Thinking Outside the Box - My Journey

My wife and I were driving home from a lovely wedding in the White Mountains of Arizona and talking the whole time. It was a great drive and we had some really good conversations. One topic was a staple we usually turn to when speaking about the future of our little ones (boy and girl) and what we will do about their schooling.

I would love to send them to a private school. In fact, there is a fantastic one right down the street from my house (I know because my cousin attended one just like it in Phoenix). The classes are small and there are 2 teachers per classroom. The activities are amazing and the learning level is VERY high. My cousin was so smart and did amazing on her SAT's. I know this isn't evidence the school was any better, but if I had to choose between a class of 30 or 40 kids to a teacher vs. 10 to 15 or less you know which one I'd choose. Wouldn't you? But a lass.... I can't afford the extra $10K+ per year to send my kids there one day (at least not yet) but I know that there has to be something better.

Home school... maybe... but I'm not sure yet or sold on this idea. I just know that the public schools, especially those in AZ, are not doing to well and we are losing as a nation. Oprah recently had a special (yes, my wife made me watch it) regarding the new movie "Waiting for Superman" and had Bill Gates as well as the movie's creator on for an interview. Now, I haven't seen the movie, but I KNOW our school system is broken. I also know that the high performing charter schools are sending 100% of their students to college... 100%! Not all of them are, but some do... what conventional high school can say that? It's incredible. I think there are FANTASTIC teachers out there but the motto "Those who can't do... teach." came from somewhere and there are too many deadbeat teachers out there as well.

Now..... this is where our conversation led as we were in the car. I would LOVE to teach. I have 2 business degrees and I did that because I know that if I want to have a comfortable life I would have to do something that was in demand. That is why I choose Supply Chain Management. Do I love it... not really, but it's still fun at times. If I could make the same amount of money teaching would I do it? Totally! Does that make me a bad person, heck no. I wouldn't do it FOR the money... I'm not gonna get rich from being a teacher... but I happen to think and have been told I would make a great teacher. So, I plan to make it big one day in business and go back and be a teacher... maybe for FREE. I think that could be said for a lot of people out there. People who would love to teach but simply can't imagine making $35K a year after attending college and having to keep up on all the credentials.

I have 2 teachers in the family. One who has been teaching for 3 years, one who has been doing it a long time. The one who has experience also has her masters. I have to say that I have experience in speaking with them but no hands on classroom experience per say.

Anyway.... this is where people start looking at me like I'm crazy. I say let's open the doors to corporate America and their advertising dollars. We lay off teachers but vote on propositions to raise a sales tax to pay for a new stadium. Why? Because the city knows and the people know the stadium will lift the economy (hopefully) with games and conventions and revenue will pump into the system. Do we live in an ideal world? Heck no! If we did, athletes would donate 80% of their HUGE salaries to schools and an elementary school would never send out pink slips to teachers due to budget issues.

Here is the thing and my thinking...... I DO get weird looks for this....

Unless a student wears a uniform to school he/she is a walking billboard. Nike shoes or True Religion jeans. Shirts and skirts and backpacks all have logos on them and promote the designers. They listen to the radio on the way to school and they see ads on TV for the astronomical amount of time our youth spend staring at a TV screen these days.

WHY NOT GET THE SCHOOLS SOME OF THAT AD REVENUE?

I'm not talking about McDonald's or any trashy brands or political/religious or any other. I'm talking about sports drinks and online retailers of good products or grocery stores or others. Advertisers now don't do it in schools but they will certainly put it up on a billboard across the street. What's the difference? The difference is that the owner of the billboard makes the dough instead of the school. The designer of the jeans makes the dough instead of the school. The maker of the backpack or folder or whatever you want to point out gets the cash and not the school.

UNTIL SCHOOLS START MAKING MONEY NO ONE WILL CARE! When are we going to start thinking OUTSIDE the box?

Haven't we seen enough evidence of this? Sports teams and stadiums publicly funded, grants and tax benefits to business to bring jobs into a community. The list can go on and on... yet the same people who vote for this crap will say in the same breath "Advertising in schools is a very bad idea. It teaches kids that money is what matters most. Raise taxes." and other comments you will see around the internet. That's CRAZY! Raise taxes? We give money to the system and the system wastes it. Check out the latest AZ proposition about raising sales tax to get more money for teachers... did it work? Heck no! The people managing the money have BIG issues and don't do what they say they will do with it.

But Chris, isn't school supposed to be a place of learning and not advertising. What would you prefer? A place with the best computers, books, activities, facilities, teachers, staff, programs, etc... funded by advertising or would you rather stick to overcrowded classrooms, underpaid teachers, program cuts, and under performing test scores? Sure, you can stick with the idea advertising in schools is bad... but your kids are going to call my son or daughter BOSS one day because they were able to have a better learning experience with better teachers and better everything.

I write this because I give a crap about what's going on. Don't like what's happening in schools these days? Don't believe in the "system" that supposed to do the job and provide the funding? Then join me and follow me on a journey. I'm about to find out what the Charter Schools around Arizona feel about this idea and I'm going to dig up as much as I can about what we can do to "think outside the box."

When will we draw the line and say enough is enough? Do we have to close down ALL of the schools or cut ALL of the buses or ALL of the music and arts and sports from school? Is that what it will take? I certainly hope not.

Pull your heads out people. No one is going to manage tax money like they should. People aren't going to vote for enough tax hikes to fill the gap and unless you have a cool $200 million to give away then I suggest you quite complaining and help me out. Anyone interested can email me.

Let's do it!