The Triangle

Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: Ed-Op

Media Credit: Zbigniew Bzdak Chicago Tribune/MCT

I am one person, in one city, in one state, in one country, in one world that's in one galaxy, which is a tiny part of something that is greater and more infinite than anything I can comprehend. I am small. But no matter how small I really am, or for however short a time I will live, I have big goals and big dreams. And for the longest time I have had this theory that through a massive upheaval of public education we can, firstly, solve many of America's problems and then, eventually, many of the world's.

I don't think we'll eradicate world hunger within my time, or put an end to poverty for good, but I do think that through expensive and expansive attention to education we can lower the murder rate, lower the amount of hungry children, cause a decline in juvenile delinquency, enlarge the consumer base and eventually spread our cause of education to other countries, which could ameliorate global hunger and poverty.

I realize that one person out of over six billion people cannot solitarily flip society upside down, but I took keen notice when Arne Duncan, the secretary of education, made clear last week that he plans on making significant changes, immediately.

In times of economic recession, America is forced to choose what is essential. When a laundry list of problems includes a flailing auto industry, two expensive wars in deeply divided countries, overpopulated prisons, a deteriorating environment and a broken education system, it's a more politically savvy move to fund programs that will address issues that will have a more immediate positive effect on the economy. Bailouts for corporations have the potential to provide and save the economy in a noticeable way within a few years. Educational investments, on the other hand, will take at a minimum 15 years to show any significant socioeconomic changes.

Take into consideration that it takes $20,000 to house an inmate in prison each year. Now if we give credence to preventative measures as opposed to reactive ones, we could see that billions of dollars could be invested in the U.S. educational system and still be cost effective, because eventually a student that would be susceptible to crime wouldn't falter and be jailed because an educational opportunity offered a career opportunity. Aside from the clear cut $20,000 prison cost, factor in court and legal costs, as well as all the other quality of life costs that may arise. I am not claiming that every criminal tendency within a person can be eliminated by a college diploma (case in point, Bernard Madoff). I am pointing out that the monetary cost of crime can be reduced if the education system in this country is bettered.

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