Education is the great equalizer, but is becoming the great separator
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During his term as Washington’s governor, Gary Locke’s mantra was “education is the great equalizer.” Locke, now the U.S. Ambassador to China, was correct, but in our country, today education is becoming the great separator.
Here’s the problem.
First, far too many students drop out of high school — nearly 7,000 each day. That adds up to about 1.2 million students a year who don’t graduate with their peers.
The consequences are clear. Forbes reports that in 2009, the average high school dropout made $19,540 a year, 40 percent less than their classmates who graduate. The deficit continues into the workplace, where the