Show Them The Money (and they'll leave)

The Curriculum Superhighway Article--the English teacher in me can't help but point out the versatility of the metaphor as the author employs it throughout the article--seems very much in line with what I was trying to say in class last week. This author is clearly concerned with the appropriateness of curriculum in addressing the needs of a developing child. He is not interested in preparing that child for the corporate world, but rather in preparing that child to be a lifelong learner, to be creative, to be reflective and introspective, to appreciate learning for learning's sake, to understand his place in the world and his obligations to society--I could go on and on. Education is so much more to me than preparation for a career. Many students, asked if they would drop out of school tomorrow if someone would give them some huge amount of money (name your amount but it has to be enough to make them think they will be "rich" for a really long time) would take the offer immediately. This is very sad to me. It's a measure of how much schools have failed in their mission to do all of what is described in this article. Students aren't making the connection that a love and passion for learning can enhance the quality of their lives. They are making the connection that achievement in school appears to be the most direct route to making money. Corporate Americans indeed. Is there is no deeper value for education?