Should I had graduated from high school I still would not have had the necessary skills to get a job with which to support myself, much less pay for college tuition and what could I have chosen to learn? In today’s computerized age , an education reinforced with art and philosophy presents a much wider range of opportunities. My natural ability to create with whatever is available made it possible for me to learn English and support myself while I investigated what was it that I wanted to do in life. I became an illustrator, photographer, fashion designer, set designer, graphic artist, and art director for various publications and advertising agencies.
Mr. Gates is quoted in the New York Times article as saying that there were moral as well as economic reasons to upgrade high schools, which he portrayed as the crossroads where children’s’ paths diverge. “Some go on to lives of accomplishments and privilege, others to lives of frustration, joblessness and jail.” He added that states should publish detailed data showing the percentages of children who drop out of high school or go on to college, broken down by race and income. The data would expose “the injustice” of the current system. “In district after district wealthy white kids are taught Algebra II while low-income minority kids are taught to balance a checkbook.”
In conclusion, it is my experience that if we were to teach both the white wealthy kids and low-income minority kids Algebra II a disparity would still exist. We can not fault “the injustice” of the current system. There is no one to blame. The wealthy white kids, whether they
learn algebra II or not, have their wealth to back them up and most likely they will go on to live a life of, maybe not accomplishment, but certainly of privilege. The low-income minority kids, even if they were to excel in Algebra II, still would have their environment, racism, and all forms of discrimination on top of their low-income status to fight against. If we add to this, the criminal element anxious to satisfy their instant gratification cravings, the end result is still a life of frustration, joblessness, untimely death and quite likely jail.
learn algebra II or not, have their wealth to back them up and most likely they will go on to live a life of, maybe not accomplishment, but certainly of privilege. The low-income minority kids, even if they were to excel in Algebra II, still would have their environment, racism, and all forms of discrimination on top of their low-income status to fight against. If we add to this, the criminal element anxious to satisfy their instant gratification cravings, the end result is still a life of frustration, joblessness, untimely death and quite likely jail.
If we were to teach art education and philosophy in grade school, after-school programs and summer school, it would be a completely different story. While the “wealthy white kid” goes to summer camp, the “low-income minority kid” goes to summer school, spends time with their peers under supervision, getting paid to learn social graces while learning how to create a Mental Flaws Floss to sell and support the program. This idea beats getting a job flipping burgers, or doing nothing at home unsupervised, while fighting the criminal element in their neighborhood and the temptation of making easy money.
Paying for their education is better than paying for their incarceration. Getting paid minimum wage in a job that one might consider demeaning, is a deterrent to getting a job at all. Learning to create a MFF along side their peers and getting paid minimum wages while they do it, builds their self respect. Learning how to create a MFF is the equivalent of learning how to fish. I am able and willing to travel, and would be pleased to discuss this proposal at your earliest convenience.
NATURE’S EMBASSY/ SQUARE ONE
We are in desperate need of a place where the free exchange of ideas could take place without the fear of been labeled an undesirable by corporations, politicians or religious leaders. I envision a gigantic terrarium with a building inside in the shape of the number one in which to house every venue and instrument necessary to defend the rights of an individual to express their ideas. I have dedicated 35 years of my life to see that this becomes a reality; so that the second renaissance can happen. I have named this The “RENEISSANCE the advent of education”. We must go back to SQUARE ONE and give art education the importance we give to academic studies. We must remember that without art there would be no academic studies.
NATURE’S EMBASSY/ SQUARE ONE
We are in desperate need of a place where the free exchange of ideas could take place without the fear of been labeled an undesirable by corporations, politicians or religious leaders. I envision a gigantic terrarium with a building inside in the shape of the number one in which to house every venue and instrument necessary to defend the rights of an individual to express their ideas. I have dedicated 35 years of my life to see that this becomes a reality; so that the second renaissance can happen. I have named this The “RENEISSANCE the advent of education”. We must go back to SQUARE ONE and give art education the importance we give to academic studies. We must remember that without art there would be no academic studies.
