Idaho isn’t the only state to cut funding for education. In fact, President Barack Obama publicly scolded the governors of all 50 states for doing so.
Obama told state governors in attendance at a luncheon Monday he thinks states are losing sight of what is really important by cutting funding for education — cuts he said he believes are “simply too big.” To him a budget reflects the states’ values, and he said states need to re-prioritize education in all forms.
It is about time the problems with America’s education system are brought to national attention.
While Obama acknowledged the economy is in a rough patch and has been for some time, he also said what many advocates for education have been saying for years — education is the economy’s solution. He could not have been more on track when he said no other issue will have a greater impact on the economy, and by not investing in education states are harming the potential for improvement.
By not investing in higher education — four-year institutions, community colleges, technical programs and additional post-high school training — states are allowing Americans to become less qualified in the workforce, on local and global levels.
Less-qualified candidates won’t be hired. They won’t make money and there will be fewer people to filter dollars back into the economy. It’s especially disheartening when other countries are investing in the future via education and pushing their economies forward.
The United States of America likes to boast about its dominance, superiority, power and intelligence, but at its core it’s just 50 states that don’t work together cohesively. If the approach to education and the economy does not change soon, our country will be surpassed.
“The countries who out-educate us today will out-compete us tomorrow. That’s a simple fact,” Obama said.
Budget cuts need to happen and states need to generate money somehow. This message has not been forgotten, but Obama and every other advocate for education are sending a clear message — stop cutting the future before it begins.