The Real Heroes of Higher Education

It seems like the pressure to succeed within middle class communities grows greater every year. "Success" is determined by an unforgiving metric system which values where you went to college, grad school, etc. -- and perhaps even more importantly, the educational pedigree of your children. 

We are all familiar with the kids who are maxed out with lessons, clubs,  and SAT prep courses. Thousands of childhoods scheduled away so some parent can say their kid went to one of the ivies. 

It is certainly true that preoccupation with the "best schools" is distinct privilege (or burden) of wealth. Indeed, millions of Americans would be thrilled to be able to afford any institution of higher education for their children. However, because I believe the middle class plays a terribly important role in shaping the values of this country, I would like to argue that those of us in this privileged position should start reconsidering what constitutes a "great" school.


Often shunned in academia, I believe community colleges are the real heroes of higher education. This belief stems from the historic goals of public education and the American dream itself: real occasion for each person to develop their potential. There are simply NO other institutions of higher education -- private or public -- serving this mission like community colleges. In my opinion, community colleges are the last truly democratic frontier of opportunity in our country.
 
Why? These factors simply can't be overemphasized: low costs, open admissions, transportation systems, and on-site childcare.* Each of these programs could occupy its own post and more, so I'll be brief. Low costs mean Americans outside the middle class have access to higher education. Open admissions mean that no matter how poor your prior education might be, it won't hold you back and indeed, you will have opportunities to finally fill in the gaps. Transportation systems get you there, no matter what your personal circumstances are. Childcare systems keep you there if you can't afford sitters. 

Yet, when we talk in proud and wistful voices about higher education, we talk about Harvard and Yale instead of Penn Valley or Johnson County Community College. Why? I can certainly appreciate the terrific intellectual products that come from elite centers while acknowledging that they don't move the ball forward for the majority of Americans. Each year, community colleges graduate thousands of people, opening thousands of opportunities for upward mobility in truly radical ways. The truth is, other institutions of higher education serve mostly privileged kids** and simply don't contribute to the common good with similar magnitude. Indeed, studies prove over and over that community colleges help families quickly close gaps of generational poverty. How fantastic. How American. 

Let me be clear: I don't propose all institutions of higher education model themselves on community colleges.*** Indeed, I greatly appreciate the diversity of American higher education. My point is only that -- as a country -- we should respect and admire the work coming out of Missouri State-West Plains before we respect and admire the work coming out of Columbia or Stanford.  

I, by the way, have primarily been educated at the type of universities I am critiquing here. However, I did have the opportunity to study for a summer at a community college where I was student to two of the finest professors of my academic career: Dr. Ed McKinney and Dr. Craig Albin.

http://chronicle.com/article/Community-Colleges-Help/64531/?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en

http://chronicle.com/article/Community-Colleges-Build/64387/?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en

http://chronicle.com/article/Head-Count-The-Course/64139/?sid=cc&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en

  

* Obviously, not every single community college offers each of these services. 
**  "Privileged" means middle class or upper class kids. 
*** I do, however, wish there were more and more well-funded community colleges.