In 2009, Pam Biser was the principal of Cherokee High School. In 1975, it was a male. The role of women in 1975 was not one of leadership. Very few, if any women were anything other than a teacher in the school system. One fall out for the educational system on 1975 is that women were not considered leaders other than in the class room. Today, there are women leaders in almost every profession. “…since 1978, women have outnumbered men among first-time freshmen. More over, a growing proportion of these women aspire to and enter high-level careers that demand a rage of cognitive and interpersonal skills.” This mean that in 1975, most of the graduating young women did not attend college, and of those that did, they were unable to obtain must more than a master’s degree in the field of study. However, universities in 1978 saw a major increase in women because women began to feel they were worth focusing on a degree. This is when college became available for women looking for more than just a high school diploma. The trend before 1975 was that college and universities were meant for upper-class white men, however, in 1960 congress passed Civil Rights Act stating that there could no longer be discrimination against a particular sex. Because of this law, women were enabled to go without fear into college, with the knowledge that women would be able to earn the same income as a man. With this, the number of women in college began to grow exponentially. However, this was not without growing pains. Many professionals were hesitant to hire women because they were conceived to be less competent, and men were favored because they were better leaders, less emotional, and decision making skills that women did not have. However, according to the Civil Rights Act of 1960, not hiring women was illegal. Many women faced sexism in the work place by their fellow male coworkers and some quit and returned to the home front, but of those women that did not fall into the old ways of society, are the product of the new generation, and my generation is following in their steps. Today, more young women are attending college. Out of the current enrollment at Georgia Highlands College, roughly two thirds of all the scholarship recipients were women. Astin, Helen S. “Gender Roles in Transition” The Journal of Higher Education 54, no. 3 1983 p. 309-324 Brock, Thomas. “Young Adults and Higher Education: Barriers and Breakthroughs to Success” Future of Children, 20, 1, pp. 109-132 Burns, Gwen, and Barbra N. Martin. “Examination of the Effectiveness of Male and Female Educational Leaders Who Made Use of the Invitational Leadership Style of Leadership.” Journal of Invitational Theory & Practice 16, pp. 29-55

There is a steady drum beat we hear in every single election. We hear this drum beat whenever the discussion turns to the fate of the Republic and Western civilization- Our Education System Is Broken, Bankrupt and Beaten. Of course everyone seems to know the cause of this problem and the one common thread from all the cackling hens is the problem is caused by the other guy. Teachers blame the administrators who rat out the politicians who are certain the blame can be set neatly at the doorstep of the unions who will tell you- with all their academic authority- the parents are the ones who own it. And the beat goes on. I figure all the parties have a role in this mess and it makes my head hurt to try and sort it all out. So I will stick with what I know, or think I know. The situation is critical and it stands to get worse. The situation also presents an opportunity. Our little corner of the Republic has received a great deal of attention lately. The demise of our industry and our city has been kicked around endlessly and shamelessly by pundits, politicians and the man on the street. The accelerant that brought Detroit down was (is) the demise of the school system. More than race, the poor shape of the City’s school has hastened the exodus of the middle class. That much is obvious. Fixing the problem goes far beyond money. As we witness the end of non- skilled work paying middle class wages, the need for education has become greater and the problem more complex. We now must face the need to educate an entire generation of adults. The value of an education is simple and complex. On one hand it can clearly be demonstrated that an education directly impacts an individual’s earning power. The dilemma is no one has proven that a college degree means an employee is more productive. That is the trap. The folks being cut loose from factory jobs know this and it cuts into their drive to seek further education. They need to waken to the new world of work which says you must bring a skill that someone is willing to pay for and understand that is a moving target. We all must become life- long, continuous learners. A diploma, Bachelors, Masters or Doctorate will no longer be the end, rather just a marker along the highway. Detroit and Michigan in our desperate shape have the opportunity to lead this revolution. Our survival may depend on it.