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WOW. Who's elitist now? A little 
on community college.
on community college.
I grew up in a small in city in FL. The local community college was an economic engine of our community, employing hundreds of people in academic, administrative, and staff positions. Almost everyone I knew had a relative who worked there.
But it wasn't just a fulcrum of our economy. For many, it was the most attainable prospect for higher education. In my HS class, only 2 of us left the state for college. Another handful matriculated at four-year schools in FL. Many more went to the local community college.
For many, the hope was that they would earn an AA and then transfer to UF, UCF, or FSU. From what I see on FB, they were successful. Others strategically sought an AA in fields that would make them "work-ready" in a few years' time. At our 10-year reunion, they were established
in their chosen professions, with families and newly-purchased homes. For many, the AA was a rocket to a middle class life and security. A few didn't complete their AAs--some recognized that "college wasn't for [them]" and were glad they hadn't invested thousands to discover this
A number of my HS classmates now work at our local community college, as professors, administrators, and staff members. My time as a law professor has only confirmed for me the importance of community colleges. @BerkeleyLaw, a number of my students had transferred to a four-year
college after two years of community college. Many of them were first generation college students (like many of my HS classmates). Many were financing their educations independently. Community college made sense--and CA's robust network of community colleges were a well-worn
conduit to four-year schools like @UCBerkeley, @UCLA, @ucdavis, and @Stanford. And my students were terrific. Well-prepared, insightful, and unbelievably driven to succeed. They spoke glowingly of their community college professors who were incredibly dedicated to undergrad
teaching and devoted countless hours to student advising. Having assumed significant debt to get a JD, they counted themselves lucky to have had the opportunity for a more affordable undergraduate experience. I was lucky to have them as students--they were fantastic.
This is all to say that this article disparaging @DrBiden (and community college more generally) is way off the mark--especially for those who profess to value economic growth, financial responsibility, and individual initiative. Community colleges fuel local economies and
provide quality, affordable educational options for many. They are a crucial springboard to the middle class and the professions. And disparaging them is, frankly, gross and elitist.
/fin.
/fin.
One more thing. Cover bands are awesome, too.
