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In reply to the discussion: Where do Michelle Rhee's children go to school? Glad you asked.... [View all]Divernan
(15,480 posts)Last edited Mon Mar 11, 2013, 09:24 AM - Edit history (1)
You know, Trumad, I've generally enjoyed your posts for many years on DU, but you do seem totally closed to considering another perspective on this topic.
Parents have different value systems - particularly those who have no knowledge of or personal experience with the impact of having a degree from a prestigious school. Teachers are parents who DO understand it. I'm a single parent who sacrificed a lot financially to help my kids with their college costs. At one point I was working 3 jobs. I believe some parents just don't understand what a lifelong impact the quality of one's education has upon lifetime earnings, job satisfaction, overall quality of life, when they tell their kids to lower their ambitions - "State college was good enough for me and it's good enough for you, by God!" Or even, "Yeah, our state university (local branch) is better than that snooty Harvard." It is NOT better. If a family is already making a sacrifice to afford state university, that's fine. But don't kid yourself that the education is just as good there.
Just a few weeks ago, I was discussing this with a new acquaintance, who happens to be a retired special ed teacher. She has a nephew with a master's in engineering from MIT. He showed up at a major corporation for the first round of interviews. There were over 20 candidates in a waiting room - most of whom had degrees from Penn State. The corporate representative came in, looked around and said, "Who's the guy with the MIT degree?" The young man replied, "Me". And she took him in to be interviewed ahead of all the rest. (And this was years before the Jerry Sandusky outrage.)