Superintendent address to high school graduates

[TexasHusker]

So this weekend we traveled to see our niece graduate high school.

The bubba superintendent stepped up for his speech. I will paraphrase a little of it:

"If you don't graduate high school, the average annual salary is X.

If you do graduate high school, your average salary is Y.

If you get a college degree, your average salary is Z.

And if you get a masters degree, your average salary will be maybe even higher."

His speech was 15 minutes, but the general theme was that your level of education can be monetized, and that you are being sloth if you decide to do something other than go to college.

Failed to mention anything about pursuing your passion, making a difference in the world, being a good citizen, perhaps serving your country. Nope - it's all about a college degree and the $ cash, and "buying a nice house with a pool in the backyard" (his exact words).

What a douche bag.

Meanwhile the valedictorian was pretty spot on. He said (paraphrase) "Don't do something just for the money. Success isn't what you have, but who you are. Follow your dreams. Find something you enjoy doing. It isn't all about your bank account."

I wanted to give that kid a standing o.

In this particular school district, the valedictorian schooled the superintendent last night.

[disneysteve]

I can kind of understand the superintendent stressing the importance of education, but not in the way that he chose to go about it.

Good for the valedictorian for sending a better message.

[97guns]

This has been the blueprint of success back when I graduated high school in 1989 and I'm sure way before that too, the bigger/better the school, the more money you will earn

[Jluke]

Superintendent making 150k+.

Walk away with healthcare for life for him/spouse.

Pension probably pulls in same salary during retirement. .

All at taxpayer expense.

Think he was speaking of his own experience and may be disconnected from the outside world?

[Singuy]

Have you guys never played the board game "Game Of Life"?. In order to win, you need to have the most amounts of money....that's how you keep score

HS students give two rats about the amount of money they make yearly. Will it pay for my car insurance, gas, and a movie ticket so I can go on a date with this girl?...Or the next call of duty game? That's about it..HS kids live their lives one day at a time..lol.

[disneysteve]

Ultimately, both speakers are correct to an extent. Telling everyone, "You must go to college and grad school or else you will be a failure in life" is extreme and our society would collapse if we didn't have all of the workers doing their jobs that didn't require advanced formal education. On the other hand, if everyone "follows their passions" we're going to have a society filled with people who can't pay their bills.

You need to earn a living. If you can do that doing something you really enjoy, that's fantastic, but you can't just ignore the money part of things. You need money to live. And yes, to a certain degree, you need money to be happy. You don't need millions but you need enough to meet your basic needs and a bit more. Lots of studies have documented that. Happiness does increase as income increases - but only up to a point. Beyond that, people don't report being any happier.

So you need to find the balance, the point where you are satisfied with your life and have a good balance of work-family-play.

[Shewillbemine]

I agree with Disney Steve's sentiments. It just wasn't great delivery by the superintendent but REMEMBER:

He has to speak to the lowest common denominator out there.

There are ABSOLUTELY very successful individuals who did it in unconventional ways. But the vast MAJORITY followed the tried and true pathway.

The superintendent's message is for the common masses who need the most basic blueprints.

The OP seems to be more sophisticated in his/her thinking (kudos) and it's understandable he/she felt the message was too black and white.

[phantom]

Have you guys never played the board game "Game Of Life"?. In order to win, you need to have the most amounts of money....that's how you keep score

I prefer Careers - everyone picks their own combination of money, fame, and happiness as the goal.

[Fishindude77]

Everybody thinks their way is the best way. Guys like this superintendent and the teachers that work under him all spent a bunch of time and money on their college careers, so they think it is the only way to go and that you are some lesser form of human if you choose to work with your hands and maybe get dirty in the course of earning your days wages.

The American education system has vilified hands on work for several decades now. They've led kids to believe if you don't attend college you are a loser and won't be successful. Well guess what ..... this preaching worked to some extent and drove kids away from hands on trades and hands on work. There is a huge shortage of skilled trades people in America. The average electrician or plumber (or about any skilled trade) is now +/- 55-60 years old and there aren't yet enough young folks in the ranks to fill the void when these guys retire.

The end result is that good companies are hiring, training and paying new tradespeople very well, and the wages and benefits have never been better. Many of these tradespeople will quickly surpass the income levels that the teachers who condemned these jobs are making.

This superintendent is exactly the kind of guy Mike Rowe needs to smack in the mouth. Some school corporations are starting to get it and developing very good trades programs in their high schools. While this world certainly needs it's share of highly educated people, we need a whole lot more good old fashioned working people.

[Gailete]

Have you guys never played the board game "Game Of Life"?. In order to win, you need to have the most amounts of money....that's how you keep score

HS students give two rats about the amount of money they make yearly. Will it pay for my car insurance, gas, and a movie ticket so I can go on a date with this girl?...Or the next call of duty game? That's about it..HS kids live their lives one day at a time..lol.

Used to love playing that game, but even then I didn't equate it with how to make money in the free world any more than Monopply does!

[Gailete]

So this weekend we traveled to see our niece graduate high school.

The bubba superintendent stepped up for his speech. I will paraphrase a little of it:

"If you don't graduate high school, the average annual salary is X.

If you do graduate high school, your average salary is Y.

If you get a college degree, your average salary is Z.

And if you get a masters degree, your average salary will be maybe even higher."

His speech was 15 minutes, but the general theme was that your level of education can be monetized, and that you are being sloth if you decide to do something other than go to college.

Failed to mention anything about pursuing your passion, making a difference in the world, being a good citizen, perhaps serving your country. Nope - it's all about a college degree and the $ cash, and "buying a nice house with a pool in the backyard" (his exact words).

What a douche bag.

Meanwhile the valedictorian was pretty spot on. He said (paraphrase) "Don't do something just for the money. Success isn't what you have, but who you are. Follow your dreams. Find something you enjoy doing. It isn't all about your bank account."

I wanted to give that kid a standing o.

In this particular school district, the valedictorian schooled the superintendent last night.

I like what that kid had to say and but your paraphrase into my Windows notebook of quotes that I like.

The quote just prior to this one it this: "Take a moment. Enjoy what you have." -- Dove Bar stick

[rob62521]

The Superintendent probably wanted to encourage the kids to keep going to school, but probably didn't phrase it accurately. There are jobs out there for folks who don't have a college degree, but can still make a decent wage, but it takes more than a high school diploma to excel at them. Plus, one can't stop learning. But, I wasn't there so I'm only assuming that is what the person was trying to say.

[TexasHusker]

The Superintendent probably wanted to encourage the kids to keep going to school, but probably didn't phrase it accurately. There are jobs out there for folks who don't have a college degree, but can still make a decent wage, but it takes more than a high school diploma to excel at them. Plus, one can't stop learning. But, I wasn't there so I'm only assuming that is what the person was trying to say.

I think what bothered me is that there is this idea that a higher education is only valuable if it can somehow be monetized. You're a success only if you have a nice house with a swimming pool and new car, and that is because you went to college.

[Gailete]

In the book the Millionaire Next Door a surprising number of the millionaires were blue collar workers. Their wives also clipped coupons.

[Eagle]

I prefer Careers - everyone picks their own combination of money, fame, and happiness as the goal.

I'd not heard of that game before. I had to look it up.

Looks like it's a collectible. I might get that as I'm a bit of a game collector.