Policymakers Should Heed Condoleeza Rice’s Warnings

Speaking on "Meet the Press" about the nation's education challenges, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted, "I think it's gonna drive us into class warfare like we've never seen, because education, even in the segregated South, was always the way that you got out."

Dr. Rice's comments are an important addition to the national discussion on income equality that's been happening over the last few weeks. This isn't a matter of simple Thanksgiving guilt, but based on real analyses on the economy and what inequality means for the nation's future. Recently, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) published a report showing that income inequality grew significantly in the last three decades. While the income of the top 1 percent and top 20 percent in the nation grew by 275 percent and 65 percent, respectively, between 1979 and 2007, the income of the nation's lowest income quartile grew by only 18 percent. As the chart above shows, when factoring in inflation, the actual disparity is even greater.

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements--November 30, 2011

Here are today's top education headlines, brought to you by Alliance Policy Intern Bill DeBaun.

Good afternoon and welcome to your Wednesday edition of afternoon announcements! While you're more than halfway to the weekend, you're 100% of the way to arriving at today's education news!

A town hall featuring U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other local and state education leaders agreed that education is the key to fixing the nation's economy, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Secretary Duncan noted, "Jobs are going to go to where the knowledge workers are." Nevada, which faces a poor economy and an education system held in low esteem by many surveys, can improve quickly despite these hurdles, according to the Secretary. For a more national angle on this story, check out the Associated Press's take, via the Las Vegas Sun.

US News and World Report tackles dropout factories, an issue that the Alliance has been raising awareness of for years. The article's discussion notes that while the number of dropout factories nationally has decreased in the last decade, tens of thousands of students are still failing to graduate from these schools. The article identifies a number of areas where many dropout factories struggle, including having "a hamstrung principal," "high suspension rates," "overwhelmed students," and a "lack of technical training." For more information on the dropout crisis, check out some of the Alliance's reports and publications on the topic.

Read Entire Post

Stats That Stick--November 30, 2011

Here are this week's "Stats that Stick," courtesy of Alliance Policy Intern Bill DeBaun:

Number of states that have made midyear cuts to K-12 education: 18. State budgets are improving, but not quickly enough to avoid cuts to education, says Education Week. In the 2010-11 school years, 39 states made overall reductions and 35 made midyear budget cuts. The article reports that "the total size of state general fund budgets in fiscal 2012, $666.6 billion, is still 3 percent below prerecession levels."

Number of counties in the United States that saw significant increases in child poverty since 2007: 653. A recent US Census Bureau report reveals that child poverty is much more prevalent now than pre-recession year 2007, according to the Christian Science Monitor. The 653 counties represent just under 21% of all of the counties in the United States. Across the country, only 8 counties saw a decrease in child poverty between 2007 and the present.

Read Entire Post

Creating A School Culture That Supports And Sustains Digital Learning

The following is a guest blog submitted by Eric Sheninger, principal of New Milford High School in New Jersey, and a member of the Digital Learning Day Educator Working Group, which provides leadership on the Digital Learning Day toolkits and outreach development for teachers and administrators across the country. Read other blog posts from the Digital Learning Day Educator Working Group.

To learn more about Digital Learning Day, which is February 1, 2012, visit the Digital Learning Day website.

With the quarter of the school year in the books, I am extremely pleased with how more staff members are embracing educational technology and effectively integrating a variety of tools into instruction. At New Milford High School we clearly articulate that technology is a powerful tool. Together, with a sound pedagogical foundation, these dynamic 21st Century tools have the ability to assist in transforming learning environments where students are engaged and excited to learn.

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements--November 29, 2011

Good afternoon. Here are today's top education headlines.

Stateline.org reports that states applying for waivers under President Obama's plan to grant flexibility from No Child Left Behind requirements will have to make big changes fast. So far, eleven states have applied for waivers, including Iowa and New Jersey, where tight waiver deadlines have the states "scrambling to make major decisions about the future of education in just a matter of months." The article also focuses on Kentucky, where the spokeswoman Lisa Gross says the state passed legislation passed in advance of its waiver application. "We're very lucky that we had all of the basic infrastructure in place," Gross says. "If you're building this from the ground up, that's going to be a struggle."

The Huffington Post reports on former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's appearance on a special Thanksgiving edition of Face the Nation during which she told CBS's Bob Schieffer that the U.S. public school system is the nation's largest problem. "Because with the failing public schools, I worry that the way that my grandparents got out of poverty," Rice said. "The way that my parents became educated, is just not gonna be there for a whole bunch of kids." The article also reports on attitudes on public education held by Republican presidential candidates Rick Perry, Ron Paul, and Michele Bachmann, all of whom believe in a more limited federal role in the nation's education system.

Read Entire Post

Afternoon Announcements--November 28, 2011

Today's top education headlines come to you courtesy of the Alliance's policy intern, Bill DeBaun:

We have a veritable ton of education news to share with you today. We hope you made your Thanksgiving leftover sandwich extra big today, because it's going to take you a while to sift through all the happenings from the past few days!

The New York Times and The Huffington Post both offer takes on what the Congressional super committee's failure to strike a deal means for education. The long story short is that automatic cuts to a variety of education programs will trigger in 2013 unless Congress intercedes. Cuts to Pell grants, special education funding, and general Title I funding will all be made in the 2012-2013 school year. This will compound budget crunches in states across the nation.

US News and World Report reports on Pathways in Technology Early College High School in New York City, a six-year high school program that sees students graduate with a diploma, associate's degree, and job opportunities. The school is a partnership between IBM, the New York City Department of Education, and the City University of New York. Students who graduate from "P-Tech" will be "'at the front of the line' to be hired for entry-level positions at the company, according to Stanley Litow, IBM Foundation president." Students from any of New York's five boroughs can apply to matriculate to P-Tech.

 

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving! After today, we'll be taking a short break from the announcements for a few days, but the education headlines will return on Monday, November 28. On behalf of everyone here at the Alliance, we are thankful for your support of the Alliance's mission and for reading "High School Soup."

The “Quick and the Ed” blog reflects on important happenings in education over the past few months and offers up thanks.

Education Week reports  that education advocates and local school officials are nervously eyeing a series of draconian cuts set to hit just about every federal program next year—including Title I, special education, and money for teacher quality—now that a bipartisan panel tasked with making recommendations for trimming the nation's deficit has failed to reach agreement.

In its first installment of "Preparing High School Students for STEM Careers," WKBN News (Ohio) highlights the Youngstown City Schools' science, technology, engineering, and math program that is in its first year at Chaney High School.

The Baltimore Sun covers U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan’s recent visit to Wilde Lake High School.

 

Read Entire Post

Stats That Stick: November 23, 2011

Here are this week’s Stats That Stick, courtesy of Alliance Policy Intern Bill DeBaun.

Consolation prize up for grabs for nine runner-up Race to the Top finalists: $200,000,000
Education Week reports that the U.S. Department of Education will accept proposals from nine runner-up states for a chance to win some of a $200 million prize dedicated to improving STEM education. This money is the third round in the Race to the Top series, which has been an education focal point for the Obama administration.

Number of students the average school counselor was responsible for in 2009–10, according to the American School Counselor Association: 459
Ed Sector's "Quick and the Ed" offers this post about the importance of guidance counselors in high schools, especially for helping to ensure students are college and career ready. Randy A. McPherson, 2011 ASCA Counselor of the Year, says, “In some aspects, my role looks like a college recruiter or a career placement director.”

Read Entire Post