I heard a really interesting interview on NPR radio last night about education.  The gentleman was asked about the state of education in the US and his response was clear and profound.  He said that some politicians saw education as an expense and others saw it as an investment.  How you viewed education made a huge difference in your thinking about the subject.

If you think of education as an expense, then when economic times get tough, you treat it like any other budget item and cut back.  In fact, many politicians think education is a far less important budget item than many other things, so it's more likely to be cut MORE and FASTER than other things.  So schools suffer, teachers suffer, early education gets cut back, and students end up less prepared for the world they are entering.

If you view education as an investment, however, you realize that you have to spend money up front to get lots of great benefits later.  Helping children get early education allows them to learn faster, do better in school, and end up as more productive citizens who contribute more to their world and community.  Valuing the skills and passion that teachers bring to the table means giving them the tools and resources they need to do their best work, including paying them a decent wage so they can have a good living.

Years ago I got my hair cut at a barber shop with three chairs.  One of the barbers had very strong opinions which he was happy to share at any time, often whether you wanted to hear them or not.  One day he was grousing about having to pay to support his local schools, even though he did not have any children.  I made the comment that "surely it was self-evident that having more educated citizens around me was to my benefit and to the benefit of everyone around me."  Unfortunately, this was not something he could understand in the least.  I tried to explain that I was less likely to be robbed, or have unemployed or homeless people around me if they were given a great education and lots of skills with which to succeed.  Again, this fell on deaf ears.  Eventually I made sure to get my hair cut on his off day!

But as someone who is involved in education, of course I see the great value in the investment we make in every child in every community all over the country…and the world.   Some countries even pay for a free education for all students…through college!  So these students don't enter the work force shackled with debt and desperate to only take the highest paying job.  They can follow their passion, contribute fully to the world, and fill the world with the outcome of their productivity.

Someone once said that a cynic is someone who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.  How do YOU choose to see the world?