The Future of Education Needs Your Ideas

What do you feel are the biggest issues our education system needs to address in 2050?

The pace of change is already so quick today that much of the material taught to students in grade school may be irrelevant by the time they graduate high school. How do we best equip them to succeed in an uncertain future?

Today’s high school graduates, meanwhile, are competing for scarce college entrances against highly-educated students from around the world. How do we ensure our students have the best access to world-class, post-secondary learning?

Less than 40 percent of our region’s high school graduates meet the math and science requirements for admission to the University of California and Cal State systems, according to a 2008 study. In addition, the study showed students in California have lower achievement scores than almost all other students in the nation.

There are approximately 500,000 students in our region, and the population in San Diego is expected to grow by about 1.3 million in the next 50 years. Picture what our education system will look like without a plan in place to create competitive, world-class schools that can absorb the population growth.

The next generation of students will predominantly be our own children and grandchildren.

And Our Greater San Diego Vision is giving this generation the opportunity to have a say in what education will look like for future generations, this is why thousands of San Diegans have already shared their hopes and concerns for the region’s education system at ShowYourLoveSD.org. The online public survey offers several different strategies for improving education in the region.

One approach is to personalize education and learning so students can learn more effectively.

A second approach is to offer a variety of learning options. Competition among education providers would promote affordable, innovative and quality learning options.

A third approach is to prepare students for success in the global economy by exposing them to world cultures, teaching multiple languages, teaching workplace skills and offering career planning and mentorship.

A fourth approach is to expand post-secondary learning options and financial assistance so all students can further their education.

The last approach is to prepare students to learn by offering affordable prenatal care to mothers, school preparation to parents and universal preschool and kindergarten to children.

San Diegans can rank these approaches according to their values and priorities and seek to influence educators and policy-makers based on the outcome of this unprecedented public engagement process.

Visit www.ShowYourLoveSD.org now through Jan. 31 and voice your choice for the future of education.