Ted Talk

Cooperative economics would trickle down to create a cooperative education system, where students and teachers are free to engage in open dialogue rather than upholding the 'authoritarian teacher' model.

Cooperative economics would trickle down to create a cooperative education system, where students and teachers are free to engage in open dialogue rather than upholding the 'authoritarian teacher' model. I'm not saying you'll get to "vote for your teachers", but rather that the structure of the classroom will change entirely: since communication and relationship-building will become important elements to success at work, they will also become elevated components of good schooling.

80%. The number of students suffering from school anxiety.

80%. The number of students suffering from school anxiety. 34%. The number of students suffering from depression because of school. Bridging the gap between problem and solution seems like an impossible task. However, there are a few steps we can take. Don't get too preoccupied with trying to engineer a solution, and don't fall into the trap of just complaining to others in the same position as you. Have tough conversations, share concerns with teachers and bosses, and make as many friends as you can. It may take time for broader social change to take hold, so the best you can do right now is to push it along a bit while making those percentages a little smaller. The future of education depends on us. Thank you, friends.

As much as we would like this change to happen overnight, though, that happens to be far from likely.

As much as we would like this change to happen overnight, though, that happens to be far from likely. All of these things may be true, but what can we as high schoolers do to try and help? If I can request one thing from all of you, it is this: whenever you are frustrated with school or work, don't just sit around and cry about it. Complaining to friends, although it may be satisfying, ultimately does nothing to help those who need it.

But the fundamental structure of our education system remained unaltered.

But the fundamental structure of our education system remained unaltered. The ACT has existed since prior to the calculator and has survived even the advent of Google ("History Of ACT Test"). Lecturing - a teaching method founded in ancient Greece - is still the main way information is dispelled ("Lesson Five Reading II: The Origins Of The Lecture"). Even homework, first introduced to American schools in the early 20th century, still exists following every major invention hitherto (Wecker). The technological determinist paradigm is clearly not built on evidence; our creations will not resolve education's glaring problems.

By that same token, trying to save students from overwork by integrating new technologies into their lives is about as effective as wiping your bum with a pencil.

By that same token, trying to save students from overwork by integrating new technologies into their lives is about as effective as wiping your bum with a pencil. Try as you might, history shows us that new contraptions aren't going to save us from deeper structural change. This comes off as a damning curse; if our most advanced creations and our loudest civilians aren't capable of saving us, who possibly could be?

However, the blessing here is that complainers and highly qualified scientists will not be the source of the change; we will be.

However, the blessing here is that complainers and highly qualified scientists will not be the source of the change; we will be. The first step toward solving every issue brought forth today, from mental health issues amongst students to undemocratic workplaces, is to recognize the strength we have in numbers. Much like how our nation was founded upon the social communities fostered amongst the people, we can begin to forge a new education and society by doing the same.

However, to say that learning as a whole evolved primarily due to innovative pressures can be observed to be false.

However, to say that learning as a whole evolves primarily due to innovative pressures can be observed to be false. Raise your hand if you know what 5x5 is. Keep your hand up if you've completed homework assignments without the help of the internet. The calculator and the computer did make positive change; students are accelerated into more advanced mathematics at younger ages, and test preparation can be done almost entirely online with programs like Quizlet and Anki.

80%

80%. According to recent survey data, that is the percentage of students who reported feeling stressed because of school. 34%. That is the percentage of students who reported feeling depressed because of school ("50 Current Student Stress Statistics: 2022 Data, Analysis & Predictions | Research.Com"). These numbers, historically speaking, are staggering. Although students have always been stressed out, these numbers are both ridiculously high and growing faster than ever. Clearly, something is wrong. We are working for our education, but our education is not working for us. What is to be done?

Now, it's time to switch gears and tackle Number 2.

Now, it's time to switch gears and tackle Number 2. We have gotten ourselves into the driver's seat and we know that our society is reflected in our education. Where do we go? According to Oxford Learning, (although I'm sure it doesn't take a trained professional to figure this one out) among the main causes of stress are the heavy workload, upcoming tests, poor sleep schedule, and too little downtime. These are all symptoms of an even greater problem: the unending pressure to get good grades in a system that overworks the students. To permanently alleviate this problem, we have to also find and eliminate the ways it is reflected in our society.

The issue is with the organization of our workplaces and their subsequent reflection in the classroom.

The issue is with the organization of our workplaces and their subsequent reflection in the classroom. Think hard about what the average job setting looks like. Regardless of which enterprise you go to, there are usually a bunch of workers doing different tasks and there is one boss. This boss is not chosen by the people he makes the decisions for, but rather by stakeholders and owners who, simply because of their economic standing, care more for their own profits than the people below them who create them. Each day you are competing with your coworkers to do the best you can so that you don't get fired by that boss because you need the money from this job to survive. Can we see how this process can be overwhelming?

The prospect of societal democracy opens countless doors for public instruction.

The prospect of societal democracy opens countless doors for public instruction. For the first time in American history, students can focus on growing personal qualities and being balanced individuals rather than merely preparing for their careers. Fixing the economy will fix education

To answer Number 1, we may need to get a little bit philosophical.

To answer Number 1, we may need to get a little bit philosophical. Stick with me, it won't be as boring as it sounds. Certain groups have adopted an idea called technological determinism, the claim that changes in technology are the driving force behind subsequent changes in education ("Technological Determinism"). This viewpoint has only become more prevalent with Artificial Intelligence such as ChatGPT, a newly-released program that rose to prominence for its skill in writing essays and creating code.

During the Cold War, economic and political competition with the Soviet Union shifted our focus toward weeding out qualified students to help in endeavors like the Space Race

During the Cold War, economic and political competition with the Soviet Union shifted our focus toward weeding out qualified students to help in endeavors like the Space Race. Standardized tests like the ACT were created in this era because they could do just that (Gershon). All of this comes together to prove one thing: every major shift in our schooling system is paired with a major shift in our economic reality. Our school structure is inextricably linked with our economic one. We have answered Number 1: if we want to change our education, we need to change our community.

In the mid-1800s, America realized quickly that rapid economic development from the Industrial Revolution and Urbanization (which is just people coming together quickly to make cities) required a more well-trained workforce (Paterson).

In the mid-1800s, America realized quickly that rapid economic development from the Industrial Revolution and Urbanization (which is just people coming together quickly to make cities) required a more well-trained workforce (Paterson). This could only be done by amassing funds quickly, and it should be no surprise that in this era, the idea of government-funded education spread like wildfire.

Introducing democracy to business also allows companies to liberate their employees from toxicity.

Introducing democracy to business also allows companies to liberate their employees from toxicity. UW Madison has done research on existing democratic workplaces, with one publication saying, "The model has proven to be an effective tool for creating and maintaining sustainable, dignified jobs; generating wealth; improving the quality of life of workers; and promoting community and local economic development" ("Worker Cooperatives"). The increased job security allows a corporation to move beyond resentment between employees toward fostering a genuinely communal environment.

The selection of corporate superiors eases issues of overwork that make our education so competitive.

The selection of corporate superiors eases issues of overwork that make our education so competitive. The pressure students feel to get good grades is mirrored by company expectations to work ceaselessly for a small living. This, combined with rapidly increasing rent and inflation, has made it even harder to exist in a cutthroat economy (Winters). It should be no wonder that schools are only piling on the work and making tests more difficult; they feel that the best way to get their students a good salary is to push them beyond their limits like the office will.

Collaborative hierarchies on a mass scale would solve the riddle of education.

Collaborative hierarchies on a mass scale would solve the riddle of education. Without the socio-economic pressure to always be doing more, more, more so people don't lose a comparatively small livelihood, schools would no longer feel the need to overwork their students and continuously increase the difficulty of tests.

My proposal is simple: introduce democracy to our hierarchies.

My proposal is simple: introduce democracy and cooperation to our hierarchies. The United States prides itself on being a "beacon of democracy" so much that it has literally started wars over the idea. However, Democratic cooperation doesn't really seem to exist outside the ballot box. Leaders who came to power without popular consent are universally deemed to be tyrants. Why is it so ridiculous for the government to pass laws eliminating tyrants in the civic realm? You have input to the people who make such laws, why shouldn't the same be true for bosses and teachers?

Sociology, on the other hand, offers a clear reason for why the structure of schooling changes.

Sociology, on the other hand, offers a clear reason for why the structure of schooling changes. American history is littered with examples where scholarship reflects political and economic realities. Before the development of capitalism within our borders, school existed solely to train ensuing generations of wealthy merchants and landowners. When describing American education in the 1600s, Buffalo State Professor Wendy Paterson said, "Public education, common in New England, was class-based, and the working class received few benefits, if any".

Technological determinism survives, even in academic circles, by appealing to common sense

Technological determinism survives, even in academic circles, by appealing to common sense. Looking back, it is incredibly easy to see the times in modern history when new devices threw a wrench into what we thought school was for. In the 1970s, heated debates took place over the introduction of the calculator in schools (Watters). Supporters hoped that by having the ability to solve any equation with the click of a button, students would no longer need basic mathematics and could advance beyond it. In the 1990s when the internet was being introduced to public schools, tech determinists hoped that their kids would be free from busy work since it would be unnecessary if you could just look everything up ("The Internet And Education"). And now, in today's world, AI seems to be an opportunity allowing students to complete works of writing, artwork, and computer engineering without once having to learn how to do these things for themselves. All of these technologies sparked a profound hope for the believers in this philosophy.

To fix schooling, we have to figure out what actually causes it to change.

To fix schooling, we have to figure out what actually causes it to change. If I wanted to move a car but didn't know what it was, I wouldn't just start pushing. I would look around the car, investigate, try things out, and eventually figure out that if I move a lever the right way and push on a pedal, the thing moves really fast. Today, I have two goals. Number 1 is to get us into the driver's seat: we have to know how we can actually impact the education system. Number 2 is to figure out what to do when we get there.

Learning how to get along with others and create healthy bonds can be taught to everyone instead of being an exclusive and in-demand life skill

Learning how to get along with others and create healthy bonds can be taught to everyone instead of being an exclusive and in-demand life skill. Maybe there will be entire classes focused on having healthy parental or romantic relationships instead of a five-minute Advisory presentation. Students would focus more on learning to be decent human beings and perhaps less on comma splices and the Pythagorean Theorem.

To tech determinists, enhancing the lives of students is as simple as innovating their way above our current ills.

To tech determinists, enhancing the lives of students is as simple as innovating their way above our current ills. Although at face value this idea seems completely reasonable, it commits a fatal error in the way it ignores the social conditions in which progress occurs. Social systems play a profound role in shaping what instruction means in any given society, from the religious teachings of Medieval society to the exclusivity of learning to landowners in pre-capitalist America (Paterson). Beyond just being shaped by it, though, I would argue that education exists to maintain and reproduce the social structure of a given society.