Rural America is approaching, (or has already approached) a tipping point in education. The education dollars are largely no longer there. We have to come up with innovative solutions to have competitive students that complete school, have reasons to stay, and start business. We are shipping out our “best and brightest”, leading to a “Brain Drain”
This article details some of the challenges in rural education.
The premise was based around the conversation the author had with the local school superintendent.
When I asked the superintendent where most of the students go after high school, he paused. Then he explained that most of the students do what their parents did, which is eventually find their way on to public assistance. When I asked why his graduates do not go on to higher education or technical training, he told me there was nowhere for them to work here. If they did further their education, they didn’t come home. Ever.
We have to have better solutions. stronger school vocational planning, apprenticeships, less focus on the college admissions machine, and preparing plumbers, Electricians, Truck Drivers, HVAC techs, IT workers, Police Officers, and more. We can do better. For our small towns to survive, we must.
What could our small towns look like if we were to instigate a “Blue Collar revolution” in our small towns?