News & Comment
Blogs and Opinion
Doing the Troops Wrong by Bob Herbert, The New York Times | May 7, 2008
Who wouldn't support an effort to pay for college for G.I.'s who have willingly suited up and put their lives on the line, who in many cases have served multiple tours in combat zones and in some cases have been wounded? Well, you might be surprised at who is opposing this effort. Or you might not. read more »Liberating the Schoolhouse by Wellford Wilms, truthdig.com | May 2, 2008
The dominant belief is that top-down control is the only way to hold principals and teachers accountable for measurable results. The less prevalent belief is that bottom-up collaboration between teachers and administrators is a source of innovation that builds commitment to and support for successful reforms. The conflict has become especially important in the face of the federal No Child Left Behind initiative, which requires administrators to produce high test scores or risk their jobs. read more »A Diploma in Debt by Shonu Gandhi, tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com | April 17, 2008
Significant policy changes — the systematic inclusion and a substantive financial literacy curriculum in every state's public high school education requirements — are needed in order to give young people a real chance at building solid financial futures. read more »Education: Losing Ground in Global Competitiveness by Alex Carter, OurFuture.org | March 28, 2008
Newly released data by the Department of Education illuminates the educational landscape of America. read more »The Degeneration of American Education by Gerald Bracey, Huffington Post | March 28, 2008
"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities," said Voltaire. In a world that contains Clear Skies, Clean Waters, Healthy Forests, an Axis of Evil, Iraqi Freedom, Family Values, Patriot Act, and No Child Left Behind, it is a good reminder for our time. read more »Decoupling Education & Upward Mobility by Terrance Heath, OurFuture.org | March 26, 2008
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 »Do Wall Street Dealers Ever Create Jobs? by Sam Pizzigati, cipa-apex.org | January 31, 2008
A landmark new study, released at the annual Davos high-finance summit, scrutinizes the high-flying private equity industry—and complicates life for our global greedy. read more »The Soldier and the Student by Aaron Glantz, <i>The Nation</i>, The Nation | November 28, 2007
Today's military education benefit is not your grandfather's GI Bill. read more »The GOP's School Daze by Robert L. Borosage, home.ourfuture.org | November 16, 2007
Ideas have consequences. Perhaps the most important advice for students as they enter college this fall is to take ideas seriously. For proof, they need only to look at their own pocketbooks as their families struggle to pay for their college costs. Ideas-specifically, conservative ideas-put into practice are pricing college out of the reach of more and more working families. read more »Unintelligent Design by Greg Anrig Jr., <i>TPM Cafe</i>, feeds.feedburner.com | November 15, 2007
The marketing of "intelligent design" reveals much about the conservative movement. read more »
The Latest
Credit Crisis Hits Student Borrowers, boston.com | April 17, 2008
The credit market crisis is spreading to student loans. More than 50 firms have abandoned or cut back their federal or private student loan programs this year, unable to raise money in the financial markets. Citigroup, one of the largest private lenders, has said it would stop lending at some schools and end its federal loan consolidations.
Textbook costs getting hard to cover, marketplace.publicradio.org | April 16, 2008
Sallie Mae to Quit Offering Federal Loan Consolidations, chronicle.com | April 14, 2008
Fewer Options Open to Pay for Costs of College, The New York Times | April 14, 2008
School Lunches Face Cuts, The Washington Post | April 14, 2008
Sharp rises in the cost of milk, grain and fresh fruits and vegetables are hitting cafeterias across the country, forcing cash-strapped schools to raise prices or pinch pennies by serving more economical dishes. Some school officials on a mission to help fight childhood obesity say it's becoming harder to fill students' plates with healthy, low-fat foods.
House panel OKs higher limits for student loans, boston.com | April 11, 2008
Students may increase their borrowing for college by $2,000 a year and private lenders could sell the debt to the government for a profit under legislation approved by a House panel yesterday. read more »
College Lenders' Exit Leaves Breach, The Washington Post | April 10, 2008
Nearly 50 student lenders, including some of the industry's biggest names, have stopped issuing federally guaranteed loans in recent weeks because of paralysis in the credit markets, confronting students with higher borrowing costs just as they are starting to apply for financial assistance for the coming school year. read more »
U.S. Students Fail Finance, time.com | April 10, 2008
Young people's financial know-how has gone from bad to worse. High school seniors, on average, answered correctly only 48.3 percent of questions about personal finance and economics, according to a nationwide survey released by the Federal Reserve. That was even lower than the 52.4 percent in the previous survey in 2006 and marked the worst score out of the six surveys conducted so far. read more »
Student Loan Upheaval Prompts Congress Action, Reuters | April 9, 2008
BANKING INDUSTRY OPPOSES BILL TO PROTECT WORKING FAMILIES FROM PREDATORY STUDENT LOANS, californiachronicle.com | April 9, 2008
Working families and their college-bound children would get the information they need to protect themselves from predatory student loans under a bill by Assembly Speaker pro Tempore Sally Lieber (D-San Jose) facing heavy banking industry opposition at 1:30 p.m. today in the Assembly Higher Education Committee.
