thoughts on the eve of a new school year

This summer I had the weird sensation of watching debates about University budget cuts and furlough plans from the other side of a looking-glass. In Petersburg, conversations about my state (California) and its economy (bankrupt) with Russian colleagues left me with a mixture of sheepishness and foreboding. Who am I to complain about an 8% salary cut when I still travel, have benefits, food and clothing without taking a second or third job? On the other hand, the measly resources allocated to a once thriving Russian academy might serve as a cautionary tale. The collapse of the Soviet Union two decades ago held enormous potential for new forms of intellectual engagement. But education has been lost in the shuffle of a tumultuous market. Academics have seen travel and research budgets disappear. A Petersburg mathematician remarked to me, “Neighbors used to respect teachers and scholars. They were curious about what we did, what books we had. Now that they make ten times our salary they pity us and we envy them.” While no self-respecting academic would expect the deference of their neighbors, the fact that educators are now viewed not only as idiosyncratic, but even as foolish, reflects a changing cultural priority. Many Russian professors conduct their research at home, traveling to campus only to give lectures because public universities cannot afford office space or staff. Their most famous colleagues have gone overseas and their brightest students are tempted away by far more profitable, far less thoughtful or intellectual, careers. A growing number of college students did not score in the top percentile of the applicant pool but were accepted based on their ability to pay higher tuition.

Education is not a luxury. It is our right to live in a literate state among citizens who adapt easily to new technology and are inspired to enter medical and research fields. It is our right to live among people who think critically and creatively. It is our right to be curious about world history, politics and culture. Today each UC student, parent and employee might be prepared to absorb what has been called a “shared sacrifice”, but the entire state will feel the total loss of educational resources. We don't need a sharing of sacrifices but a readjustment of priorities. California must do everything it can to raise its educational standards. It is too easy to grow accustomed to lowering them.