Quality Education
The Case
Conservatives Letting Head Start Fall Behind
President Bush signed bipartisan legislation in December reauthorizing the Head Start program. But even as they praised the program, Congress funded the program at $480 million below its authorized level. Then President Bush in early February proposed a budget that would reduce funding even further below what the Congress authorized. read more »
Progressive Values for Education
Americans want schools that teach values as well as math and reading. read more »
Facts & Resources
Parents are Very Concerned about Paying for Their Children's College
According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, 70 percent of parents surveyed were “very concerned” about how they would pay for college; only 6 percent were not concerned.
Compared to other countries, U.S. flunks in teacher pay
In South Korea and Germany, starting salaries for teachers are about 141% of per capita GDP, while the figure for the United States is only 81%; in fact, all countries in this sample pay their teachers a significantly higher relative wage as a starting salary compared to the United States.
The News
House Curbs College Costs
February 8th, 2008
Poll: Schools Not Preparing Kids
June 30th, 2008
The Voices
One Small Step for Equality of Opportunity
Generous subsidies from some ivy league schools have encouraged a broader range of students across the income spectrum to compete for slots, with some lower-income public school applicants beating out the prep school grads.read more »
Student Loans: A Step In the Right Direction
President Bush spends billions in Iraq, but American students can barely scrape enough money together to go to college. Luckily, Democratic leaders in Congress have addressed increasing college costs by decreasing interest on student loans. read more »
Latest from our Bloggers
jun
17
2008
Conservatives Can't Vouch for Vouchers, But They Will Mislead
The propaganda machine supporting school vouchers, headquartered in the office of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, is determined not to let the facts get in the way of conservative ideological spin. read more »
may
29
2008
Making Sense of the Rising Cost of College
As college students celebrate graduation this May, their joy is combined with the harsh reality they face post-graduation--many of these students will graduate with unmanageable levels of loan debt that they can not afford basic necessities. read more »
mar
28
2008
Education: Losing Ground in Global Competitiveness
Newly released data by the Department of Education illuminates the educational landscape of America. read more »
mar
26
2008
Decoupling Education & Upward Mobility
If "making the grade" is no longer a path to "moving on up," then it looks like the decoupling of education from employment, upward mobility, and the American Dream is at least underway. Or maybe it's already happened.read more »
oct
24
2007
College Costs: Reality Bites Again
The College Board this week released its new Trends in Higher Education report, and it shows how our lack of public investment is putting a college education out of reach of working families.
The report examines college costs, financial aid, and the importance of a college education. It notes that while for the 2007-2008 school year tuition increases at four-year colleges are not as high as they have been for the past five years, total federal grant funding for undergraduates has still not caught up, when inflation is taken into account. In fact, the report says, "total federal grant funding to undergraduates was still lower in 2006-07 than it was three years earlier, after adjusting for inflation."
This is happening at the same time legislatures in many states are not appropriating enough funds to cover legitimate increased education costs.
The College Board report makes clear why the College Cost Reduction and Access Act is needed: read more »
oct
23
2007
A $46 Billion Slap In The Face
The irony of President Bush's demand on Monday for $46 billion in additional emergency spending for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan—an irony missed by most of the news media—is that it occurred as the Senate debated an appropriations bill for domestic education, labor and human services programs that President Bush has threatened to veto—over a comparatively minor $9.6 billion.
sep
28
2007
Bush Exceeds His Credit Limit
On Thursday, President Bush took credit for signing the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. His claims stand history on its head. Bush said the bill:
"[E]xpands one of America's most important and successful education initiatives—the Federal Pell Grant Program. For the last six years, I've worked to make sure that we expand Pell Grants."
He seems to have forgotten that he was president during the last six years. President Bush and the Republicans, when they were in the majority in Congress, repeatedly defeated Democratic attempts to increase Pell grants. Since 2001, Pell Grant maximum awards to individuals have fallen by $99. In the past three years, total Federal Pell Grant expenditures declined by $1 billion.
Bush even threatened to veto the bill he is now taking credit for. But a majority of Republicans recognized the change in the political winds and signed onto the Democratic legislation, giving it a veto- proof majority. Only then did he decide to sign it.
How dare President Bush take credit for this piece of progressive legislation? The real heroes are leaders Rep. George Miller and Sen. Edward Kennedy, and thhe grassroots coalition, the Campaign for College Affordability.
sep
27
2007
The Cost of College: A Win for the Good Guys
What a difference a year makes. The Republican-controlled 109th Congress doubled student interest rates and cut $12 billion out of student aid.
The new Democratic 110th Congress has cut the student interest rates and put $20 billion into aid programs. The money comes directly out of the banks' pockets and into the pockets of students and working families.
Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats get credit, to be sure. College affordability was one of the "Six in '06" campaign promises, and Pelosi hit it out of the ballpark. Representative George Miller, D-Calif., was a hero, and Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy worked hard in the other chamber.
But real credit goes to the progressive community. read more »
