Greetings!
Holidays can be magical. The time off from work offers a chance to relax and recharge. But for most of us, the busyness leading up to the year-end festivities is often not so magical, with rarely enough time to get everything done. In fact, we are all continually challenged with how to best use our most valuable resource—our time, non-renewable and forever gone once it’s spent.
Administrators, teachers, and curriculum directors all grapple with scarce classroom time when choosing what should and can be taught. That specific conversation is happening now in our economics and personal finance circles throughout the country—can teachers find the time to teach both economics and personal finance. We strongly advocate for finding a way to do both. A strong case to do so was recently made by our economic education friends at the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis. In their Open Vault Blog, the authors note that school administrators often see economics and personal finance as substitutes when, instead, they should be viewed as complements. We at the CEEE are committed to finding ways that allow educators to deliver both. We do this by listening to teachers, inviting their feedback, revising our resources, and offering training. We accomplish this by also preparing other master teachers to do the same. In fact, if you're interested in influencing related education beyond your own classroom, we urge you to explore our Master of Arts in Economics and Entrepreneurship for Educators (MAEEE) degree. Applications for this two-year summer program, which begins study in June, are being accepted through February 1st. Check it out.
Economics is all around us. Economic education should be too. Life is about choices, and the choices we make today have consequences for the future. We are truly thankful that you’ve chosen to be our partner in this important work. Without you, meaningful economic and personal finance education could not take place, and our futures wouldn't be as bright.
With best wishes for a magical holiday season and a bright and promising new year,
