http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/ A Discussion on the Rising Costs of Higher Education Fri, 8 Aug 2008 18:37:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-20 Gonzalo Rojas Wed, 09 Nov 2005 21:28:09 +0000 http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-20 excellent resource excellent resource

]]> http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-16 Joo Heung Lee Thu, 03 Nov 2005 17:54:04 +0000 http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-16 As a community college professor, I am all too aware of the failure of our public schools to adequately prepare students for college level material. Everyone seems to recognize the problem, but no one cares enough to fix it. This is because the students most affected are those from the lowest income households. Disparity in the quality of education is by far the biggest driving force in the increasing gap between rich and poor. I am convinced that the only solution to this problem is to infuse our schools with good teachers. Public education is littered with apathetic and underqualified teachers, who outnumber the handful of dedicated educators who feel like they are on a sinking ship. American society is headed for a crisis. To avert this, we need visionary political leadership that is willing to commit the financial resources necessary to attract our best minds to the teaching profession. Unfortunately, most politicians are catering to a constituency who can afford private schools, and consequently have little interest in genuinely improving public education. As long as self-interest is our dominant cultural paradigm, public education in America will continue to be an embarrassment. As a community college professor, I am all too aware of the failure of our public schools to adequately prepare students for college level material. Everyone seems to recognize the problem, but no one cares enough to fix it. This is because the students most affected are those from the lowest income households. Disparity in the quality of education is by far the biggest driving force in the increasing gap between rich and poor. I am convinced that the only solution to this problem is to infuse our schools with good teachers. Public education is littered with apathetic and underqualified teachers, who outnumber the handful of dedicated educators who feel like they are on a sinking ship. American society is headed for a crisis. To avert this, we need visionary political leadership that is willing to commit the financial resources necessary to attract our best minds to the teaching profession. Unfortunately, most politicians are catering to a constituency who can afford private schools, and consequently have little interest in genuinely improving public education. As long as self-interest is our dominant cultural paradigm, public education in America will continue to be an embarrassment.

]]> http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-12 Jonathan Brown Mon, 31 Oct 2005 15:41:48 +0000 http://www.makingopportunityaffordable.org/2005/10/24/time-travel-and-other-ways-to-reduce-college-costs/#comment-12 Indeed the basic comment is correct, high schools should be better than they are at preparing students for college. And were they better, costs of college would be reduced - if by nothing else than remiediation costs. Obviously, more college ready students would also reduce costs by improving the time to graduation. The long term trend in the country right now is to improve the rigor in high school. There are a number of initiatives across the country that are trying to do that - through more thorough evaluations of schools and teachers, through testing, through restructuring of the high school curriculum. But I am confused about why this is a unique suggestion for lowering college costs. Indeed the basic comment is correct, high schools should be better than they are at preparing students for college. And were they better, costs of college would be reduced - if by nothing else than remiediation costs. Obviously, more college ready students would also reduce costs by improving the time to graduation. The long term trend in the country right now is to improve the rigor in high school. There are a number of initiatives across the country that are trying to do that - through more thorough evaluations of schools and teachers, through testing, through restructuring of the high school curriculum. But I am confused about why this is a unique suggestion for lowering college costs.

]]>