A College Parking Lot, Deficit Reduction, and Public Investment

Last week I spent two days visiting the University of California-Berkeley, one of the nation's most prestigious higher education and research institutions. Walking the campus linked UCB's major accomplishments - ranging from STEM to public policy - with the buildings that housed the people that created them. The throngs of passing students were a United Nations in languages and dress.

This is a public university, created and run by the state of California and funded by the taxpayer. Rivaling well- known private selective institutions, UCB produces state, national, and international leaders in almost every field. This is a publicly-funded institution where the physics building's parking lot has six prime spots "Reserved for Nobel Laureates."

Yet even this major institution that has created much of California's intellectual infrastructure and resulting economic growth has seen reductions in state investment in past years. Against the backdrop of my walk, I replayed the constant political refrain that ending deficit spending is the most important issue facing the nation. Read Entire Post

Representative George Miller and Alliance President Bob Wise Agree: Students Need a 21st-Century Education

It's not every day that a member of Congress teams up with a non-profit organization to further a bipartisan goal, but that's what happened when Representative George Miller (D-CA) and Alliance President and former West Virginia governor Bob Wise co-wrote an editorial for Politico. Both Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise champion educational transformation, and they both believe in the power of digital technology to increase accessibility, opportunity, and achievement for all students, everywhere. 

Earlier this year, Rep. Miller introduced the "Transforming Education Through Technology Act," which would "update and modernize learning systems by supporting teachers and principals in the use of new technology to redesign curricula, incorporate technology into classrooms and provide assistance with real-time data and assessments," as the op-ed explains. If passed, this bill has the power to expand technology innovation that can transform teaching and learning, just as onlnie ordering has changed the way we eat.

At the same time, Gov. Wise has led the Alliance for Excellent Education's Project 24, a district-level initiative to connect school districts to planning and resource materials to aid them in the transition and implementation of digital technology. 

"Over the next 24 months, the Alliance will help school districts to implement a strategic plan for strengthening education outcomes through the use of technology at no cost," the joint op-ed reads. "The Alliance will help participating districts through a comprehensive planning process around seven interconnected areas where technology and digital learning can improve student achievement: teaching and professional learning, use of time, budget and resources, data systems and online assessments, curriculum and instruction, technology and infrastructure, and academic support and resources."

Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise share a common goal: to ensure that every student everywhere has the opportunity to learn. They share the vision that upgrading digital technology in schools around the nation can achieve that goal. 

"Families can order dinner with the click of a button on a smartphone or computer, but teachers are still wiping chalk off blackboards. Newspapers and magazines are delivered to tablets every morning, but students study from texts that become outdated as soon as they are released," Rep. Miller and Gov. Wise write. "No single solution exists for these problems, but an effective use of technology can be a tool to increasing access to educational opportunities for disadvantaged students and closing the achievement gap. It can also empower teachers to design an educational experience that extends beyond the four walls of the classroom."

Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Fiscal cliff deal may still leave education funding on the edge

A deal to avoid going off the ‘fiscal cliff’ has been reached… kinda. While the kinds are being worked out, how does the current deal affect K-12 education? Education Week

School districts and high schools nation-wide are undergoing major changes – in how teaching is done, the emphasis on technology and raising standards. Some of the biggest trends to look for in high school education in 2013 include blinded learning, flipped classrooms, and new standards. High School Notes

Some teenagers are foregoing higher education to cash in on the oil boom in Montana. Salaries can start at $50,000 a year. New York Times

D.C. parents are up-in-arms over Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson’s proposal to close 20 city schools this fall. Parents are organizing recruiting efforts to increase enrollment numbers in the hope to keep some of the schools open. Washington Post

Angelica Gonzales graduated at the top of her high school class and headed off to one of the nation’s top universities. Four years later she is back home, without a degree. Research shows that lower income students are falling behind their more affluent peers. Watch this video. New York Times Read Entire Post

Afternoon announcements: Don't confuse the TNTP report with TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

A new report from The New Teacher Project (TNTP) analyzes DC’s teacher retention. It finds the best teachers stay at nearly twice the rate of the District’s lowest performers. The report raises a few questions. Washington Post

Marion Brandy gives his take on education reform in an editorial. You might find his side a little different than many education reformers’ positions. Washington Post

20 schools are set to close in DC, Chancellor Kaya Henderson said on Tuesday. The goal is to move resources towards other schools to boost academic programs. Washington Post

Have you ever audited a free online course from a university? Many universities, including elite schools, now offer these types of courses. Up until now, students of those courses took them for personal enrichment. But that could change. The American Council on Education is reviewing multiple of these online courses and may recommend that colleges grant credit for them. The Chronicle of Higher Education

Despite charter schools being a hot-button topic among educators, policymakers, parents and students, enrollment in them continues to rise. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools reports that enrollment in charter schools has increased almost 13 percent between 2010-11 and 2011-2012. New York Times

Read Entire Post

Federal student financial aid: Success requires more than just access

In the coming weeks, you’ll notice more activity from the Alliance around the need to examine the way the federal government designs and delivers federal student financial aid. Why? Because the Alliance is deeply committed to ensuring success for all students, in high school and beyond.

We know that for many Americans, completing some form of postsecondary program or technical training is critical to achieving the American Dream. That’s why the Alliance works hard to transform high schools and make it possible for every child to graduate prepared for success in college. 

We also recognize that even for those high school graduates who are well-prepared for college, barriers still exist that could keep them from fully realizing their dream - the greatest of which is cost.

The good news is that the federal student aid system is designed to provide various forms of assistance to college-goers and their families.

The bad news is that the system is large and extremely complicated. It includes various grants, loans, campus-based programs, and tax benefits. The system has also grown to focus exclusively on student access, while doing little to ensure that students actually complete their programs. While we believe access is a necessary goal, it does not sufficiently serve individual students, their communities, or the country.

Focusing exclusively on access often results in once-hopeful college-goers leaving without a degree and being saddled with debt. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: February 28, 2012

Good Morning and Happy Pancake Day! Grab yourself a short stack with all the fixings and kick back to some morning education news. Just try not to get syrup on the keyboard.

After a horrific school shooting at an Ohio school, the Associated Press  reports that authorities have announced that a student wounded has been declared brain dead. This is the second reported fatality in an attack that began when a teenager opened fire in the cafeteria at a suburban Cleveland high school yesterday. A quick thinking teacher is being credited with prevent an even larger massacre.

According to the Associated Press, President Barack Obama has urged the nation's governors to invest more state resources in education. The push for a boost in educational funding  stems from President Obama’s assertion that a highly skilled workforce is crucial for the U.S. to remain competitive with other countries.

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

New Issue of Straight A's Now Available

The October 17, 2011 issue of Straight A's, the Alliance's biweekly newsletter, is now available. Sign up to receive a free subscription to Straight A's.

This week's issue focuses on the Senate Health, Labor, and Pensions Committee's bill to overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB); federal funding for education programs; new federal legislation that would combine rigorous coursework with workplace experience; NCLB waivers; and a new report comparing how U.S. students fare when compared to their international counterparts.

Links to individual articles are available after the jump.

Read Entire Post

Morning Announcements: September 30, 2011

According to the Huffington Post, House Republicans on Thursday unveiled plans to cut federal money for job training, heating subsidies and grants to better-performing schools. The draft measure for labor, health and education programs also seeks to block implementation of President Barack Obama's signature health care law, cut off federal funds for National Public Radio and Planned Parenthood, and reduce eligibility for grants for low-income college students.

After months of negotiations, it's finally happening: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee has set a date to take up a bill reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act., according to Education Week. The markup is scheduled for Oct. 18 at 2:30 p.m. No details yet on the actual legislation, but it's the product of 10 months of negotiations between U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the committee chairman, and Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming, the top Republican. Read Entire Post