U.S. Department of Technology Education Plan - Urgent Status

The US Department of Education Draft Technology Plan came about under the Obama administration. This plan has given urgent priority to two education goals. This first goal states, “By 2020, we will raise the proportion of college graduates from where it now stands (41 percent) so that 60 percent of our population holds a two-year or four-year degree.” The second urgent goal states, “We will close the achievement gap so that all students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and careers” (Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education, pg.5). This plan presents five goals that address the key components of this urgent priority such as, learning, assessing, teaching, infrastructure, and productivity. Along with these goals, the plan has giving recommendations within each of these five goals that address our states, districts, the federal government, and other stakeholders involved in our students education process. The feedback provide from these goals are beneficial for teachers and administration who are hoping to prepare their students for higher level or postsecondary education training.

However, I believe that these goals will be very difficult to attain. With the state of our current school districts and state’s financial debt, how can we possibly continue to educate these students’ and expect at 19 percent increase of success without financial support from our national and state government? Secondly, it is hard to understand why we are raising this number of college graduates to such a high level when some students are not mentally or financial equip to attend a two or four year university. The price of college is on a continued rise. Many of our students first priority is how to survive in this economically challenged society. Unless the government is willing to financial support these students college degrees with more than “just basic support”, many of our young people will not be able to financial support themselves to attend this higher level of education.