Changes in Majors
I am not sure whether it is a curiosity question or has more substance, but I would be interested in an analysis of changes in majors by college students. Currently, this subject is not even considered an issue; changing is commonplace, no big deal. Nonetheless, what I am especially interested in is the “why” […]
At Garey and Franklin Streets
Sitting solo on a public bench outside a panaderia in Pomona, California and munching a delicious pastry from said location, watching the sun being slowly replaced by dusk and white America being rapidly transformed into a colorful mosaic, it is easy to become reflective at the corner of Garey and Franklin. With my writing energies […]
HIGH MARKS?
“New Study gives high marks to Jersey Community Colleges” was the heading for a Star Ledger” article of 1-20-16. Its supporting information was that “17% of community college students earned a Bachelor’s degree within six years of starting college, versus 14% nationally.” Yipes, with success like that, there would be no such thing as misleading […]
Norway
In Norway, the government funds all primary and secondary schools nationally. It then provides tuition-free access to college, plus an identical allowance for living expenses. Nonetheless, only 14% of children from the least educated families go to college, compared with 58% of the children from the most educated families (Hechinger Report). These numbers are similar […]
PROFILES
I have a question for suburban residents fighting against educational reform—school choice, charter schools, vouchers, revisions in the tenure system. Which category are you in? Guilt: the past abhorrent treatment of minorities has led you to “help” the “oppressed” by lowering the academic bar so that students can “succeed” and gain the “self-esteem” so necessary […]
Be a Mentor by Monday
Mentoring is all the rage, especially among professionals who desperately want to “give back” without unduly interrupting their money-making activities. And what better way to accomplish the needed interaction between mentor and mentee than through e-mail, Skype, Facetime, Whatsapp, and other communication devices that are oh so convenient. No need to take oneself out of […]
THIRTY THINGS IN A SCHOOL
Accountability without it, regression to the mean, or lower Books portable repositories of both knowledge and stimuli Budget Autonomy dollars and decisions must be coupled Computers for meaningful research Copiers quick response to situation Critical Thinking Skills necessary for negotiating life Dialogue discussions sharpen and broaden the mind Dress Code delete consumer competition for a […]
Income Sharing Arrangements
A recent government study indicated the following correlation: for every dollar that federal financial aid provided to college students, tuition rose 65 cents. Which basically means that taxpayers en masse paid for the ability of higher education vendors to build fancy dormitories, compensate their professors at above-average rates and add administrative positions at a disproportionate […]
Selective Schools
Why do many high achieving minority students not apply to selective schools? *They are afraid of the unknown. This is a totally rational state of mind, not to be confused with adults refusing to try sushi but more akin to those who believe that somebody with a different style of clothing or speech or set […]
Costco etc.
WHY IS COSTCO GOOD AND WALMART BAD? WHY IS BEN & JERRY’S GOOD AND McDONALD’S BAD? These are among the critically important philosophical questions of our times. Costco and WalMart On my semi-annual shopping trip to the nearby WalMart, I see ethnic diversity that is only matched by the rush hour crowds in a Port […]