------
It is evident that the challenges and goals in the unfolding century are to be dominated by particular areas of scientific progress and educational application. Specifically, developments in health-related biological research are likely to unmake our previous understanding of biological systems, much as work in theoretical physics changed humanity's view of our universe forever. In order to participate in this revolution, our nation must continue to field minds up to the challenges presented to them. The secondary education system in this country is crumbling, and as a nascent professor of engineering, I fear that college education will follow soon behind it, by an erosive combination of entitlement and an undervaluing of liberal education.
How are these linked? There has been talk of investing in the infrastructure of this country, and our minds will be our infrastructure in the coming decades. We need to spend more and invest more in education, basic research, applied research, and clinical research- as a nation- in order to achieve our potential, and to stay competitive with countries that can do 20th century stuff much cheaper than we can here. I do not foresee our public universities making it on their own- more and more are taking on projects outside their mission just to make ends meet(e.g., UC Berkeley Mech. Eng. is designing a Saudi university curriculum, instead of fixing its own). Private universities may stop being profitable, and will then revert to being foundations to support education instead of educating. Further, this climate is making it less attractive to become a professor (or teacher) at all, unless you treat it like a very exclusive and competitive business, which I believe is accelerating the erosion of the culture of our educational system faster than any of the predicate factors.
Therefore: we need to spend lots of money on research. Double the budgets of NIH, NSF, NAS, and substantially increase the budgets of NASA, LLNL, and like national laboratories.
We need to spend even more money than that on our educational infrastructure. Further, we need a secretary of education that can meet the challenge of overhauling the entire system (with help from those of us with our boots on the ground). This should include grants for advanced education of teachers of all levels, and supplementary income for teachers in depressed areas. A national tax forgiveness for all educators is an equitable means to make teaching more attractive, and the federal government has the authority unilaterally realize it.
Spending money on research will enable profitable output far beyond the amount invested, and will secure the ongoing progress in critical areas. Not spending money on our educational system will inevitably render everything else moot.
I sincerely contribute these thoughts, and will help in any way that I can to enable resolution of these great challenges.
It is evident that the challenges and goals in the unfolding century are to be dominated by particular areas of scientific progress and educational application. Specifically, developments in health-related biological research are likely to unmake our previous understanding of biological systems, much as work in theoretical physics changed humanity's view of our universe forever. In order to participate in this revolution, our nation must continue to field minds up to the challenges presented to them. The secondary education system in this country is crumbling, and as a nascent professor of engineering, I fear that college education will follow soon behind it, by an erosive combination of entitlement and an undervaluing of liberal education.
How are these linked? There has been talk of investing in the infrastructure of this country, and our minds will be our infrastructure in the coming decades. We need to spend more and invest more in education, basic research, applied research, and clinical research- as a nation- in order to achieve our potential, and to stay competitive with countries that can do 20th century stuff much cheaper than we can here. I do not foresee our public universities making it on their own- more and more are taking on projects outside their mission just to make ends meet(e.g., UC Berkeley Mech. Eng. is designing a Saudi university curriculum, instead of fixing its own). Private universities may stop being profitable, and will then revert to being foundations to support education instead of educating. Further, this climate is making it less attractive to become a professor (or teacher) at all, unless you treat it like a very exclusive and competitive business, which I believe is accelerating the erosion of the culture of our educational system faster than any of the predicate factors.
Therefore: we need to spend lots of money on research. Double the budgets of NIH, NSF, NAS, and substantially increase the budgets of NASA, LLNL, and like national laboratories.
We need to spend even more money than that on our educational infrastructure. Further, we need a secretary of education that can meet the challenge of overhauling the entire system (with help from those of us with our boots on the ground). This should include grants for advanced education of teachers of all levels, and supplementary income for teachers in depressed areas. A national tax forgiveness for all educators is an equitable means to make teaching more attractive, and the federal government has the authority unilaterally realize it.
Spending money on research will enable profitable output far beyond the amount invested, and will secure the ongoing progress in critical areas. Not spending money on our educational system will inevitably render everything else moot.
I sincerely contribute these thoughts, and will help in any way that I can to enable resolution of these great challenges.
Jevan Furmanski
--UPDATE--
Awe-inspiring reply:
Thanks for writing to share your thoughts on where the country should go.
There will be many more ways to get involved in the weeks and months to come -- and with a lot of hard work ahead of us, we'll be counting on you to help.
Thanks,
The Obama-Biden Transition Project
http://change.gov
There will be many more ways to get involved in the weeks and months to come -- and with a lot of hard work ahead of us, we'll be counting on you to help.
Thanks,
The Obama-Biden Transition Project
http://change.gov
Posts
1 comment:
You didn't expect an ACTUAL reply did you?
Post a Comment