Over the years, I have been writing about misconceptions regarding the schooling process. The purpose of these posts is to explain why I disagree with various comments that I have heard people make about schooling. These are meant as personal thoughts rather than conclusive proof, and I will admit that I'm not always the best at explaining my thoughts. Regardless, I have decided that I should be willing to share these posts when I encounter someone online who makes an argument that I have already discussed.
I have read about how much more money college graduates earn. Some estimates say that college graduates will earn a million dollars more than those without college degrees. If this is true, shouldn't teachers who lead to higher salaries deserve a cut? In short, no.
In a credentialist society, we care more about the acquisition of pieces of paper than we do about what people have to offer. This means that employers are looking for that piece of paper when hiring for their most important jobs. This doesn't mean these jobs wouldn't exist without colleges. This merely means that the role of colleges reflects who gets these jobs.
Yes, college graduates typically make more money than those who don't acquire the piece of paper. Credentialism ensures that there are rewards for finishing college. Similarly, we are also effectively punishing those who don't acquire degrees. A big part of credentialism involves slamming doors shut. We can't fully understand the implications of college on wealth generation unless we factor in the loss of opportunities and wages caused by credentialism.
I have yet to see any evidence that colleges are legitimately driving wealth generation. Instead, I'm seeing evidence that colleges will influence who has the opportunity. If they want wealth generation factored into their salaries, they need to establish that more wealth is generated with them than we would see without them.
This isn't just an issue with colleges. High school graduates tend to earn more than high school dropouts. Again, this does more to reflect who has opportunities rather than how much can be generated.
As much as people don't like to acknowledge it, a big part of credentialism involves depriving individuals of opportunity. If we increase wealth among college graduates while decreasing wealth among those with less, we can pad pro-schooling stats. If you understand what the stats really mean, you have to see both sides. Increasing the wealth of some while decreasing the wealth of others is insufficient to prove that teachers deserve any more money than they are already receiving.
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