Should schools help children develop their inner beasts?
David Brooks invented an odd but rather endearing way of thinking about the benefits of studying the humanities in his New York Times column today, which he calls getting in touch with one’s inner beast, “The Big Shaggy.” He argues that college students – whether they’re studying accounting or engineering – need exposure to the […]
Should private college counselors adhere to ethics code?
At a time when President Barack Obama is pushing more and more Americans to get college degrees, the students who are already planning on going are trying harder than ever to position themselves for the most selective colleges — and hiring pricey college consultants who may charge more than $40,000 a year to help shape […]
Bill Gates, Jr. & Sr. on U.S. Education System
For as prosperous and sophisticated a nation as America is, why aren’t our public schools better? That’s one of the many questions that father and son, Bill Gates, Sr. and Jr., pondered this week in a chat at the 92nd Street Y in New York City. The first half of the conversation consisted of Bill Gates, […]
Dueling missions for the charter school movement
A few weeks ago, I drove past a new subdivision of large homes at the edge of the Denver exurbs with a big sign advertising the opening of a charter school to serve the community. Although the development was in the flight path of the Denver International Airport, this was not the sort of poor, […]
How about shopping for a college degree at Wal-Mart?
It seems one giant– and much maligned — retailer is taking President Barack Obama’s challenge to make sure more students get college degrees very seriously: That would be Wal-Mart, according to The New York Times . The story says Wal-Mart will work with a Web-based university to offer affordable college degrees to its employees, […]
Race to the Top: Predicting round-two winners
The second-round application deadline for the Race to the Top competition has now passed. Thirty-five states and Washington, D.C. applied. Which ones will win? Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has indicated that 10-15 states are likely to receive grants this time around, up from just two winners — Delaware and Tennessee — in the first round of […]
Assignment memo: Dual-enrollment programs spread
Here’s another story we’re working on. Share your thoughts. Twenty-five years ago, Minnesota’s Post Secondary Options program became the first state-funded effort allowing high-school students to earn credits at a college or university — at no charge to their families. More than 100,000 Minnesotans have saved a bundle of money on tuition over the years, […]
