Paul Lewin, an assistant professor of agricultural science at the University of Idaho, said he approaches education not as an educator, but as an economist.
“Education is an investment,” Lewin said. “People who are more educated are more likely to be employed.”
Lewin was one of several students, professors and Moscow community members who discussed the pitfalls of Idaho public education Thursday at the latest Campus Conversation event. Lewin said Idaho”s economy is largely based on low-paying industries such as agriculture and forestry, which can deter graduates from remaining in Idaho.
He said of the total state budget, 35 percent goes to education, which Lewin said is a good number. Yet the problem, he said, arises when students graduate and move out of state to find higher-paying jobs.
Lewin said while being a college graduate will increase the graduate”s wages, the cost of higher education – which has increased 265 percent between 1972 and 2015 – limits prospective students.
While college graduates receive a 50 percent increase in pay with a bachelor”s degree, Lewin said, Idaho is second lowest state in personal income when factoring out the cost of living.
Assistant professor of social and cultural studies Vanessa Anthony-Stevens, who also spoke at the event, said her focus was on the Don”t Fail Idaho campaign and where it can be improved.
She said when looking at statistics produced by Don”t Fail Idaho, she had to question their methods of measurement.
Natalie Magnus, director of the Center for Volunteerism and Social Action, echoed her concerns.
“Are we measuring success with SATs?” Magnus said. “What about those students that don”t take the SATs?”
Magnus said she had also noticed that the state used to fund a large percentage of student expenses, but now students are expected to swallow a majority of the costs.
“It”s undeniable that we have some educational opportunity gaps,” Anthony-Stevens said.
At this time, she said, education serves to prepare people for future work, but she had concerns with this model.
“At what point are we questioning the purpose of education?” Anthony-Stevens said.
She said she was worried that education had become a system for occupying corporate positions and that corporations might have too much of an influence on curriculum in the public education system.
In a small group discussion, Jana Vrtelova Holbert, a research technician at UI, said Idaho”s education system reflects a problem she noticed in the Czech Republic, where she grew up.
“Teachers are not getting paid enough,” she said.
UI Marketing and Strategic Content Writer Steven Tarlow said, from his experience, teachers in early education often fund classroom activities out of pocket, which can limit extracurricular activities.
He said the strain on teacher funding that can be a detriment to enthusiasm and force teachers to waste time chasing funds when they could be focusing on their job.
Lewin said by limiting potential wages and not investing in education, Idaho is reducing the potential of its residents.
Austin Maas can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @austindmaas