Response to Back to School by Mike Rose

ENGL C8053 Adult Learners of L&L

Professor Barbara Gleason

April 8, 2014

Responding to

Back to School by Mike Rose (2012)

  AND

Discounted Dreams: High Hopes & Harsh Realities

 at America's Community Colleges (2007)

 Please respond in writing to the quotes provided below.

Rose, Mike. Back to School: Why Everyone Deserves a Second Chance at Education, An Argument for Democratizing Knowledge in America.  New York: The New Press, 2012. Print.

The challenge as I see it is to be clear-eyed and vigilant about the performance of our second-chance institutions but to use methods of investigation that capture a fuller story of the institutions and the people in them. (16)

     While Rose doesn't expect us to close our eyes to the failings of our second-chance institutions, he suggests that the "continual broadcasting" of these failures creates an environment wherein pessimism further impairs the likelihood of success.  Students, teachers and policy-makers are all negatively impacted by an atmosphere in which the unspoken, but very clear, message is that we are on a fruitless mission.  Students may not give their best effort; it’s easier to “fail” because you don’t try than to “fail when you’re doing your best.  Teachers are negatively influenced both by students and lack of support by administration.  And, policy-makers start to operate under the assumption that these second-chance institutions are basically money pits that don’t enrich either individual students or the community as a whole.

     Reliance on statistics and quantitative 

I am not claiming that the education provided by second-chance institutions will guarantee mobility, be an economic magic bullet. I agree wholeheartedly with the call for better economic policy, for I see what happens when people work hard, build skills, gain a certificate or degree, and then go into a world with no jobs or apprenticeships. (28)

     Rose correctly identifies the need for more programs that bridge the gap between educational institutions and the job market.  Graduates, emerging into a stagnating economy, often owing money to the government or banks for student loans, often either can’t find a job or can’t find a job with adequate salary and benefits.  These new graduates can quickly become demoralized and fall deeper into debt due to interest on loans.   The documentary, College Inc., illustrates just how desperate students are to acquire a higher education and just how negatively that acquisition can subsequently impact them. Women, in particular, can fall into this trap. Women, clustered disproportionately into minimum and low wage retail, fast food and clerical jobs, are willing to take on more student loan debt than their male counterparts. Students need more than a degree; they need counseling on how to connect their newly acquired skills to the job market. Community colleges and other second-chance educational institutions need to work to form relationships in the business community so that students can transition more easily from one to the other.  Internship for credit programs would seem to be an effective transition tool.  Unfortunately, these programs require a substantial investment of both money and staff hours and community colleges are severely under-funded. 

I am championing second-chance programs because I believe that when well executed they develop skills and build knowledge that can lead to employment but also provide a number of other personal,  social, and civic benefits. (28)

     In my opinion, educational institutions shouldn’t merely be training ground for workers.  The needs of the economy too often dictate curriculum development and the distribution of resources. Education should be about personal enlightenment; educational institutions need to teach critical thinking skills and methods for self-directed learning.  Self-directed learning methods are crucial in an era where literacies are continually devalued and job skills need regular refreshing.  In addition, educated people have the ability to advocate for themselves and their communities. They are more politically active; they’re more willing to approach and question the seats of power.  They also tend to invest more in their community; educated people want their children to be educated which can have a positive impact on primary schools. 

3. Please write down two quotes that stimulate your thinking OR write two questions that come to mind after you read Back to School (1-65).

1.      How can we create bridges between second chance institutions and the job market? 

2.      How can we stimulate local governments’ interest in funding community college graduates’ “after-care” when they’re barely willing to fund the colleges themselves?

4. What is one issue, question, or topic that CONNECTS the argument (or a specific claim) made by Mike Rose and the argument (or a specific claim) made by producers of Discounted Dreams?

     Both Mike Rose and the documentary, Discounted Dreams, indicate the importance of opportunities outside the classroom.  The skills acquired in school need to be relevant to real world situations. Students would greatly benefit from acquiring job experience while in school.  A great example of a program with a real chance of success is the paid apprenticeship that Jose Sosa takes part in as part of his culinary arts program.  He’s gaining education credentials and work experience simultaneously in a setting that often leads to employment.  Programs of this type are invaluable for the students and employers benefit by getting a pre-trained tested employee.  The documentary and Rose also both indicate the positive social aspects that these institutions can have.  Jose, a former gangbanger, is now a working father supporting a young family looking for a better environment in which to raise his children.