The Education Crisis Real

I spend some time working at The Brookings, the nation’s most well-known think tank.  As far as I could tell, the scholars working there were exceptional researchers who rarely spoke in hyperbole.  Their recent study, therefore, is particularly sobering.

About a decade ago, I wrote Motivate Your Son.  I described the paths that I saw young people – I was focused on boys because they were clearly underachieving at record rates – heading towards: Abundance (10%); Struggle (60%) and Disaster (30%).   This has proved to be reasonably true.

The main area where I received much agreement was that hose who are on the path of disaster (defined as not being able to be financially independent in their late 20s/early 30s) did not suddenly go downward after years of success.  Most everyone who finds themselves struggling in their mid-late twenties/early thirties could trace their challenges to early struggles in the work force.  And those who had early struggles in the work force usually had some challenges in college (not finishing/not thriving). And those who struggled in the college years, almost always had trouble in high school.  The root cause of adult struggles can almost always be traced to high school challenges.

Given the state of education – generally and accelerated due to the pandemic – my alarm signal to parents is going off on high.   And, I’m a perpetual optimist and cheerful type!

I am sometimes asked to comment on the state of education in Connecticut.  Since our client base is predominantly among Shoreline, CT towns and those who live in Guilford, Madison, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme, East Lyme, Essex etc., are usually interested in education, I likely see the best of the lot.

I have noticed dramatic downward shifts in education during the last five years.

Given the world wide economy, this is potentially a disaster.

Do whatever you can to ensure your children are well educated. They are entering a far different work world than past generations.