Why a proper education for all kids is the most important thing!

This past week, I was a featured guest on a panel for Bloomberg about Education Equity. We attempted to answer the question of how we should address equity in the U.S. Education System.

I've talked a lot about education on my Project X show and whether pursuing a college degree is worthwhile in 2019. The college admissions scandal has been all over the news the past few weeks, and I hope the conversation doesn't stop until change is made.

Because it's really just the tip of the iceberg as far as my issues lie with the system.

But before I continue, I have to ask - do you think college is fair? Do you think our education system needs to be significantly changed?

I'd love to hear your feedback below so we can really get this conversation started.

Here are some things I think fundamentally do not make sense:

1. We talk about how we're all unified these days, but are you kidding? We have Jewish people going to Jewish schools, Christians going to Christian schools, white people going to white schools, etc. It's just as segregated as ever out there, if not more. In my view, private schools are the biggest problem. Rich kids get to go to well-funded schools while poor kids go to under-funded schools. The public schools are underfunded because communities don't want to pitch in to what they view as the lesser schools. That's just not fair to me.

2. I've read that with each year, approximately 600,000 small businesses open while 750,000 close. Just over half of all startups fail within the first four years, mostly due to incompetence. We desperately need small businesses to succeed in this country. For so long, we fed off of them.

We need to instill faith in our young ones to pursue their ideas. Amazon isn't the only problem - it's also the education system that doesn't properly teach kids what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Thinking you have an idea and expecting it to immediately take off is naive. I'm more than confident in our youth and I believe they have some incredible ideas they may be too afraid to unveil.

But if we add more entrepreneurship classes in not just college, but lower education schools, I think we'll see those numbers begin to change for the better.

3. We should cut out private schools. Public schools need more love and recognition, and I think everyone should go to them. Right now it's the opposite.

I'll see many people I've grown up with that went to private schools sitting in the nosebleeds at games while I'm in the front row waving to them. I don't know why people think there's such an advantage in private schools. Sure, they are typically funded more, but don't you think that all kids deserve the same quality education in high school? Perhaps in college you can be differentiated based on your performance, but everything leading up to college should be equal! Why should some kids get a different core education than others? 

My mother always said that liking people and loving people is nice, but understanding and getting along with people is one of the most underestimated parts of life and business. Rather than spending all your time with people who look like you, think like you, and act like you, you should instead learn how to understand people of all races, genders, religions, etc. Being able to work with various types of people in the marketplace is critical. Why would you want to deprive your kid from that opportunity and put them in a preconceived, premeditated environment where everyone is the same? How does that make sense?

Parents should do everything they can to have their kids interact with all types of people. We need to realize that at our core, we are all the same.

4. At what point do we start really thinking about changing the curriculum in our schools? How many of you have sat through classes wondering when and how you'll ever use the info you're learning? Think about all the things you should be learning instead - how to handle a mortgage, how to parent a child, how to manage your bank account, or how to put a business plan together. Why shouldn't we incorporate some of this stuff in our education, so that we're prepared when they transition from a distant fantasy to a harsh reality?

I never let Syracuse get in the way of my education. I sat through some classes I didn't understand, but I knew they would be important for me in the long game. I believe in academics and what you learn inside and outside of the classroom.

At what point can we start putting our best resources towards our most important asset - our kids? As I always say, the most important thing is the most important thing. As of a 2016 Pew Research study, the United States ranks 38th out of 71 developed countries in math scores and 24th in science. In 1990, the US ranked 6th in overall education, and the country has since fallen all the way down to 27th. From 2010 to 2014, US education spending declined by 3%, even as the student population grew by 1%. Meanwhile between 2008 and 2014, education spending increased by over 25% in the UK and in Portugal.

Schools are of the utmost importance, and they should all be state of the art. We seem to count on and expect billionaires to donate all of the money to our school systems, and I think that creates a false accountability. It's generous of them to do so, but I think we should all pitch in to help improve our schools.

Don't you think this country would be a lot better off if everyone got a a great education? It's confusing hearing politicians talk about improving education but the results seem to reveal that no major strides are being made. Every child deserves a fair chance to receive a proper education.

Once more, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

What do YOU think we need to do to improve the education system in America?

--

My book Living On Purpose is FREE right now! Just pay shipping!

Not only that, but if you order now you will also receive a Yankee Stadium dirt pen! It's a $45 value, not to mention all of the value you will gain by reading all of the stories and insights I'm so proud to have published for you all.

Click here to get Living On Purpose for FREE!

Quote of the Day: "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself" - John Dewey

Song of the Day: "My Old School" by Steely Dan