CHICAGO'S MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL WAS RECENTLY ON CBS THIS MORNING
TALKING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN CHICAGO AND HE HAD A VERY
INTERESTING TAKE ON WHETHER OR NOT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO
GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
HE THINKS THERE SHOULD BE ONE VERY IMPORTANT REQUIREMENT AND
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK.
TO GRADUATE STARTING WITH THE FRESHMAN CLASS YOU HAVE TO HAVE
BEEN A LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE FROM A COLLEGE OR COMMUNITY COLLEGE,
LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE OF FROM THE ARMED SERVICES OR A TRADE MAKING
SURE THAT EVERY HASKELL GRADUATE, WERE NOW GETTING ON
TRACK TO AN 87% GRADUATION RATE. EVERY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE HAS
OPPOSED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION PLAN BECAUSE THE ECONOMY
REQUIRES THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE KIDS DON'T SEE GRADUATION
FROM HIGH SCHOOL WASN'T IN POINT
BUT ALL OF THEM HAVE A PLAN AND A SPECIFIC SET ACCEPTANCE ON
HOW TO GO PIES POST HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION.
THAT IS WITH THE ECONOMY REQUIRES AND THAT IS WHAT
THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO SUCCEED IN LIFE.
BEFORE I GO ON A TIRADE I WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE
POSITIVE THINGS. POSITIVE THING NUMBER ONE IS I THINK THIS COMES
FROM GOOD INTENTIONS ALTHOUGH THERE COULD BE AN UNDERLYING
AGENDA WHICH WE WILL GET TO IN JUST A SECOND THOUGHT THAT DOES
BOTHER ME. THIS ALSO A POSITIVE COMPONENT TO SOME OF THE
PROGRAMS IN CHICAGO. FOR INSTANCE, YOU WILL GET FREE
COMMUNITY COLLEGE IF YOU HAVE A B AVERAGE OR BETTER IN HIGH
SCHOOL. THAT IS GREAT. THAT MEANS THERE'S AT LEAST SOME
EFFORTS TO MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION AFFORDABLE FOR STUDENTS WHO WORK
HARD AND GET GOOD GRADES. NOW
TO GET TO MY TIRADE. I DON'T THINK THAT POLITICIANS
UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES IT TAKES JUST TO
SIMPLY APPLY TO COLLEGE. THEY MAKE IT SEEM LIKE IT'S SO
SIMPLE. YOU GO TO A STORE, YOU PAY A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY AND
SOMEONE GIVES YOU AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT
WAY. TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE
FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS HANDLING STANDARDIZED TESTS THAT ARE
REQUIRED IF YOU ARE GOING TO A FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTION. THAT
STANDARDIZED TESTING IS COSTLY, AND THE STUDY MATERIALS WHERE IT
CAN RUN IN THE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. YOU HAVE TO TAKE PREP
CLASSES IF YOU WANT TO DO WELL IN THE STANDARDIZED TEST SO
THAT'S ONE THING. THEREíS APPLICATION FEES, THERE ARE SO
MANY HIDDEN COSTS THAT THESE POLITICIANS ARE EITHER UNAWARE
OF OR THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THEY ARE IN THEIR OWN
LITTLE PRIVILEGED BUBBLE AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE STRUGGLES
OF STUDENTS. ALSO, IT'S NOT UP TO YOU TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT THEY
SHOULD OR HAVE TO DO AFTER THEY GRADUATE THAT I WOULD LOVE IT IF
EVERYONE HAD THE ACCESSIBILITY AND THE ABILITY TO GO TO COLLEGE
AND I WISH EVERYBODY WANTED TO DO AND I HOPE EVERYONE IS
SUCCESSFUL THEY WISH TO DO A BUT I'M NOT GOING TO SIT THERE AND
FORCE PEOPLE TO EITHER JOIN THE MILITARY OR GO TO COLLEGE OR DO
WHATEVER YOU THINK IS ACCEPTABLE BEFORE THEY CAN GRADUATE HIGH
SCHOOL. DID THEY FINISH THE
ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY NECESSARY TO GRADUATE HIGH
SCHOOL?
IF THEY DID THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO GRADUATE.
THAT SHOULD HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH POST HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M WITH YOU. I WENT TO FIRST GIVE THE GOOD SIDES TO
THIS. I USED TO TUTOR AND DO BIG BROTHER BIG SISTER KIND OF
STUFF AT MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS IN NEW YORK WHEN I WAS IN LAW
SCHOOL AND I WOULD ASK THE KIDS WHERE THEY WANTED TO BE AN
BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GOOD
CONTEXT, THE MAIN KID THAT I TOO ORDERED WANTED TO BE A TRUCK
DRIVER. IT'S FINE TO BE A TRUCK
DRIVER BUT I WISH THAT HE WAS ñ HE WAS A SMART KID AND I WISH HE
HAD BIGGEST BIGGER AMBITIONS. I TALKED TO HIM ABOUT IT BUT I
DIDN'T FORCE THEM TO DO ANYTHING. I'M NOT THE
GOVERNMENT AND ON THE POSITION BUT I GET IT. I WISH SOMEBODY
WOULD TELL THEM THAT THEIR
BIGGER THINGS OUT THERE AND I THINK THAT IS A GENERALLY NOBLE
THING TO DO. NOW IN THE PAST ROB EMANUEL WENT WASTE ON THINGS
WE FIND OUT LATER THERE WERE SOME DONORS OF HIS WHO WOULD'VE
PROFITED FROM THE DIRECTION THAT HE SENT PEOPLE. TO BE FAIR IN
THIS CASE, I DON'T THE SPECIFICS AND HE MIGHT NEED IT WITH THE
BEST OF INTENTIONS BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT
IT, YOU SAY YOU HAVE TO EITHER GO TO A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY,
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRADE SCHOOL OR A BRANCH OF THE ARMED
SERVICES, THAT'S IT. DOZIER OPTIONS. A LOT OF THE KIDS ARE
NOT GONNA WANT TO GO TO MORE SCHOOL. THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA
WANT TO AND ANY OF THE HASKELL DIPLOMA. WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO
DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THE MILITARY. THEN REAGAN FORCE ALL THESE
KIDS TO GO SO IF YOU'RE SIGNING UP FOR THE MILITARY, WHERE
NONSTOP WAR.
THEY'RE GOING TO GO DIRE GET THEIR ARMS OR LEGS BLOWN OFF?
KNOW, I VOTE NO ON THIS. THERE'S A GOOD AND RIGHT WAY TO
DO THIS. YOU COULD SPEND A LOT
OF MONEY PROVIDING COUNSELING TO KIDS AND WORKING THIS THROUGH
WITH THEM VOLUNTARILY. EVERY
KID NEEDS TO HAVE A COUNSELOR TALK TO THEM ABOUT THIS AND TALK
ABOUT THEIR PLANS. GREAT BECAUSE YOU ARE GIVING THEM
CONTEXT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BUT IF YOU MAKE THEM DO IT AND THEN
THE LAST OPTION IS THE MILITARY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
CHOOSE THE MILITARY IF THEY CHOOSE THAT VOLUNTARILY, GREAT.
BUT IF YOU ARE FORCING THEM INTO IT, NOT GREAT THAT.
HAVE A BETTER IDEA ACTUALLY. COUNSELING IS IMPORTANT I THINK
EVERY HASKELL SHOULD HAVE A COUNSELOR OR AN INDIVIDUAL AT
LEAST THAT HELP STUDENTS NAVIGATE WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE
AFTER THEY GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A
COUNSELOR LIKE THAT IT WAS GREAT THAT HE GAVE ME SOME ADVICE I
DIDN'T AGREE WITH BUT I USED THE ADVISED THAT APPLIED TO ME. I
THINK WAS MORE IMPORTANT IS TO ENSURE THAT COLLEGE IS
ACCESSIBLE FOR EVERYBODY.
THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT FORCING PEOPLE TO APPLY AND GET
ACCEPTED INTO COLLEGES.
AGAIN, THAT SIX RESOURCES BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ALSO TAKES A LOT
OF RESOURCES?
GOING TO THE INSTITUTION.
A LOT OF STUDENTS DON'T EVEN THINK THAT THAT IS IN THE
FUTURE FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT IT'S SO INSANELY
UNAFFORDABLE RIGHT NOW.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, MAKING THAT AFFORDABLE, THAT'S NICE, IT'S
SWEET.
BUT AN ASSOCIATES DEGREE OR WHATEVER YOU GET FROM A
COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS NOT ENOUGH.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT TO TRANSFER TO A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE AND GET
THEIR BACHELOR DEGREE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING, HOW ARE YOU FIGHTING TO MAKE COLLEGE MORE
AFFORDABLE?
NOTHING.
YOU'RE JUST FORCING THESE KIDS TO GET ACCEPTED INTO
INSTITUTIONS THAT MIGHT NOT GET TO GO TO OR AFFORD.
I LIKE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PLANNING FOR MAYOR, I THINK
MAYBE IT'S PROBABLY BETTER THAN WHAT A LOT OF MAYORS ARE DOING.
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE BUT I THINK MAKING THIS COMPULSORY IS
A REALLY BAD IDEA.
I THINK THEY SHOULD PROBABLY RETHINK THAT.