Every week youth around the country hear the same refrain: "You must get a good education."

But why would a kid want a good education?

Y-Press interviewed 10 Indianapolis-area students and three parents during the 2006-07 school year to find out. The pupils represent private schools, home schools, public schools and charter schools. (Throughout the story, interview subjects are identified by the grade they had just completed.)

Lindsey Stern, 15, a freshman at North Central High School, says any kids interested in doing well in their careers need to start by doing well in the classroom. "There are not many jobs that you can do well in without education," she says.

Emily Winters, 16, a sophomore at Park Tudor School, and Kevin Kopecky, 17, a North Central junior, believe education is more important than ever for getting along in today's world.

"Education is not only learning facts," says Emily. "You also learn about different people. And the more you know, the more you're aware of stuff around you."

Kevin and several other kids interviewed note that enthusiastic teachers are one of the most critical factors in helping kids value education.

Unfortunately, some teachers are apathetic and make students dread going to class, these youth note. If the teacher has a bad attitude, is snappy, mean and a poor listener, then students won't be motivated, says Emily.

Nonetheless, students shouldn't use a bad teacher as an excuse not to learn, says Jasmine Richards, 16, at Lawrence Early College High School for Science & Technologies.

"If you really, really want a good education, you can get it no matter what the teacher's attitude is," Jasmine says.

Kevin concurs. "Students need to be more open-minded about their teacher's teaching methods," he says, pointing to personal experience. "I hate art. So, whenever my teacher would assign an artsy project, I would respond by sleeping and ignoring the material entirely. Naturally, my grades were slightly less fantastic than normal and I gained nothing of value from the experience."

Parents also realize the vital role teachers play in helping children value education.

Take, for example, Laura Stern, mother to Lindsey. Stern is involved in her children's parent-teacher organizations at their schools, North Central and Northview Middle School.

"Until I became very actively involved with the school system, I didn't realize how much our teachers have to do," she says. "They're not just teachers. They're mentors. Sometimes they are like the mother or father figure to these kids; they're the ones teaching them their values, their morals."

Alex Harlow, 19, sees many schools as too rigid and focused on test scores, instead of individual student interest and strengths. She dropped out of Broad Ripple High School, because, she says, the school was big and impersonal. She ultimately got her diploma from North Central by finishing up course credits at the Hilltop Learning Center in Washington Township.

Alex doesn't advise others to quit school. Instead, she suggests families look around for schools and schedules that match kids' strengths and personalities best. She'll be a freshman at the Herron School of Art and Design at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis this fall.

Alex and others point out that the classroom isn't the only place where kids learn. The University of Buffalo's undergraduate advising Web site notes that an average high-schooler dedicates 40 hours a week to classwork, including homework.

That leaves ample time for outside learning, especially when time spent sleeping is factored in. According to a 2006 poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 50 percent of the nation's adolescents get less than eight hours of sleep on school nights. According to the American Family Research Council, parents only spend 38.5 minutes a week in meaningful conversation with their kids.

That's the kind of statistic that parents like Emily's mother, Margaret, find alarming. "Parents have to do everything it takes to get their kids to learn and to want to learn," she says.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over an adult's working life, a high-school graduate earns $1.2 million, an associate's degree holder earns about $1.6 million; and bachelor's degree holders earn about $2.1 million.

In 2005, Hoosiers who didn't graduate from high school earned 28 percent less than high school graduates, according to the Census Bureau's 2005 American Community Survey. Those same people earned 55 percent less than college graduates.

High-school dropouts also are more likely to be unemployed. Seven percent of those who didn't graduate from high school are jobless, compared with 5 percent for graduates, according to the same survey.

Making more money shouldn't be the only reason kids want to further their education, says Kevin. "With education, we can further humanity's advancement in life and improve things that wouldn't be improved otherwise," he says.

These parents and youth agree that valuing education means pursuing a college degree. Some say it's because they want to make a good salary; others simply want a better chance at getting an enjoyable, challenging job. Many also like the idea of gaining expertise in a particular subject that interests them.

"I want to go to college because I think that will help me in my life," says Kara McGill, 18, saying she's seen what it's like to not have enough money to pay bills. Having a decent salary often comes with a college degree, and that can make life financially easier, she explains.

Understanding more about a variety of subjects is another big plus of college, she adds. Kara has been home-schooled and is finishing up her high-school degree this summer via a correspondence course. After that, she'll begin looking into higher-education options.

Winters has made it clear to her daughters that learning is critical at the high-school and university levels, but will extend far beyond school doors.

"Education is just vital for everybody's future, but mostly for your own curiosity about life," she says. "If you don't care, what's going to become of you? There's so many things that you can learn. You can find something interesting in everything and take it wherever your interests lie."

Most Americans agree with these Indianapolis youth and parents. In a survey by the National Center for Public Policy and Education, 62 percent of parents believe that their children need a college education and another 35 percent say a college degree is helpful.

Nonetheless, 67 percent of the people surveyed say there are many other ways to succeed in today's workplace without a college education. After all, one of the world's richest men -- Microsoft founder Bill Gates -- dropped out of college.

Kelly Sage, 20, however, isn't swayed by isolated stories of success without formal education. Because of an illness, she had to drop out of Carmel High School, but later completed her GED and now attends Butler University. She says she realized she needed education more than ever once she dropped out.

"Staying in school is the most important thing you can do."

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Rachel Troy, 17.

REPORTERS: Becky Mangan, 12; Laura Mangan, 13; and Joi Officer, 13.

CONTRIBUTOR: Jessika Officer, 14.

Copyright 2007 Y-Press 

      Because education contributes to a student’s success, people interviewed by Y-Press think that the government should play a more active role in supporting education, especially when it comes to funding.      

      “Since governments are funding us with taxpayers’ money, they should use the money wisely to make sure we get the best education we can,"  says Jasmine Richards, 16, a student at Lawrence Early College High school for Science and Technologies.     

        State education funding is set to increase $600 million in the next two years, according to the Indiana Department of Education.     

        Federal education funding for 2008 is still being debated in Washington. Congress passed a budget proposal last month that increases education funding, but the Congressional Republican minority voted against it, saying that the proposal would lead to hefty tax increases, something Democrats deny. Tax cuts for wealthy Americans would be allowed to expire, creating more budget money for education and other programs, Democrats said. The Bush administration has threatened to veto the plan.     

        Those interviewed by Y-Press have different ideas about where taxpayer money would best be spent.    

        “I think it’s important that teachers get paid more and that money goes into their salaries because I think that would just motivate them to be better teachers,” says Emily Winters, a Park Tudor student. (Park Tudor is private and not supported with public funds, but Emily believes all teachers deserve higher salaries, both in public and private schools).    

        According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the annual mean salary for high school teachers (except for special education and vocational) in Indianapolis and Carmel combined is $51,860, as of May 2006. This compares to an annual mean salary of $92,800 for lawyers; $49,830 for electricians; and $32,210 for athletic trainers. The average of all occupations in the area is $38,250.    

       Robby O’Guinn, 15, a sophomore at University High School,(DOB 7-15-90) agrees teachers should make more money. He also believes more spending for advanced textbooks and additional supplies would make classrooms better for learning, too.     

         Kara McGill, who is home schooled, believes that often the government neglects home-school establishments. She supports further government funding for home-schooled kids like hers.