I work hard for the money...doot oot doot oot...so hard for it honey...

NOT!
Well, not me in particular, but seriously, how many people do YOU know, that work a PHYSICALLY DEMANDING JOB?

The above question came to mind last night.  I was watching the national news and a segment about common core malarkey and "ensuring our children receive the skills necessary to obtain a higher level of education and a job in the growing field of technology" Really?  Because EVERY kid in this country wants to spend his or her ENTIRE life behind a desk and subsequent computer screen?
...says the Masters level educated woman typing at a desk...computer ....touche!

But, in all seriousness, does the current administration REALLY believe that ALL of the children... somewhere out there, beneath the pale moon light...want to be computer engineers? Web designers? Media moguls?  What about over paid, under educated politicians???  Where does that job title fall?

There are other careers, that support the infrastructure of this country, that don't require a masters degree, that don't rely on technology, but DO require some real work. THAT, my friends, is the common denominator here. REAL WORK.

Politicians can balk all they want that the unemployment rate is so high, that we are handing our jobs over to illegal aliens, that we are destroying out country's economic stability. The reality is, in my opinion, that THEY...these wise old owls, are destroying our economic stability.

Here is how.
1.National Education Standards are written and implemented
2. Students are forced to learn the exact same way as their neighbor...and THEIR neighbor...etc.
3.Frustration ensues, students experience failure after failure. They become disheartened with education [Some students forge ahead and succeed, earning advanced degrees and jobs in this BOOMING technical job market.]
4. Disheartened students fail repeatedly and drop out of school, refuse any other type of training because of lack of confidence.
5. Drop-outs spend their days playing video games (YAY! support of that BOOMING technical job market)
6.  Drop-outs receive food stamps, health care, cell phone(some have 2...3...4!), apartment...
7. They are offered a job, BUT...quit after and hour because, "Damn, this is HARD work"
8. The government allows above individuals to continue to live for free, so why work anyway?
9. If said politicians want food to eat each day, the work MUST be done, so the farmers and ranchers hire anyone who WILL work! Unfortunately, the employees are NOT those disgruntled dropouts contributing to the unemployment rate disgruntled drop outs who are obsessed with their PS3 (4...5...6...   I don't even know what number we are on anymore)

We, as a nation, society, better yet...as HUMAN BEINGS, need to take a step back and look at what we are creating.  It isn't pretty.  We are forcing our children to fail. But, we don't have to.

I fear the day when BOCES and other vocational programs cease to exist. [because this WILL happen if things continue on the path that we are on]

Why isn't it OK for a kid to "Just want to be a farmer, like my dad". The key word being "just". My child shouldn't have to qualify his aspiration because it doesn't live up to the standard set forth by his state and national politicians!

Carpenters, Plumbers, Electricians...these jobs are NECESSARY for us to live. But these jobs require a different type of intelligence.  One must train and learn from someone with experience. Spend time learning by application. Spend a lifetime learning from a father or a mother.

These careers are not to be looked upon as "fall back" careers. They are important.  They are necessary. They don't require a common core driven masters level advanced education. We need to band together as parents [those of us who want our children to LIVE and ENJOY their childhood]We need to make it known that it is OK if you learn differently.  It is OK if you arrive at an answer differently than your next door neighbor.  It is OK to be skilled with your hands, as well as your mind.  But most importantly, that it is OK to say, "Hey, I really don't want to go to college" {Lord, I never thought I would say those words}

My rambling can be done now. Up since 4:30 and I have to get our super cool pig heart dissection ready for tomorrow. Rambling happens when I'm tired. ;-)
 Please don't crucify me for how I feel. I just want my boys to feel OK about WHO they are. Their Daddy is right back here...where he has always wanted to be....with a big, silly, college degree that he doesn't need.  All he needed was what he got from his Daddy...and his Grandfather...and his before him.

there is NOTHING wrong with that.