Teaching Economics
Stuart Nachbar
October 23, 2008
I can´t help following the news of the federal government financial bailout along with the presidential election coverage; they have converged so much in the press. But I´m used to reading the business and political news as a force of habit, because of my education and my work. Because I write about education, and often write about it as a business, I was curious about the idea of teaching economics in schools, prior to college.
I took a one semester class in the subject during my senior year in high school. It was a very good class taught by a social studies teacher who had majored in economics in college. He kept the material uncontroversial: noted economists, basic micro and macro (that you´d get in the first two-three weeks in a college class) and money and banking. And he went light on the math and the graphs. I had considered majoring in economics in college—even took intro micro and macro freshman year—but chose political science when I saw the math, statistics and graphs that I´d have to look forward to in the advanced courses—and I hated math with a passion in college. I didn´t take another economics class for thirteen years, when I revisited the material in business school.
Not only has the bailout made me consider the need for economics instruction at an earlier age, I was also asked to write a review of a book parents could use to teach their children about money. I looked forward to the assignment, until I saw the book. It was well written, but it was a thick as a computer software manual. If I had children, I could have used it, because I have some business education, but I felt the book was a bit daunting for most parents. A teacher who has sufficient exposure to economics could do a better job.
In my home state of New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine has proposed to the state board of education that economics be a core subject in the high school curriculum. On the surface this sounds like a good idea, but high schools have been asked to add other core subjects, and meet toughening standards in language arts, sciences and math. I am all for economics education, but have it start earlier in social studies with units in commerce, money (as a means of exchange) and personal finance. Parents would appreciate the help.
Economic history could be incorporated into American history as well as world civilization classes. I loved high school American history, but I felt it put too much emphasis on the presidency and military battles. The United States, like other nations, has gone to war over economic considerations, for example secession, slavery, taxation and trade. These concepts need to be better weaved into social studies courses; they´re more important to remember than the dates and outcomes of military skirmishes.
Ideally, a school system that is mandated to teach economics would have teachers who are also certified to teach it. But that´s a tall order, even in troubled times when economics majors might have a more difficult time finding jobs. Economics is like the sciences or mathematics; there are more lucrative opportunities for the major in the private sector in a stronger economy. If a state is serious about making economics a core subject it is more productive to teach teachers about economics and share best practices than to teach economics majors to become teachers.
Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com, a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicles, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.SexEdChronicles.com.
I took a one semester class in the subject during my senior year in high school. It was a very good class taught by a social studies teacher who had majored in economics in college. He kept the material uncontroversial: noted economists, basic micro and macro (that you´d get in the first two-three weeks in a college class) and money and banking. And he went light on the math and the graphs. I had considered majoring in economics in college—even took intro micro and macro freshman year—but chose political science when I saw the math, statistics and graphs that I´d have to look forward to in the advanced courses—and I hated math with a passion in college. I didn´t take another economics class for thirteen years, when I revisited the material in business school.
Not only has the bailout made me consider the need for economics instruction at an earlier age, I was also asked to write a review of a book parents could use to teach their children about money. I looked forward to the assignment, until I saw the book. It was well written, but it was a thick as a computer software manual. If I had children, I could have used it, because I have some business education, but I felt the book was a bit daunting for most parents. A teacher who has sufficient exposure to economics could do a better job.
In my home state of New Jersey, Governor Jon Corzine has proposed to the state board of education that economics be a core subject in the high school curriculum. On the surface this sounds like a good idea, but high schools have been asked to add other core subjects, and meet toughening standards in language arts, sciences and math. I am all for economics education, but have it start earlier in social studies with units in commerce, money (as a means of exchange) and personal finance. Parents would appreciate the help.
Economic history could be incorporated into American history as well as world civilization classes. I loved high school American history, but I felt it put too much emphasis on the presidency and military battles. The United States, like other nations, has gone to war over economic considerations, for example secession, slavery, taxation and trade. These concepts need to be better weaved into social studies courses; they´re more important to remember than the dates and outcomes of military skirmishes.
Ideally, a school system that is mandated to teach economics would have teachers who are also certified to teach it. But that´s a tall order, even in troubled times when economics majors might have a more difficult time finding jobs. Economics is like the sciences or mathematics; there are more lucrative opportunities for the major in the private sector in a stronger economy. If a state is serious about making economics a core subject it is more productive to teach teachers about economics and share best practices than to teach economics majors to become teachers.
Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com, a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicles, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.SexEdChronicles.com.
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