(Recently published on the Newton Parent's List serve)
Common sense is not so common.
-Voltaire
Many years ago when hiring for entry-level public relations roles I found the "best employees" to be those college graduates that had a liberal arts background and interestingly not a communications or PR degree. The main reason: those with a liberal arts degree were critical thinkers that were capable of writing a complete sentence, didn't mind stuffing envelopes, and were pleasant and interesting people to work with. Many of our employees had English, history, political science and economic degrees. The only employee with a "communications degree" had studied for a semester in Spain and was fluent in Spanish. When talking with college administrators about this phenomena, I heard on more than several occasions, "it's the parents that are paying the bills and they want a degree in something. What kind of job can an Art History major get?" That was 20 years ago.
My 8th grade educated grandfather read the daily newspaper, was a teamster, and when I was a junior at Newton North High School experiencing the pressure of "what will I do next," he gently suggested that I pursue what I love because I'll change my path several times during my lifetime anyway, and "I might as well enjoy what I'm doing."
My definition of 21st Century skills: realizing that 70% of Sports Center on ESPN is opinion, 5% is fact and 25% is entertainment and you can defend your opinion (verbally or written) by presenting the facts without offending or embarrassing the other person. (Insert any topic of course...it doesn't have to be sports.)
I would like to encourage everyone to subscribe to the school committee newsletter at www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/
Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
-T shirt on a Newton Centre teenager
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