Schools don't prepare students for 21st century

Dear Editor,

The budget situation Chesterfield County finds itself in today was really quite predictable five years ago. Understanding that education and public safety are the top priorities for our elected officials and of high value for the citizens they represent, we can not seem to get it together to move forward in the 21st century.

What do I mean by that statement? To date, communication between the boards and the public has failed - if we use the definition that the purpose of communication is to create understanding. How so? Public education and safety have morphed into a totally different world while we are still expecting them to perform in a world that no longer exists.

The budget issues will not be solved with solutions from the 20th century. Public education was never equipped to educate each child to compete in a 21st-century marketplace. Forty years ago, over 50 percent of jobs were in the field of unskilled labor, [and] that specialty field has diminished to less than 15 percent. Our school system is great because of its dedicated and talented people. However, we still have a school system on a 180-day schedule on a short day, in light of the global competition, explosion of information and the changing marketplace. 3M, IBM, Dupont and many other businesses would be history without responding to their changing world.

Funds are necessary to make the significant changes such as a year consisting of 220 days or a curriculum that values career paths other than preparation for a college plan. The glasses that only see budget growth within infl ation and population growth do not address the critical issues mentioned above. If nothing else were changing, that "mindset" might work. Obviously our police and fire [departments] have experienced similar changes that do not fit into the budget formula of inflation plus population growth, such as terrorism, increasing ethnic and socioeconomic diversity, gangs and drugs to mention a few.

All of the above do not fit into a neat little cost of living allowance and growth formula. Do not mistake these comments that more money is the singular remedy. Money is only part of a broader vision needed, that is embraced by our board of supervisors, school board, business community and citizens, that is forward thinking.

I have yet to hear the forum for leadership discuss the formula that addresses real change and solutions that position us for responding to future opportunities and not reacting to the consequences of past decisions and oversights. We have unbelievable talent in our community. People are dedicated to making Chesterfield a community that will remain as a thriving community, but we must be connected around a shared vision for the 21st century. Jim Schroeder Bon Air Mr. Schroeder is the former school board representative from Midlothian District. Editor