HE:ED Highlight : Can education end poverty?

For those of you that replied "Maybe" or "Amongst other things, yes", your response may have included some thoughts on quality education leading to better jobs, better jobs leading to higher income, and higher income leading to a non-poverty (level) socio-economic status. But, you may also want to factor in the fact that not all jobs are created equal. It's probably because of that same income inequality that Megan Cottrell, at www.chicagonow.com, says maybe/maybe not.

Some people would agree that those who are not educated (and/or trained) are not skilled enough to attain the high skills jobs that will support their families. And because of this lack of education they may be forced to seek government assistance to make ends meet. These same people might agree that there is currently a strain on under/unemployment resources. Well, that means that creating programs that provide education and job training would alleviate the strain on under/unemployment resources, right?

But, why aren't the under employed and unemployed educated?

In an interview with HE:ED Joe Champion mentions, the right to quality education. And any educational options organization will site quality education as the basis upon which the current state of (especially minority) American communities will be augmented. But, citing Illinois as an example, Cottrell says "the sectors of the economy that are on the rise, the places that are hiring, are hiring people for wages where many workers still qualify, and need, food stamps."And to expand on Cottrell's statement, these workers qualifying for food stamps means they are still living in poverty. Moreover, if the head of household qualifies for food stamps (and the family is living in poverty) what are the odds that the children are attending quality schools?

So, what does that mean?

If the majority of vacant jobs (in an economy like Illinois') offer substandard pay, does education stand a chance of ending poverty?

Does that mean we should not focus of the value of education with American youth?

Should current high school students in Illinois just stop trying?

No.

Cottrell goes on to say that even though some people will not want to change income inequality we will need to both educate people and look at the reason why the "Great Divergence" exists.

Now, Cottrell focused mainly on retraining adults so that they may find jobs that allow them to function without government assistance. But HE:ED would broaden the scope of the education vs. poverty focus to not only retraining for adults but, widespread quality k-12 education.

What do you think?

HE:ED is now on Twitter!!!