The cliché is true. "Education is the gateway to opportunity" has been said so many times that it's almost an empty expression. But it's still very true.
Earning an education is the greatest investment a person can make, and adhering to that axiom has paid off for millions of Americans, including myself.
As individuals, as a community and as a country -- we can all agree that keeping Americans equipped with knowledge and skills is of the highest importance.
But, today, what once was a path to prosperity is leading us to second place -- or actually 18th place internationally, according to a recent study on secondary education by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Indeed, the statistics paint a stark picture. According to the OECD study, only 75 percent of American students graduate from high school, compared to 93 percent in South Korea.
The figures are especially disheartening in the Hispanic community. The Pew Hispanic Center released earlier this year that 41 percent of Hispanic adults in the U.S. do not have a high school diploma, compared with 14 percent of white adults.
You don't need a degree in economics to know that those who have gone on to college level coursework typically earn more money than high school graduates. In the district I represent in South Texas -- which is largely Hispanic -- only about 20 percent of adults have college degrees.
Approximately 40 states currently have a deficit or are in a deficit situation, and many are cutting spending on education, leading to major job losses for teachers. In August, Congress was called back in session and passed emergency legislation for the education community, providing $10 billion total for the nation. This legislation will save or create 319,000 jobs, including 161,000 teacher jobs with 13,400 jobs in Texas.
Last April in Laredo, more than 300 middle school students participated in a program called STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics. Hispanics lag in these fields and it's vital that our schoolchildren are aware of opportunities in these industries. They met with scientists and engineers from NASA, Texas Instruments, Mercedes Benz Technology, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Texas A&M International University, among others. Through hands-on work stations and labs, these students were exposed to a whole new world of career options. I'm proud to say that this event will grow and continue annually.
More than any other commodity, the industrious mind is America's greatest resource, and we need to make sure we are maintaining our investment to compete globally.
Thomas L. Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for the New York Times, summed it up when he wrote, "My parents told me, "Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving." I tell my daughters, 'Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.'"
One of the biggest investments in education doesn't even cost a penny. All it takes is time. Being involved in your child's education is more than buying a pack of pencils during back-to-school shopping. It means keeping the lines of communication open with teachers, students and parents. Don't wait for a problem to talk to teachers. Review your child's school records each year. It is your right, and you should know what information is in the file. Keep informed about your child's grades and test results.
America is one of the few places in the world where if you dream big enough and work hard enough, you can improve your lot in life. Let's reaffirm our commitment to education to strengthen our communities. Let's keep education as a path to success and not a bridge to nowhere.
Starting salaries of college graduates have declined over the last 10 years.
Of the 10 fastest growing jobs, only 3 require a college degree.
Wages are prices, they follow supply-and-demand.
The more college graduates in the US, the greater the supply, the less they will be paid.
Everyone has a right to college, but college is not for everyone.
We already have a surplus of college grads, they're working retail counters.
Sad truth: more college graduates will not help our economy or make us richer.
Quite the contrary, it will drive down salaries of all graduates, and they'll be poorer.
The whole higher-education push is a capitalist scam.
To make matters worse, student loans cannot be offloaded in bankruptcy. Therefore, these universities are not held accountable for the quality of what they teach you and the ability of a student actually being able to become employed once they amass a mountain of debt. They just have to get you in the door and sign up.
Trust me the education bubble will burst soon enough.
Most of these universities (including non-profits) behave more like financial institutions than educational institutions.
For many, one must question the cost of this education, and the drainage of resources from those who would best benefit from higher ed. There should be a second degree for those with no actual professional aspirations, but want just to know the world better - at least until they know what they might do, and who might help them obtain sensible employment.
There are few without connections that will gain. They obscure the actually talented people with high levels of commitment and motivation. Even instructors and researchers suffer from this obscuration.