Last November, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) quietly issued a heavily edited and revised version of an earlier report they published that incorrectly criticized the for-profit college sector. At the time, the GAO received significant criticism on their effort from media, education experts and other commentators.
Critics pointed out the shoddy and unprofessional work originally put forth by the GAO, as well as the resulting damage it caused the for-profit college industry. It was clear that many errors and misleading conclusions were retracted from the earlier study that was broadly touted.
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The New Year always brings about a plethora of lists. The
previous year’s best and worst laid out for all the world to see. Companies vie
for top billing in employee satisfaction and profits. Individuals compete head
on for product innovation and revenue. Fortune, Forbes, and Fast Company all
have a list. They are meant to be recognition for a job well done but they are
even more valuable as a glimpse into the future. Yesterday’s success is
tomorrows skill set in demand.
Inc. Magazine puts out their 30 Under 30
list, which is a look at America’s hippest young entrepreneurs and their
companies. The bio’s detail how the idea came about, where they got the money,
future plans and a bit about the company’s culture. It’s rather inspiring;
America’s youngest, brightest, adventurous minds at work. It’s also an alarming
look at the crooked, broken path from school to work.
This is the first full generation of Americans who have
moved from kindergarten to college without any universal access to vocational
skills. It was about sixteen years ago, after all, when school districts
started moving “shop” off the main calendar and targeted those classes for
certain kids. It was the time of NAFTA, Welfare to Work, School to Career, and
the Workforce Investment Act. All of which played a part in encouraging
community colleges to shift from technical training in favor of faster, less
expensive coursework. It was when we decided that work – back-breaking, sweaty,
America-building work - wasn’t good enough for our children.
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With bipartisan debt commissions unfurling proposals,
newly-elected Tea Partiers headed for the Capitol, and Congress moving to keep
Bush-era tax breaks, it’s clear that Washington needs to find cuts in the
federal budget. With dollars more scarce, our country must rededicate itself to
spending as wisely as possible.
One area that politicians frequently pledge to attack is
the unholy trinity of “waste, fraud, and abuse.” Identifying such wasteful
spending is easier said than done – but not always.
The Obama administration proposed to act on two higher
education programs where it was crystal clear that government money was not
being spent prudently. Two industries, student loan companies and for-profit
colleges, had become wealthy through federal largesse – and, to a large degree,
at the expense of student and taxpayer interests.
While China's number one rankings in reading, science and
math categories may ruffle America's competitiveness feathers, as witnessed in
the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), our feathers
have been ruffled before, by a host of higher performing nations. America
continues to be outcompeted on the PISA. In this latest assessment, the U.S.
moved little, scoring 17th in reading, 23rd in science, and 31st in math.
Before America slips further, we must retool our education
system so that each child is equipped with the training and education needed to
reach their maximum potential. Good schools will give back to America through
innovation, investment and intellect - key components of any economic recovery
process.
For-profit
colleges have seen explosive growth in recent years. Top executives had been
rewarded handsomely, and shareholders have received great dividends. But for
students at for-profit colleges, it has been a very different story. Despite
enticing promises of a diploma followed by a good job, the majority of students
withdraw without graduating, with few employment prospects, and in most cases a
load of debt that could follow them the rest of their lives.
Career colleges or private for-profit schools of higher
learning are often the choice of students looking to enhance specific skills
that will improve their marketability for employment. Students attending career
colleges are generally low-income working people looking to boost their human
capital so that they might earn more to better care for themselves and their
families.
I was extremely disappointed to read in the Washington Examiner last month that incoming House Education and Labor Committee Chair Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.) is wondering why we have a federal Department of Education. In his editorial (http://tinyurl.com/2ferofa), the Congressman wrote:
“Across the country, many have begun to wonder why we have a federal Department of Education at all. What makes us think that bureaucrats in Washington, DC can manage our classrooms and prepare our children for success any more effectively than qualified teachers and engaged local school boards?”
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Even in tough times, Americans have used their freedom,
common sense and respect for one another to do the right thing for the
nation. Today, we face one of those times. There are thousands of
hard-working, patriotic, young people who are leaders in their
communities and who are looking for an opportunity to attend college or
serve our country in the military, but they cannot, through no fault of
their own. Congress has the opportunity to offer them and our country a
brighter future by coming together in a bipartisan way to pass the DREAM
Act.
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One of the challenges confronting education policy makers is staying connected to the grassroots. This is not only important for political purposes, but, most importantly, for policy implementation. What sounds great in the cloakrooms on Capitol Hill, or the conference rooms of D.C. policy shops, sometimes does not work on the ground. As a former high school teacher and principal, I am particularly sensitive to this dynamic, which is why I got back into the community again last week, visited schools across the nation and spoke with some of the folks who are making it happen.
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American populism is back, evidenced by the midterm tour-de-force of voters concerned with unemployment and government spending. While these voters mostly backed extremely conservative candidates, both Democrats and Republicans tried winning them over by claiming to be the party of ‘the people.’ True stewards of the economic justice, however, would do well to take a serious look at the plight of young people and how substantial investments in opportunities for youth success can save our nation’s prosperity both now and for decades to come. There are several pieces of the youth agenda that Congress can pass in the next few weeks and in the 112th Congress that uplift the underrepresented communities that saved Democrats’ seats and maintain the fiscal responsibility championed by Republicans.
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