Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

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Tuition Hiked; Students Walk

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Outraged by tuition increases and education budgetary cuts, thousands of students, parents and teachers across California protested at elementary schools, colleges and universities last Thursday.

  • Called a “strike and day of action to defend public education” by organizers, the protests were (for the most part) peaceful.
  • At UC Santa Cruz, protesters shut down access to the campus by obstructing entrances.
  • Tuition protests occurred in other states as well, with at least 16 people arrested at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.

Facts & Figures

  • 150 people were arrested throughout the state.
  • California is currently facing a $20 billion budget deficit.
  • 1,000 people gathered to demonstrate on the steps of the capital building in Sacramento.

Best Quote

“Kids come to school hungry; some are homeless. How can we deal with problems like that with as many as 38, 40 kids in a class?”  – Mary Flanagan, third grade teacher from Richmond, California

Governors In It To Win For Their Schools

Friday, November 13th, 2009

The Obama Administration is encouraging state-level education reforms with the inclusion of $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” incentive built into the federal stimulus.

  • Race to the Top is a federal grant that ties teacher and principal salaries to student test scores, adopts internationally benchmarked academic standards, improves lowest-performing schools, creates systems to track students long-term, and allows for the inclusion of more charter schools.
  • Although considered small by Washington standards, the grant is propelling state legislators to make changes so that their states are eligible for the funding.
  • In October, Governor Schwarzenegger (of California) signed a bill that links teacher pay to student test performance, after calling a special legislative session in August.

Facts & Figures

  • The United States educates an estimated 50 million students every year.
  • If distributed to each and every student, Race to the Top would provide an addtional $87 per year.
  • Grant distribution begins in January 2010.

Best Quote

“They don’t want to be on the losing side of this. Everybody wants to be the education governor, but nobody has asked them to prove it in the past several years. This year the onus is back on them.” – Charles Barone, Democrats for Education Reform

Just graduated and they’re already hitting you up for an alumni donation? What’s the point?

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

“Hello, my name’s Susan and I’m calling you about your beloved alma mater… How about starting with a small monthly donation of $200?”

Sound familiar? Every graduate receives these calls seemingly moments after that graduation cap tassel crosses from right to left. Alumni donations have a large impact on colleges for several reasons and so they are solicited with what may appear to be overzealous enthusiasm. You may wonder how these people expect a new graduate to be able to donate anything. Don’t you need a job first?

Well, while your school is definitely hoping for a sizable check, that’s actually not the main reason for the unsolicited call. A large part of a school’s ranking is based on the rate of alumni donations – the percentage of graduates who give back to their school. By encouraging you to donate, sometimes even as little as $1, colleges are trying to maintain or even boost a significant factor in ratings determination. They also want to get you in the habit of giving.

While the size of your alumni donation right now might not be close to Warren Buffet’s, it still has a big impact on how your school is ranked and your giving patterns in the future.

Doing Homework With No Home

Monday, October 5th, 2009

The federal government tried to look out for homeless students by requiring certain allowances be made to keep them in school. But in a bad economy, who should foot the bill for this crucial assistance?

  • In the wake of the recession, the number of homeless children enrolled in public schools has surged. The trickle-down effects of layoffs and foreclosures have begun to strain the resources of public school districts as they struggle to keep kids enrolled while their families deal with financial ruin.
  • Federal law requires that a special liaison to the homeless be appointed in every school district. In addition, districts must immediately place any student that enrolls without requiring proof of residence, and they must allow students to remain enrolled at the same school even when their families are forced to move.
  • Assistance can include special car or bus services and even special administrative positions created just to manage the school-related obstacles transient children face. Some of the cost of these services is absorbed by grants and federal aid, but still they present budget issues which are sometimes visited upon local taxpayers.

Facts & Figures

  • Since 2007, according to the Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, the number of homeless children seems to have increased by 75-100% in many school districts.
  • In the 2006-2007 school year, there were 679,000 homeless students reported. In spring of 2009, there were more than 1 million.
  • A school district in San Antonio saw the number of homeless students double this year to 1,000 in the first two weeks of school alone.

Best Quote

“We see 8-year-olds telling Mom not to worry, don’t cry.” – Bill Murdock, Chief Executive of Eblen-Kimmel Charities

An Education Cause is…

Friday, August 7th, 2009

An Education Cause is an organization that works to improve people’s lives by providing access to educational resources that aren’t available to them for many reasons. An Education Cause might support teachers in high-need areas, provide books and computers or other supplies, or do anything to help people realize their dreams of earning an education and the possibility for a better life. 

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