I take a different angle. I don't think every kid is college material. Having about half begin college right after high school (not necessarily finish) is probably about right. Many students want to "bum around" for a year or are just too burnt out to go. Some will enter technical programs later on.

But why do we have this fascination with every kid going to college? College is not the end-all, be-all of existence. You can be an intelligent, well-read, contributing member of society without ever having to take a college class. In fact, a great deal of my education, especially the general education courses they make you take, were a complete waste of time and money.

My real education didn't start until I enetered the work force. Well, maybe graduate school, but I was in the work force then, as well.

Life has been the best education for me.  I've learned more outside of the classroom than in it. I just got to a point where I saw that I needed the paper (diplomas, degrees) to have a better quality of life.  College was basically a place where I got credit for things that life taught me and it allowed me to focus my academic interests (foreign languages, foreign countries, and international politics).

As an old geezer these days, I have over the last few years taken a class or two offered by the junior college. I talk to people who also have attempted to retrain or get those necessary courses done to complete either a certification or program choice. The word on the street is that it is really difficult to score required courses at times people need them offered. In my humble opinion B.C. is tapped out on a resource level.

Let me give you some updated information.  BC is at the mercy of the State when it comes to funding.  I don't need to elaborate on the obvious issue there.  It's great that you have taken some classes in your "Geezer" years!  FYI- BC now has the Levan Institute for Lifelong Learning with several class options you might like.  The Institute is intended for "55 and better" but the classes are open to anyone.  No credits involved, but a great way to learn some new stuff. You can get all the info on the BC website. 

As far as issues getting into required courses, there are classes available at night at the Main Campus as well as night classes offered at Stockdale High in the southwest.  Several courses can be taken online as well.  BC also has the Delano Campus.  Another independent campus is planned for the Northwest part of town in the near future too.

I think we need to expand Bakersfield Junior College and create another campus, probably somewhere in the south area of town that could use an economic boost.

In addition to the Main Campus, Delano, Stockdale High and the northwest campus, a new campus will be popping up south of town too in the near future.

BC is affected by the economy just like all the rest of us.  There is a huge increase in the enrollment at the moment, which is a clear reflection of what is happening with the economy.   BC does not turn away any students, but they may not be able to get the classes they want right away.  As far as being tapped out on resources, the college's funding for enrollment is projected years ahead of the actual school year it is intended for.  Unemployment goes up, tons of students are enrolling, but BC doesn't get any extra funding to cover the cost of the additional students.

We have a story in today's paper concerning the lack of a skilled and educated workforce being seen as the major obstacle facing local employers.

The focus for BC right now is to fully train potential employees so they can get out into the workforce and know what they are doing.  A lot of local companies recruit BC students long before they graduate, and train them to fit into their business right from the start.  After all, great eduation = great employees!

Here's my angle:  higher education teaches many how to learn.  Receptive minds are fleeting.  Wait -- that's two angles, isn't it?

Bakersfield and Kern County has to get past it's ambivalence to education generally and college education specifically. Pushing education as a worthwhile goal for youngsters is not to say that you're self-educated/university-of-life/street-wise/comm on-sense-guided life is wasted. Feel good about your successes in life, but please don't suggest that good public policy includes diminishing higher education for the community.

CSUB is good for the community. BC is good for the community. High schools should be pushing kids towards both.

Bakersfield and Kern County has to get past it's ambivalence to education generally and college education specifically

It would help to have a school board who put their efforts into improving the student's educational needs and not their own personal religious agendas.

kids get as good of an education as their parents will let them.  NO matter what programs are instilled by public schools, they can never take the place of the parent.

if the parent is involved ,and the school is doing a crappy job, the parent will recognize this and attempt to change it, or get an interdistrict transfer

It really is too bad that the area high schools need to spend so much of their budgets on noneducational expense items.  Parents  should  encourage their children to be on time, respect school property and not cause problems while on campus.  If our school districts didn't have to budget for the expense of tracking down truants, repairing senseless damage, replacing destroyed materials, or preventing drug use  they could spend that money making our schools more interesting and  well rounded places for learning.  The more resources a community has to use up fixing citizen created problems the less funds there are available for improving that community's quality of life.   Every pound of litter and every graffiti covered wall is a lost opportunity to fund a playground toy, a library book, a youth enrichment program, or senior citizen services.  Please do what you can to encourage area students to do their best in school.  Thank you. 

Every pound of litter and every graffiti covered wall is a lost opportunity to fund a playground toy, a library book, a youth enrichment program, or senior citizen services. 

Very well put.

I can say as a parent, an educator, and a student of education, most often it is not the schools failing the students. It is the home and community. Most schools give every opportuinity for students to thrive. Teachers, councilors, administrators, aides, etc, bend over backwards, usually by law, to try and lift, push or drag students to place of educational accomplishment. But without parents and the community backing this effort with more than just lip service, little will be accomplished.

Behind every successful student is a driven teacher, a devoted parent, and a success-fostering community. Not necessarily in that order.

I recently watched a 20/20 story that suggested the 4 year degree maybe overrated. The costs of completing college were scary. And there's no guarantee that the graduate will have a job in his (or her) field nor is it unheard of for a person of intelligence and initiative without a degree becoming a success.  Several examples of vocational training of a demand skill--auto repair, for instance--suited the purposes of making a decent living and meeting the need for skilled workers.

I certainly don't view formal education as wasted time but I do think college requires a level of maturity and sense of purpose that I would not expect from most kids who just graduated high school.

World needs brick layers too. While this sentiment may seem harsh (not popular), there are just some people that will not benefit from a college education.  I don't know what that percentage is.  Then there are some that are enticed with instant gratification (most?).  This is the story of many that work out in the oil fields of Kern county.  The money is good and lures many HS students away from college.   I don't have the data on college graduation rate, but the UC published data on applied / enrolled is pretty dismal = 45%.  My guess is that about half of the enrolled will drop out before achieving graduation.  Does that put actual college graduate around 25% of HS graduate?  Probably lower.

I agree that all kids need to be pushed towards college, but not all should be forced and will do well in the end.  Perhaps not as well as an average college graduate, but still good. 

Personally, I think most HS students should work first before attending college (i.e. military).  Hard work, working with very little reward and working for incompetent boss are great motivators for college education.

I certainly don't view formal education as wasted time but I do think college requires a level of maturity and sense of purpose that I would not expect from most kids who just graduated high school.

Very true.  As a parent you have no guarantee that sending your child off to college and spending all that tuition money will actually result in them going to class.  If they are not ready then it's a huge waste of money and time.  Junior colleges in your home town are perfect for that transition period between youth and adulthood.  They still have the classes to attend but can still live at home if necessary.  Not all kids that age are mature enough to be serious about school, work and live on their own.  Not to mention that JCs are much more affordable.  Ultimately when you transfer from the 2 year school to a University and graduate, the diploma will say the University name.  JCs are a great starting point.

I am not saying that the last several posts are wrong, but you have to understand that education is one of the best determinants of social class. There are lots of reasons not to go; however if your family and your community wants to climb, education is the way to do it.

The emphasis should be on how to get more kids in, not rationalizations about how it may not suit, is expensive, has an uncertain outcome, etc....

The times were hard, many men had no work, and could get none. One such man walked from house to house, asking "Could I do any work for you, any at all ?". The answer always came back; "We have no work for you or anyone.". The persistant man persevered, he really had no other choice; and as he finally came into a different neighborhood, he once again knocked on a door. A 'lady' in very revealing clothing answered the door, listened to his bid for work, then told him "No, no work.". Saddened once again, he turned to try his fortune at the next house; but then the 'lady' called him back. She said to the stranger at her door; "What I need is a good bookkeeper, and if you can do the job, I'll hire you today." He replied "Lady, I cain't neither read nor write." And with that statement he lost his opportunity for permanent employment. The "madam" of the house closed the door, and again he left. Again after he had walked a but a short distance, she called him back. She had in her arm a sack of apples which she gave to him. He went to the corner of the block, and being hungry began to eat one of the apples. A man walked by and said "How much are your apples buddy ?" He replied, and sold an apple. He continued to stand there at that corner and there sold his last apple.

He then walked down to the city market and bought a peck of apples with his earnings, returned near to a downtown corner, there to once more sell all of his apples. Once more he walked to the city market, this time to buy a bushel of apples, and so it went, until one day our 'salesman' had an old pickup truck parked at his downtown corner location, doing business every day. As his business prospered he bought that corner lot, and built a fruit stand. Things were really going his way, his customers loyal, his business good, his product excellent, and one day he was able to build a modern super market size store. His wealth increased yearly, and finally the Saveway Grocery Store chain could no longer ignore him. A representative of the Saveway chain came to him, offered him five million dollars for his land, store and business. Our salesman sold. No need for him to think about it more...he agreed on the spot to sell. The Saveway representative said "I will be here tomorrow with a cashiers check for five million, and the contracts and deeds for you to sign." Then with head bowed in shame, he said; "Fella, I caint neither read nor write so you don't never bother to bring no papers for me to read." The Saveway representative aghast said "You built all of this without the ability to read and write....imagine what you would be today, if you had learned to read and write." With head proudly thrown back, our salesman said "Hell Fella, I know what I would be if'n I could read and write, I'd be a bookkeeper in a whorehouse."

 

http://www.snopes.com/busin...

FUNNY!!!

NANCY:   right on!!!

Cute story, but supports the myth that education does nothing for you.

"Data from the 2002 U.S. Statistical abstract reveals an individual with a bachelor’s degree, on average, earns $65,922 per year. This is compared to yearly earnings of $36,722 for someone with a high school diploma. With a two-year Associate’s Degree, an individual can expect to earn 137% more than someone with only a high school diploma or equivalency." http://www.daltonstate.edu/...

Thank you all for the thoughtful comments. I lived in Sacramento for many years before relocating here a few years back. Sacramento has grown their community junior colleges from two older campuses at American River and Sacramento City that served 10,000 students in 1965 to four campuses that now serve more than 80,000 students. This year's crush of new students has overwhelmed even that far sighted and fairly well funded district.

Education is a necessity in our modern world. Those that do not get an education will have no place to work and make a livable wage. Where education is heavily emphasized the higher the standards of living are. There is a reason the state of New Jersey has the highest median wage for all people residing in that state. They spend the most per pupil on education.

Kern County is  dramatically underserved when it comes to meeting our communities needs for higher education. We need to be much more proactive here than we currently are. And education is not strictly about four year degrees. Education is also about electricians, plumbers, nurses, construction and so many more technical applications where certifications are required.

Thanks again for the commentary.

Stop financing the academic development classes, those are the classes at B.C. for the students who did not learn reading, writing and math in HS and those who can't/don't speak English. Those teachers and those classrooms and those supplies that are purchased could be better utilized for legitimate English and math classes that a student on a graduation path needs/wants. If a student is coming out of one of our local HS UNprepared for even BC then either the HS are not doing their job or the student does not care. Either way it is a waste of time and money and the student should be directed to the adult school or a trade school. The fact that, as I understand it, CSUB also has academic development classes is totally ludicrous! A 4 year university?

Those who cannot read/write English should be directed to the adult school on Mt Vernon. If or when they 'master' these components in a way that they can enter a regular college class without additional ESL classes, then come on up. 

DS..not true.   It's only a humorous illustration that everyone has a chance.  See the snopes reference.

I'm grateful we have a community college system in our area.  My granddaughter graduated from Kern Valley High and attended Cerro Coso before moving to AZ.  She's now taking classes there and I'd have to check but believe it's ASU.

A lot of kids can't afford, or aren't qualified, for a university and BC gives them a chance to get college classes under their belt and also to kind out what it's like to go to school when no one is watching over your shoulder.  Whether or not you learn is totally up to you and that's too lenient for a lot of kids who need structure.

Wasn't there a plan to build a campus in the southwest a while back?   

Witters, if you have sports, you have remedial classes. I think it speaks more towards collegiate sports than the universities' academic offerings IMO.

 if you have sports, you have remedial classes

Rather sad don't you think?

BC is an excellent "jumping off point" for many. My daughter ewent there and got her A.S. then was able to transfer to Long Beach State as a junior and pick right up with her major.

Again, my biggest complaint is the academic/remedial classes for people coming right out of HS................how crazxy is that?!

P.S. - NANCY: See................DS has NO funny bone in his body.  Sad eh?

 Witters, if you have sports, you have remedial classes.

That's not always true.  The players on my college football team (DIII school) were all regular admits.  They were not necessarily the brightest but they got in on their own academic merit.  Division I is a little different, though.  It's big business and they seem to have more "resources" to keep kids eligible.  I just wish that the NCAA no longer existed and a new superleague for 18-24 year olds was created to operate as a farm system for pro sports. Then we can get rid of the antiquated notion of the student-athlete.  

A lot of kids can't afford, or aren't qualified, for a university and BC gives them a chance to get college classes under their belt and also to kind out what it's like to go to school when no one is watching over your shoulder.

I don't have any stats before me, but the CSU system offers the most affordable education in the US.  As a CA resident, there is no better deal at the 4 yr institution level.  It's actually possible to work part-time (or full time) and pay your tuition as you go. 

I agree with that Jf, my grandson went to Santa Cruz his first year out of high school on a scholorship.  It was too liberal for him (and way too wet and cold) so he transferred to CSUB and from there, along with student loans, worked his way through college.

My point was that BC is cheaper unit wise and a lot of kids just out of high school aren't ready for the unstructured college life.  It's a pretty good chunk of change out of pocket for a quarter at Cal State.