Schooling has correlation with earnings

To the editor:

In response to my recent letter, a Speak Out caller asserted I was wrong to claim that America's public schools have contributed to our country's high standard of living. The caller claimed that "the correlation between achievement in school and standard of living is virtually nonexistent." I heartily disagree with the caller's conclusion, and the facts do not substantiate such a supposition, as a recent article showed.

The article, "Census finds more schooling means higher lifetime earnings," documented that people with higher levels of education earn more. The article noted that a person with less than a high school diploma will earn about $1 million over his or her working lifetime, but a person with a high school diploma will earn $1.2 million, and a college graduate stands to earn over $2 million.

It seems apparent that there is a direct correlation between achievement in school and one's standard of living. The fact that the United States has the highest number of college and high school graduates does contribute to our nation's high standard of living.

RAYMOND J. PEATS

Jackson, Mo.