Part of the series, Assault on Florida.
I confess — I was an English major in college. Fortunately, I somehow parlayed that into a successful career as a journalist and PR guy or else Florida Gov. Rick Scott probably would have consigned me to one of his privatized re-education facilities to teach me a useful trade like welding or astrophysics.
OK, it hasn’t quite gotten to that point, but if Scott has his way, science, technology, engineering and math curriculums will receive more state education dollars and liberal arts courses will receive fewer. I think it’s the “liberal” part of “liberal arts” that sticks in the gov’s craw. Said Scott:
If I’m going to take money from a citizen to put into education then I’m going to take that money to create jobs. So I want that money to go to degrees where people can get jobs in this state.
A quick glance through the Miami Herald’s classified ads does reveal some positions available for computer techs, but nothing specific for scientists, engineers or theoretical mathematicians. Granted, an English degree qualifies one to discuss the French deconstructionist movement while flipping burgers at Micky D’s, but liberal arts also includes journalism and communications majors.
Given Scott’s attitude toward the media, that’s probably what’s behind this — he wants more pollsters and fewer pesky reporters asking questions. Why bother to graduate well-rounded, educated individuals when you can crank out tradesmen for Florida’s manufacturing sect … eh … er. But it really doesn’t matter because those high-school students packed 50 to a class where there are only 40 desks are not going to qualify for college anyway, Mr. Scott.
Of course, most jobs in science, technology, engineering and math require advanced degrees, so students seeking careers in those areas will graduate with a master’s or doctorate and a gi-normous pile of college loan debt.
What the governor really needs is someone with the educational background and technical expertise to figure out how his emails and phone records keep getting accidently on purpose deleted ….
