Joe the Plumber, or Why It Pays to Get a Bachelor's Degree

President Obama set an ambitious new goal in his speech to Congress on February 24, 2009, proclaiming that by 2020, America will ...have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.

But some experts, like author Charles Murray, dont think we need more Americans going to college. In his new book, Real Education: Four Simple Truths for Bringing Americas Schools Back to Reality (Random House, 2008), Murray argues that Americans place too much value on the bachelors degree.

Murray and researcher Anthony Carnevale debated Who Needs a College Education Anyway? at the Hechinger Institutes Seminar for Higher Education Reporters in December 2008. Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed moderated the debate.

Murray, the W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, contends that because ability varies and 50 percent of people are below average, our current system of higher education makes little sense.

Carnevale, Research Professor and Director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, argues we should encourage as many students as possible to attend and graduate from college, because intelligence isnt fixed at birth and can be influenced by education.

After their remarks, Murray and Carnevale took questions from journalists participating in the Seminar.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• college
• bachelors degree
• blue collar
• joe the plumber
• bell curve
• degree attainment
• postsecondary attainment
• college access
• below average
• drive a forklift
• social mobility
• social inequality
• upward mobility
• american education

[Shrunkenhead61]

Act like a plumber isn't worth shit? That's elitism. When this guy takes a crap after eating all his well bourgeois food and clogs the toilet he calls a plumber. Then, the plumber just ranks up the bills. Plumbers aren't dumb they just feel learning hyper-dimensions and lofty aristocratic words doesn't help them in their quality of life. I rather feel proud to help someone to be able to shower and take care of them self. Nothing is good enough for this guy. Pretentious. Plumbers can read too.

[LeftLiberalSoCal]

In MOST cases yes. So you can point out some exceptions to the rule. So what? Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[movcrit]

I never everyone can obtain a 40k a year job I'm saying that 40k isn't exactly a high benchmark for a rewarding career.

Here's a path

1. Get a AS in Engineer

2. Get an internship

3. Get a BS in Engineer

4. Apply for a entry level job

5. Get the job.

Make at the minimum 50k per year. If you go Petroleum you could make 6 figures or if you go Biomedical you will have a good chance to find a job.

[peart]

@movcrit If that is true please provide an actionable example. For instance outline precise, and accurate steps for everyone to obtain a 40k a year job. If it were that easy everyone would earn 40k. Which is obviously not the case. You're over simplifying. It is not easy, and not every education person can get paid a decent salary even if they do everything right.

[Shrunkenhead61]

@Shrunkenhead61 Also, I am not blaming those words... I am blaming how someone hides behind them to seem as they are their gateway to being praised by the less versed in vocabulary. Elitism as I said.

[Shrunkenhead61]

@movcrit In actuality, most engineers are rather humble.

[movcrit]

@peart 40k a year isn't exactly hard to make. With a 12 month year that's about 3.33k per month and $833 per week with a 40 hour work week that's about $20.83 per hour. That's only about 2 to 3 times the minimum wage for most states.

[movcrit]

@RSSFeedify This is an incorrect generalization there are many and many BA's that make at least 40k. Even a public school teacher makes at least 40k and don't forget a BA is nearly required for law/medical school.

[movcrit]

@LeftLiberalSoCal Why use a clock thats only right twice a day then? Or rather why follow a rule that has exceptions?

[movcrit]

@Shrunkenhead61 Plumbers fix the shit that Engineers design using "them" hyper-dimensions and lofty aristocratic words.

[mba2ceo]

Degree = might have a chance ... NO degree = McJOB !!!

[CollegeReform]

Let's start a movement to change things. Type Reform Higher Education Now in the search box on Facebook or click CollegeReform below.