My partner and I talked about employment last night...

[w8liftinglady]

and he came up with a really interesting idea...
In exchange for yearly tuition to college or trade school(because the nation needs everything!),the student would devote 2 years to the country kind of like the conservation corp or The New deal type programs.This would include a living wage and health benefits.at the end of this tour of duty,the individual could choose to leave and go into private industry,or remain and serve the nation by teaching/creating/etc.
This could be subsidized by sharply decreasing our overseas presence and reintegrating the vets and other unemployed in these areas.

he also stated that vacant housing could be subsidized by the government and used by those in these programs to live in.that would benefit places like detroit and others who need large infrastructure rebuilding projects.

What do you think?Would it work?

[littlewolf]

1. hmm 2 years total ... or

2 years per year of tuition???
so 4 years college = 8 years svc???

[w8liftinglady]

2. What would be fair,to you? seriously...

I haven't really decided myself.
the 2 year program would allow people to get experience.
8 years would probably be unrealistic.

[littlewolf]

6. 8 years would push more people into a trade school

which is 18 months - 24 months ....

also you can get 4 years of college quicker ... you just don't fart around
enjoying the "college experience"

I am not sure ...
it would depend on how bad someone wanted to
get 4 years of school ...
there are lots of state and federal money
(or at least there was .. havnt looked in a while)
and there is always the military
and they have revamped the GI bill
so that it actually pays....

[bobbolink]

3. Required National Service..... in other words, reinstate the draft, and those who don't honestly

believe in serving in the military would have the option of filing for CO status, and having a program like this.

Give poor kids a REAL alternative to volunteering for the military!

[mopinko]

4. americorp

has a $4500 tuition credit for one year of service. you get a small stipend, and a public transit pass.
my son did this, tutoring in a university of chicago charter school. funny that it was the charter schools that wanted these kids and not the common schools, but that is a different thread.

[Hannah Bell]

5. It wasn't "funny" at all. It was cheap, government-paid labor for charter schools.

Real schools hire aides, & train them.

[mopinko]

12. real schools don't have enough aides, but

teachers unions keep volunteers out. even volunteer parents.

[jeff47]

7. Perhaps you could explain how it would help?

What, exactly, are you trying to solve? High unemployment? Then why do the school part? Just pay 'em like the WPA.

[w8liftinglady]

8. exactly.It would help unemployment,education and infrastructure

[jeff47]

9. Actually, it wouldn't

Which is why I was asking what you were aiming for.

It would help unemployment, in that previously-unemployed would have a job. If said job happens to be building infrastructure, then it would help infrastructure.

It would devastate education.

First, there is not currently a shortage of students who want to go to school. Making school suddenly more available without creating new schools drives the price up. And higher education costs are already absurd.

Second, you suggestion creates a massive number of low-paid teachers. "low-paid" even in relation to teachers. They'll massively drive the wages for teachers down, which will result in driving away people who actually want to teach. You'll be left with a workforce that only gives a damn about paying off their debt and getting on to a decent paying job. Those 'teachers' will not be very effective.

[w8liftinglady]

11. what would be a beneficial plan?

I am interested in stimulating people to obtain an education and get more folks back to work.how can we accomplish that?
I don't know about the rest of the nation,but in texas many teachers who want to work can't...their positions have been eliminated due to cutbacks.
My partner , being an educator and union member,felt this might be beneficial for both the student and the teacher.How can we encourage states to re-employ teachers with seniority?
In Texas,there is a large student population who would benefit from this type of program.The state would benefit.The only things that might not benefit are industries who currently are profitting from overseas aggression.This might enable them to focus on stateside creation of jobs.

There has to be some kind of solution.We were simply discussing.what kinds of suggestions can you think of?I'm all ears!

[K8-EEE]

10. Isn't that how they do it in Israel?

Also in Spain I think, (from my relatives) that if you want to go to a public U you are expected to do govmt or army service? Or you can go to a super expensivo private college and not do anything.