Calvert County's school district, like over 2,000 districts across the country, took a pledge recently to support the Future Ready initiative that attempts to level the digital playing field for students while enhancing the payoff of technology-based learning. Half of Maryland's school districts have taken the same pledge and almost all are sure to follow suit, since parents and corporations are quite concerned about youths' ability to deal with the work challenges of the future.
In Calvert County this year, there was a lot of anguish over the 2016 budget squeeze which resulted in possible cuts to many extracurricular programs. Nevertheless, the march of technology is going to require more funds, some of which will have to be paid by the school district. It will probably mean that students will have fewer opportunities or incentives to become athletic and will be more encouraged to become geeks. This is an unrealistic plan since the energy-deficient future these kids will face will actually require of them more physical strength and endurance than their parents had. High school represents the best opportunity for most people to grow into strong adults. Confidence in one's abilities and perseverance gained in those years can carry on through life. The challenges faced by one generation are not going to be the same for their offspring.
