The Hero's of 2009

The Hero's of 2009

The curtains are closing on a rather auspicious year as 2009 shrugged off early January warnings of global collapse and disaster. We now gratefully welcome the New Year that abounds with new opportunities, accompanied with a healthy dose of relief. Having dodged the bullet, but for how long it is unclear.

Year end TV brings year end reviews of world events. This, being the end of a decade, brings ten years of accomplishments and follies. Maybe it’s our infatuation with drama and the extreme, but the shows are filled with scandals, corruption, cheating and abuse.

If it were not for pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landing his plane safely on the Hudson, some shows would have found nothing to offset their crisis ridden commentary.

Was it the case in the year 2009 that the world was run amuck with villians and far too few prime time heros?

Maybe. But if the hero’s have not emerged as television individuals, they are growing as communities, families, non-profits, and citizens of our nation stand up and take ownership in our country.

With a force as powerful as freedom, this massive wave of grass roots heros could tip the scales toward long term prosperity. Perhaps sparing us from the havoc many yet warn is inevidible.

But it will take an effort no less impressive than the will of the people to get us back on track.

And if individual responsibility is born out of the disgust of what 2009 and preceding years had to offer, then we can look back on this year as a catalyst and a great one indeed.

Working together, we can carry the momentum into 2010 and bring financial literacy to schools throughout the state!

Have the Happiest of New Years!

James Studinger

An Obvious Answer to Our Economic Crisis

In the midst of the country's economic meltdown, I cannot think of a better subject to teach children and youth than personal finance education! It amazes me how the MI Jumpstart Coalition has to beg the MI Department of Education and the Legislators to make this a mandatory class for every student. How could this possibly be in question when during the winter of 2009, the average score of Michigan high school seniors on the National Jumpstart Student Survey (http://www.jumpstart.org/) was only 54%? Isn't it yet understood that the recent financial crisis was caused largely by lack of financial education? Therefore isn't it obvious that the cure is in us providing financial education?



I was not offered a single course in personal finance during my K-12 public education, or throughout the pursuit of my master's degree at my public institution here in MI. I thank God that my parents taught me the value of money and how to save. What about the majority that do not get that privilege? Today's crisis is evidence of the problems created! Our society is living the ramifications of this void, while leaders are still debating if they can fit this course into a students education.



If budget constraints might be a concern in making this decision, the MI Jumpstart Coalition (http://www.mijumpstartcoalition.org/) would like to inform school officials that the National Jumpstart Coalition has a Clearinghouse with tons of free and low cost curriculum and resources that will meet state standards. Let's give personal finance a try and watch the next generation succeed, rather than have the negative debt ratio like has occurred in today's U.S. population.



When we put our teenager behind the wheel of a car, we make sure that they complete a training course. How about we steer our children straight by requiring they all know how to operate their personal finances, prior to learning from society to spend more than they earn.



Lois Gibbons is the Chair for the Michigan JumpStart Coalition and Consultant/Educator with the Harmony Financial Network - http://www.harmonyfinancialnetwork.net/

Blog - Financial Literacy Legislative Update October 2009

I spent sixteen years of my life in school learning, eventually molding my brain to be sufficiently competent to earn an honest living. The goal was to get out from under the comfort of mom and dad’s roof and start a life of my own. Would you believe that in all those 20,000 plus hours of classroom study, not to mention after school homework, only a handful of those hours dealt with how to be successful with my income?

The sales guy at Discover Card spent more time with me than that. Just an impressionable freshman in college, you can imagine the financial impact that had.

Does anyone else find that odd? That we allocate such a small amount of education to teaching our children how to thrive with money? Is it any wonder we find ourselves in such a state of financial despair?

In a town hall meeting with Representative Geiss (HB 4511) and Representative Sheltrown (HB 4410), I learned of their ongoing efforts to modify current high school graduation requirements. Sheltrown’s suggested overhaul would move financial literacy from “elective” status to the superior echelon of “requirement”. In doing so, financial literacy would finally become a standard class offered in most of the schools throughout the State.

JumpStart, diligent at bringing financial education to kids in Michigan, immersed in the legislative bills, met with government, legislators and their aides, and testified during a House Education Committee meeting.

We are seeing schools and students struggling under the MMC requirements. It appears many schools are limiting resources to the core graduation requirements over electives. One such tragedy is at Brighton Schools. Glenna Fritz may be teaching her last financial literacy class after years of empowering students as it appears they are shutting down the program.

Last week I went to Lansing to gather more information and visit Senators offices on the Education Committee. While making a case for financial literacy, I was told that they were hearing from many constituents on the subject. Every call, every letter, and every email you send to legislators and those making decisions on this help a great deal.

In despair, knowledge is the key to recovery. Our state has some of the highest unemployment, budget imbalances, and foreclosures all while the auto industry is cutting the umbilical cord of security. We need to remove the unknowns of managing life and money, and educate our students so that they can succeed in this economic reality they are graduating into.

I have not found anyone yet who disagrees. Let’s all keep working together to help make the vital subject of money become mainstream classroom study, improving lives for generations to come.

I welcome your comments and ideas on this post. Or, feel free to email me at James@jpstudinger.com.

James Studinger
Author of Wealth Is a Choice
Vice Chair of the Michigan JumpStart Coalition