The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money.

You have been keeping in touch with Ms. Lee, one of your favorite teachers from high school. Lately your emails have revolved around the value of higher education. As a teacher of AP Government and Politics, Ms. Lee has always believed that a healthy democracy needs highly educated citizens. “Democracy only works,” Ms. Lee has often pointed out in class, “when the people who vote are smart and well-informed.” Though Ms. Lee is a big believer in college, she’s incredibly open-minded and always seeks out alternative viewpoints. She just finished a book by the economist, Bryan Caplan, The Case Against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money. She was particularly intrigued by Caplan’s argument for the “signaling model,” and wanted to discuss the concept with her students. So she assigned the following LA Times op-ed: Caplan, Los Angeles Times, “What students know that experts don’t: School is all about signaling, not skill-building” When parents learned that Ms. Lee assigned this article, they were outraged. Last week, several parents confronted her after school, calling her “reckless and incompetent.” These parents said they were considering making a formal complaint with the principal. Task As a former star student of the school, you have been invited by the local Parent-Teacher’s Association (PTA) to share your thoughts on Ms. Lee’s actions, and to hopefully shed some light on your former teacher’s motivations. These parents are incredibly upset and by the end of this speech, you hope they won’t make any rash decisions (like calling for Ms. Lee to get fired). Make your speech about 550 words.