I need to reiterate that I believe our public school system does a great job. I also think maybe these two requirements need updating and refining. I now have two college students (how did that happen!) in my house and I know that the school and I could have prepared them much better for the college experience and adulthood. I hope this wasn’t too much of a rant for some of you and that you take this for what it is, the advice of an experienced, flawed mom.

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