Some News on Education

Hey all,
It's late. I was sitting in my Magazine Street watching a funny Youtube of Steve Martin on Charlie Rose, when I cape across a few articles that have some relevance for education: nationally, higher, and locally.

1. Nationally: The NYT had an article today that noted the higher qualifications (SATS, College GPAs) of prospective teachers who took state licensing exams versus the qualifications of the students in the 1990s. The article explains how many of the strongest education systems in Western Europe recruit teachers from generally the highest third of university students, while the U.S. system typically drew students from the bottom third. But promisingly, this trend is changing. While the news is promising, a few questions remain. Do these qualifications have any noticeable effect on teacher quality? Moreover, why have the numbers changed? One would think that non-government agencies like Teach For America have increased the number of highly qualified students who go into teaching (even on a temporary basis).


2. Higher Education: Harvard University made a big news splash yesterday when it greatly expanded its financial aid to allow students with parents making over $120,000 to pay a smaller percentage of tuition, with the money to be replaced by grants. Undergraduates considered more typically middle class, in betwen $60 and 120K, will pay less than 10% of their income. This is part of a growing trend at the most elite (and rich) private colleges in the country, in which universities are allowing low and middle-income students to attend for free without loans, and upper-income students to receive more subsidies. A school with an endowment like Harvard's, which hovers around $30 billion, could allow all of its students to attend for free. This represents another step in opening up the best institutions of education to a wider range of students.


3. Local: New Orleans schools are getting millions of dollars from a coalition of foundations, including the Gates Foundation. This should be great news for schools that were consistently underfunded even before the storm. The T-P has the report, and the official announcement is Thursday morning on Nashville St. Uptown. The money is going to three local nonprofits who help with teacher/administrative recruitment as well as student issues: New Schools for New Orleans, New Leaders for New Schools, and Teach for America's local branch. It's welcome news, and I'd imagine the money will be very well spent considering the credibility of all of the organizations involved.


4. ROCK AND ROLL EDUCATION: In a completely unrelated note, Led Zeppelin reunited this weekend. Everyone watch this clip of them singing 'Good Times, Bad Times' while you celebrate the good times of finals ending.