California Raises Tuition Fees By 32%, Students Occupy Buildings to Protest

by Mike Smith

Published November 20, 2009 @ 11:20AM PT

California has been forced to raise tuition fees by almost a third to close a widening budget gap. Facing a $1.2 billion deficit, higher fees are required to mitigate a loss of funding. Fees will gradually rise of the coming years, with students facing a heavier burden as they progress. The president of the University of California system explained to the WSJ that the drastic measure "is designed to provide access, maintain quality and stabilize the fiscal health of the university." He further believes low income students will be hardly effected by the changes.

Students aren't so convinced. And they aren't taking the risk of ever rising fees lying down. They have occupied university building to protest. That dozens of students were arrested indicates that this isn't a minor issue, but one that goes to the heart of further education in America: how much students should be expected to pay and when high-fees become too expensive and start becoming exclusionary. The New York Times proposes that students take a semester off in order to save money, saving their parents money, and allow themselves to gain to valuable experience of the working world. But once students do go back to college, if they think it's worth it, they'll feel the full force of the higher fees. A holiday won't solve this problem.

Photo: Epioles

Universal Education is an Investment in Our Future

by Mike Smith

Published November 19, 2009 @ 03:54PM PT

This is a guest-post from the Education & Gender Equality team at UNICEF.

Question: What do the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Convention of the Rights of the Child have in common? Answer: They both celebrate 20 years this November 2009.

The Convention on the Right of the Child is slowly reaching its majority. Since the adoption of the Convention in 1989, many things in the world have changed, the Berlin wall fell as did child mortality in many places around the world. The Convention has supported measurable advances in child survival and development, raised awareness of and expanded solutions to child protection risks and promoted child participation as a fundamental right of children.

Despite great advances, young people today face increasing challenges that require them to be more creative, adaptable and resilient than ever before. Poverty, climate change, conflicts and natural disasters, along with the economic crisis, call for more sustainable solutions. In 2007, 101 million children of primary school age – 53 million girls and 48 million boys – were not attending school. Universal primary education is a particular challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where 46 million children were out of school in 2007, and South Asia, with 35 million out of school that same year. Education is thus the key to solving many of the problems of the global community. A relevant, quality education will ensure that these children become individuals who reach their full potential.

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Too Many Teachers, Not Enough Money, 125,000 Positions Cut

by Mike Smith

Published November 16, 2009 @ 07:13PM PT

Recently, America lacked teachers and many feared that it didn't have enough. But thanks to the economy we aren't going to run out of educators any time soon. America is now experiencing a teacher glut.  It's not just that we trained too many teachers, but also that the economy is causing schools to slash the number of positions, reports the AP. And not just a few positions have been lost, but a whole 125,000. That's half the number of the positions that the Obama administration has claimed to have created and saved through stimulus investment.

Many teachers who planned to retire are staying on to work longer, and many people laid off from other fields are trying their luck as teachers, boosting numbers. One Texas school district reported 5,000 applicants for 322 positions. Only in Math is there a lack of teachers, as demand for teachers in all other 60 subjects has declined. Recently qualified teachers will have begun their training expecting a wide range of schools to pick from on completion of their training, but many in the teaching community are now suggesting that new teachers need to be more flexible about where they're willing to work.

Photo credit: Wonderlane

Arizona Charter School with Ivy League Teachers is Big Success

by Mike Smith

Published November 11, 2009 @ 11:09AM PT

The BASIS school in Scottsdale Arizona is propelling students to achieve far being their grade level. By the time they reach 8th grade they are permitted to take Advanced Placement exams, which test high-school students at a college level reports the Economist. And by the time the students reach 9th grade, all students must take the advanced test.

Michael Block and his wife Olga were so frustrated by the low-standard of schooling, and low-expectations, that they started the BASIS school, out in the desert. Their success sees students achieve at grade levels two years ahead of Arizona and California schools and one year ahead of East Coast schools. Setting up the charter school wasn't easy, and they mustn't charge tuition fees or select the best students. Instead, they say, they find the best, IVY League trained teachers and give them autonomy in the classroom. And it's causing the schools to regularly place at the top of national surveys. The effect is so impressive that a former boss of Intel, after sitting in on a chemistry class, donated $500,000 as bonuses to the teachers.

Photo credit: PhillipC

A Soldier's Perspective Helps Educate Under-Achievers

by Mike Smith

Published November 10, 2009 @ 03:50AM PT

Martha Kinney explains how decades of military training worked well for her outside of the military, finding it of great use as a teacher at a community college. She explains that understanding military training has helped her "to mold nascent scholars out of the under-performing, ill-prepared students who frequently show up in my community college classroom." She makes an extra effort to fully communicate exactly what her expectations are, showing what success looks like by performing the tasks in front of them.

Kinney is also fond of checklists, and the "Crawl, walk, run" method of moving through steps slowly, then gradually, as soldiers / scholars gain confidence and ability, allowing them to be increasingly independent, and increasingly speed up. This is especially useful for under-achievers who can go at their own pace, and over-achievers who can quickly progressing whilst still being thoroughly drilled with the fundamentals. Martha Kinney has also maintained a constant evaluation of training effectiveness from her Army days — evaluating her own performance alongside that of her students. This methodical approach shows just how important it is to have variety in our classrooms, with teachers bringing in a wide side of diverse skills and sharing them. From Navy Seals to ex-cops, there are lots of success stories.

Photo credit: US Army

After Bedtime Books, Could Morning Math Be Next Education Success?

by Mike Smith

Published November 09, 2009 @ 01:28PM PT

An intriguing idea to improve math skills among children needn't come from advances in modern technology, or from hundred-billion dollar reform. It can instead come from home. Lisa Guernsey, the director of the early education initiative at the non-profit New America Foundation (and a mom), explained to the Washington Post: "If bedtime is book time, let's make morning time for math."

Math scores are stagnating, but Lisa Guernsey believes parents can make a significant difference by simply including math in a morning routine: "Ask your 8-year-old to pour the juice so that the glasses are 75 percent full. Aha. A good opening for a chat about fractions," she explains. It should be obvious that engaging parents leads to improved success, but exactly how this can be best accomplished hasn't been so clear. Engaging students in the morning could significantly improve a huge numbers of kids' math.

At an early age my parents, both teachers, gave me additional math work-books to work through, eventually moving me up to many years above my grade-level. I enjoyed plowing through the books, and even insisted on taking them on holiday. I didn't take to math in college, but all my life this ability at arithmetic served me well, it made understanding other subjects a breeze, and gave me a huge confidence boost. But of course, that isn't just an indication that math skills were natural to me, but that something else had taught me to pay attention and be able to repress distractions and focus; that might be where the arts come in.

Photo credit: Sam Crockett

New Ed Tech Director Appointed, But is She too Close to Business?

by Mike Smith

Published November 06, 2009 @ 09:42AM PT

Educational technology has a new leader, coming from one of the most well respected, and education-fond corporations out there. Following months of rumor and anticipation is has been announced that former Apple executive Karen Cator will lead education technology initiatives at the Department of Eduction.

She outlined here philosophy by explaining "We need to craft an entirely new research agenda around this issue so people can’t write that technology doesn’t work. We know it works...but we need to get good at saying and articulating what exactly technology can do” reports EdWeek. Cator used to be a teacher, and was formerly technology director in Alaska, but some critics fear that she isn't so concerned with skills, but most interested in inserting the concerns of business into schools.

Off to a quick start, the Department of Edcuation is asking for your help to update the National Technology Plan, and what direction it should take under the leadership of Karen Cator. Submit you suggestions: "What would you like to see considered in the National Educational Technology Plan?"

Photo credit: Extra Ketchup