John Marsh Education

John Marsh is an assistant professor in the English department at Pennsylvania State University. “Why Education Is Not an Economic Panacea,” is from his book Class Dismissed: Why We Cannot Teach Our Way Out If Inequality. Overall in Marsh’s story the problem that is presented is whether the cause of inequality is because of lack of education.

In higher class part of Chicago the University of Urbana- Champaign holds two very large graduation ceremonies in the spring. So large the crowd cannot fit in the basketball arena that holds sixteen thousand people. Marsh taught some of the students that attended the University of Urbana- Champaign however he was not at the graduation that may. Instead he was at another graduation in a shabby room in

Champaigns-Urbanas’s only dodgy neighborhood.
In the fall of two thousand five Marsh began a class for low-income adults in the dodgy community. Professors from the University of Illinois would offer night classes in their teaching field. Classes were for anyone eighteen to twenty five and lived at one hundred fifty percent of the poverty level of income or lower. Students would complete a nine-month and receive six hours of college credit that they could transfer to another institution of learning. Everything would be free: books, tuition, even child care. The program was named the Odyssey Project.
The few students they participated in the project, had their night class in the dumpy room that held the graduation. Although both men and women were both apart of the project the women outnumbered the men and most of the people in the project were Latino or African American. A lot of the women in the project had many jobs. At any point and time students would read from Shakespeare’s famous writings or go over the amendments in the Constitution. The first graduation was held in the spring of two thousand seven. Not a huge crowd came to the event. The project started with thirty students and throughout the course many dropped. When it was time to graduate the class consisted of roughly twelve people. Year after year of doing the project the number of students that stuck the program out continued to climb. Marsh wanted to continue the program in hopes that it would eventually succeed. One motive for Marsh wad the chancellor of the University of Illinois supported the program being it would give good publicity. To an unexperienced person the graduation looks like it went well. The valedictorian gave a moving speech. After the speech was over Marsh handed out diplomas he felt good that helped even though the program failed for some students it help a few and he felt like it was worth doing.
When the graduation ceremony ended a reception was held and, Marsh spoke to the media. The reporter and the cameraman chatted about the education the students were receiving. He told Marsh he is in favor of the program. ‘If only everyone could get an education,’ he said ‘we wouldn’t have all these problems.’ Marsh didn’t need to ask him why he felt that way. Most people that see neighborhoods like the one Marsh had been working know things like poverty, unemployment, teenage pregnancy and, crime exist.
Because of the interview he realized something.

He had created a monster. He started off with a class to help citizens in that lived in poverty a new start and for ones who didn’t make it a chance to get a higher education. Marsh didn’t think the project would solve the world’s problems. The class of graduates made it the entire year was just a small portion of adults in the poverty area that took the step to get chance to get a higher education. Most had no set plans on what they would do with this education. Most people had the same thinking as the cameraman that if they people living below the poverty level received education poverty would go away. Marsh felt that he failed and got students hopes up. One does not blame the camera man for thinking that education could fix the world’s problems especially because the problem is poverty and inequality. The cameraman and his wife did have good faith and reason to think that education was a cure. Just a couple of months before graduation day President George W. Bush surprised journalist and other listeners by speaking of the growing economic inequality in the United States. ‘The fact that inequality is real,’ Bush told an audience of Wall Street Executives. ‘It’s been rising for more than twenty five years.’ The problem in our economy is that it is increasingly rewarding education and skills because of education. The Washington Post noted in the coverage of the speech ‘Bush’s remarks were an unremarkable statement of what many

economists accept as common wisdom.’
Common Wisdom is not just the fact that income inequality is real but continues to raise Bush adds but that income inequality is primary from differences in education. A person with only a high school education once earned a living with just a high-school diploma by working in a factory those days are long over. In this day and age the job markets reward people with a higher education and pay less attention to those without one.
This belief of a higher education makes or break lives traverses the bisect the political system for sure. Most people living in the United States believe that the cause of poverty is lack of education, and what will fix it is better education. Conventional wisdom explains why some people are fortunate enough to get ahead and others are left behind many agree. Liberals, conservatives, and the cameraman can agree on this belief.
Many can agree with the people with views about education and those are not wrong. If one has a more advanced degree than a bachelors or a high school diploma they tend to earn more money. Economist put it as to earn a good living one needs to get a higher education. Therefore many believe getting a higher degree is a magic trick to solve poverty and inequality.
When Marsh Started the Odyssey Project part of him had the same view about education as most people. After all, Marsh did receive a higher education now making more money than he ever dreamed of. Getting that higher education worked out for him why can’t everyone get the opportunity to receive one like did.
The answer to these questions lies in the University of Illinois one of the first land grant Colleges. The mission of a land grant college is to promote practical and liberal education into industrial classes in professions of life. Requirements of land grant colleges have changed some over the years but still promote industrial classes.
The University of Illinois mostly enrolls middle to high class teenagers from the better parts of Chicago. The Odyssey Project relies on the idea of a higher education. If a higher education is what it takes to receive a reasonable income then everyone should have one. That is why Marsh started the project. That is also why it’s so easy for Marsh to root for the project. Also, seeing the graduates on graduation day.
The camera man interview however Changed Marsh’s view.

He continues to teach classes and keep doing the Odyssey Project however his doubts had. The doubts would get higher when he would see a student drop out or start to go downhill and that humanities and higher education left them out to dry. His doubts didn’t include education being industrial or those with little income, but if it was really capable of doing good and what good actually came from it. If every student got the chance to graduate would it make a difference? Would they be able to get into a real college? Would it even make a change in Champaign County? Truthfully on person was not going to help people out of poverty and inequality. Marsh came to the conclusion that education holds too much stress and on hopes for economic justice.

The thesis that education alone will not change things has surfaced. Not very many have given a lot of thought as it actually deserves. He knows only due to the fact he had his doubts about the project. He searched for someone with the same questions and looked hard for that person with the exact same questions. What has made so many especially those in higher power believe it? If education is not the solve for the problems what

is?
Within the last couple of years critics began to question the faith in college for all. One economist put it that he does not agree that there are too many students enrolled in college but that the United States has over invested in higher education more young people need to be seeking trade schools. Vedder Crawford says that, ‘a college degree does not measure a young person’s time and investment of money.’ Most economist journalist continues to prove that getting a higher education earns higher wages. Even those like Marsh that major in simple English.
The United States is in an unusual position if every kid or adult gets a higher education some may get lucky enough to make it above the poverty line. That causes a problem. Education cannot be the only way out. Marsh is concerned with the people that don’t stand up for justice. That some can’t stand up because of lack of education. Implying they should is receive one is neither right or a solution for workers and what they will encounter in the work force.
Also, it is not a solution. The United States will continue to provide more jobs that don’t require a college degree than jobs that do. A degree won’t make those jobs pay any more or any less. A reasonable source of evidence shows we can do the opposite by decreasing the poverty and inequality level will improve education. Marsh admits even as the starter of the project he cares less about education when he does economical out comes and fixing the problems at hand.
Marsh himself grew up below the poverty line and remembers it very well. He does not remember what he feared the most. The constant feeling of inferiority or insecurity. Either way Marsh believe both are horrible and no one should experience both.
In any vent a new thought on education should be in effect. People need to stop thinking that education is the solve for the world’s problems on poverty and inequality. Only after that is done will things change for the better. Marsh doesn’t regret starting the project he did make a difference in some of the students’ lives. He met great people. He had deep and sincere conversations with some of the students that he would not have gotten somewhere else. It was a rewarding experience. He also got a better understanding in to the lives of people that deal with poverty day in and day out. Overall he took away from the project that it was neither necessary nor sufficient in solving problems with poverty and inequality.