Author "The Big Con in Education:  Why must 'all' high school graduates be prepared for college?" Copyright 2005 Dennis W. Redovich. Publisher iUniverse Inc, New York - Lincoln - Shanghai. www.iUniverse.com 1-800-288-4677 ; also available at http://www.amazon.com/ and bookstores. Interview by Daniel Pryzbyla, an EducationNews.org columnist and former Chicago and Milwaukee public school teacher.

Q: Let's start with the title, and the graphic large bold words "Big Con" in the title on the front cover. Obviously, it's both an eye-catcher and "warning" of sorts. What is the "Big Con" in education? 

The word con in this book is defined as "to deceive, misinform or lie for personal gain." The word con has many meanings including, deceive, misinform, trick, bamboozle, dupe, bilk and hoodwink. All of these words are appropriate in describing the hype, propaganda and hypocrisy about jobs and education and the jobs of the future used in the war against public education. The word "con" does not mean conspiracy.

The use of schools and workers as scapegoats for our nations social, employment and economic problems is the big con. Schools have forever been bashed by politicians, "the business interests," and learned elite. The high-tech jobs of the future and higher education are believed to be the solutions to all of the employment, social and economic problems of the United States. It is a big con.

Q: The sub-text in the title of your book flies against the grain of current demands to prepare "every student" for college. Why did you write this book?

The critics of American public education lead by and funded by the Bush Administration and conservative foundation think tanks, use public education as the scapegoat for all of the social and economic problems of the United States. The panacea for all of the problems of our urban and poor rural areas including, crime and incarcerations, poverty, jobs, housing and family stability is increasing the number of college graduates and demanding that every student meet the requirements of college entrance in order to earn a high school diploma. Higher education and increasing levels of education will automatically create jobs, higher incomes, and lower crime and increase family stability. Nothing could be further from the truth!

 The reason I wrote this book and have written more than 250 commentaries and reports

(See www.jobseducationwis.org ) since retirement from the Milwaukee Area Technical college in September 1991 is to document the lies, hype and propaganda dished out by big business and political propagandists in the war against public education.

Q: You've presented U.S. Department of Labor future labor data that runs contrary to business-hype demanding "higher education skills." Why do prominent U.S. business and political leaders and the media continue to ignore these DOL predictions?

Since the 1970s the so-called experts of the political, educational and business interests have been claiming that the majority of jobs of the future would require higher academic skills and that there was a serious shortage of so-called "skilled workers" which undermined the economic growth of the United States and every state of the union. Without any credible evidence, the blame for the social and economic problems of the United States and poverty of our urban areas was blamed on "failing schools." The evidence of failing schools is based on meaningless standardized tests that are harming poor children for no rational reason. An academically challenged popular media, gleefully perpetuates the nonsense and hype about failing schools and support for so-called school reforms that are never unambiguously defined.

Reality is 1. For the majority of the jobs in the world and the U.S., other than reading, writing, arithmetic, and developing a work ethic, there is not a direct relationship between education and jobs. 2. Education for education sake is good and is helpful in getting a job and doing it well.

However there is a surplus of well-educated people for jobs that require higher levels of education and training. 3. A majority of jobs in the United States workforce require only short-term or moderate length on the job training or experience. About 21% of jobs might require a bachelor's degree or more. About 31% of workers in 2002, had a Bachelor's degree or more. 5. About 5% of jobs in the United States in the 2000s might require higher math and or science course work.

Business and political leaders and the media continue to ignore actual data from the U.S. Dept. of Labor and all DOL projections. In their own self interest bogus claims about the high skills required of all workers in a so-called information based economy are created and provided to a media that publishes them without serious challenge.

Q: Chapter 6, "Education Reform in the United States," pokes holes in this "reform movement," including the big buzz of technology. Can you give us a few examples from this chapter?

What is the rationale for the following anywhere in the U.S.?

1. High stakes testing for promotion in elementary grades, a high school graduation test and elimination of social promotion.

2. Increasing graduation credit and course requirements for all that include higher math and science levels and requiring students to pass a test in algebra?

Is the rationale that all students must be prepared for the high skill jobs of the future that are said to require higher mathematics and science skills? If it is, then it is a big con. If preparation for jobs is not the rationale for high standards, high stakes testing and the elimination of social promotion, then what are the reasons?

After observing the devastation of children utilizing high stakes testing and now the implementation of policies nation wide to eliminate social promotion that "will" do serious harm to children I have changed my view. Rather than just destroying public education for all to save on taxes for those of means who send their children to "better" schools, public school critics are now going to destroy many children with high stakes testing and eliminating social promotion to achieve their goals. In war, a town may be destroyed to save the people. What is the rationale for harming children, the so-called high skill "jobs of the future"?

Technology and computer related equipment make jobs easier, not more difficult. Technology increases the productivity of workers and decreases the number of workers required for a given amount of production.

By 8 th grade, students in elementary schools in the 21 st Century, including my grandchildren, are often more proficient using computers and technology than most adults, including educational and political leaders I have known for the last 40 years in Wisconsin. There is substantial evidence in Wisconsin and throughout the United States that computer skills training in K-12 schools has been successfully implemented.

 Q: The book is listed for the "Education/College" readership. What is the readership audience that you hope to achieve with the Big Con in Education book?

The entire populace is the desired readership population for this book. The jobs and education data provided in this book are unique. Current and employment projections about number of workers by job title, training/education and experience required and average salaries are important for "all" educators and students at "all" levels of education. Including K-12, postsecondary vocational, Associate Degree, Bachelor's and postgraduate or professional degree education programs. It is imperative that our political leaders establishing educational policy be knowledgeable about actual workforce jobs and education data. The education reforms proposed by our business and university leaders must be based on actual hard employment data and not on misleading anecdotal stories and spurious claims about the jobs of the future.

Thanks for the interview - and good luck with your new book!

About the Author: Dennis W. Redovich is Center Director, Center for the Study of Jobs & Education and U.S. www.jobseducationwis.org Retired Assistant to the President/Research (1991), Milwaukee Area Technical College. Teacher: chemistry/math at three Wisconsin high schools and chemistry at MATC; and UW-Milwaukee Degrees: B.S., M.S., M.A.T. and Ed.D.