Education is important. No sane person would say differently. But being educated is vastly different from being proficient.

When Horace Mann created the first education curriculum in the United States, he focused on teaching the head, the heart and the hands. In other words, teach the students intellect, emotion and application. Today teachers are forced to teach to the test without true consideration of whether the students learned anything or not.

This isn’t the teachers fault. It’s not the administrators fault, either. To qualify for federal funding schools must show that their students are passing standardized tests.

Some schools have done things in a unique manner. They give students the opportunity to learn a trade. This is great because not every student will go to college. But they need to be able to make a living. Knowing a trade accomplishes this.

I have great respect for educators. People teach because they want to make a difference in the lives of their students. They aren’t in it for fame or fortune.

Experience is a wonderful teacher. And where would we be without plumbers and electricians? We would be left to our own devices. Not a good idea…