I am happy. I grew up poor. In elementary and middle school, my lunch consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and a chocolate milk that I bought. I felt embarrassed having that for lunch but there was nothing that my parents could do, nor could I. My parents lived paycheck to paycheck and there were five children to feed. Talk about tough. I had help for school lunch programs in high school. I went to college..to a Big Ten school. I graduated. I did an AmeriCorps program for nine months and found a job. I don't know if it's my career but I'm doing something, helping society in some way. Hopefully, I can continue to lead by example.
81
The biggest problem with the education of children in poverty is poverty. That is where they live and breathe and try to survive, many times getting jobs at an early age to help the family. Poverty is the monster, not education. Why do we look away from poverty and look to education? I agree with many of these ideas that basically give more contact and connection to the kids, but the home in the ghetto is a much larger issue. I had wonderful kids as a high school teacher, and most of them were from families in poverty. That was their gigantic hurdle; not just their's but their entire, and most times, extended families. Inequality and poverty must be faced. I think we must tax billionaires out of existence and tax those with hundreds of millions of dollars at an extremely high rate. We the People made this land, fought our wars and continue to fill it's heart everyday. We need a wealth tax, partly to get to more than just 'income', and partly due to the criminally low levels of taxes on wealthy income and capital gains. No, until we deal with the biggest bully, trying to help those already beaten-up is addressing the symptoms, not the real causation. Our response has been and continues to be weak and shameful.
114
Agreed. In short, capitalism kills all but the top 1%. The USA has the highest poverty level among all developed nations. A fundamental question is: how will we as a people overcome and transform, peacefully, an inherently unjust and unequal economic system backed by military might ?
54
We all need a nudge or/and reminder what needs to do so that we can achieve long term goals. But the difficulties poor kids facing are larger and more than we can think of, helping them getting through by themselves is the best way.
13
Well, I just emailed my Mom this story.
She's on the board of a small, liberal arts school that struggles to attract, enroll, and retain low-income students. A texting program is free on my Mac with the standard operating system. Pretty easy win.
She's on the board of a small, liberal arts school that struggles to attract, enroll, and retain low-income students. A texting program is free on my Mac with the standard operating system. Pretty easy win.
42
Middle class family here and I would *love* to get a text from my kids' school when they missed an assignment. That would make *all* the difference. Bring it on!
28
OK. I'm a Professor and I'm there. Let's have these kids buy these programs and they will help. However, what we really need is the COMMITMENT across the board where STUDENTS will complete their homework instead of watching TV or playing video games, and PARENTS will stop blaming teachers and pay the extra $100 a year in taxes so that we have enough financial aid to make higher education affordable. The rest is easy and relatively cheap.
33
@Douglas Coffin,
"The rest is easy and relatively cheap."
By "the rest" are you referring to the problem of child poverty that can limit the purchase these programs and the $100 in taxes, or for that matter sufficient nutritious food and possibly a home? Poverty really is the core issue to address. It is not an easy or relatively cheap issue to address but it certainly can be turned around when it is recognized as the core problem by the people in a position to legislate appropriate policy to correct it. (Too bad about your defeat in the primary last fall).
"The rest is easy and relatively cheap."
By "the rest" are you referring to the problem of child poverty that can limit the purchase these programs and the $100 in taxes, or for that matter sufficient nutritious food and possibly a home? Poverty really is the core issue to address. It is not an easy or relatively cheap issue to address but it certainly can be turned around when it is recognized as the core problem by the people in a position to legislate appropriate policy to correct it. (Too bad about your defeat in the primary last fall).
13
My siblings and I have spent time in the foster care system and we grew up in a poor family. I earn a six figure salary as a lawyer and one of my sisters currently attends an ivy league medical school. If you want to help poor kids achieve academic and career success you should: 1) make higher education free; 2) allocate access to quality early life education based on intelligence and willingness to work rather than on parental wealth; and 3) if you don't do number 2, you need to cut kids from lousy k-12 schools some slack on standardized tests since they've been taught less of the material than kids from good schools. Me and my med school sister are where we're at now because having been in foster care we were given 1 and 3 to some extent. Also, we both graduated at the top of our class in college, I did well in law school and my sister's doing well in med school. All that said, most foster kids don't know they can get help accessing higher education so they don't get access to 1 and 3 like we did (the foster care system is a complete mess). Also, most poor kids don't get enough access to 1 and 3 to balance out the disadvantages of being from a poor family.
I think enough people know how to fix the inequality problem, it's just a lack of will that's stopping us from implementing the needed solutions.
I think enough people know how to fix the inequality problem, it's just a lack of will that's stopping us from implementing the needed solutions.
107
I too am surprised by the number of comments decrying "hand-holding." While it is true that perhaps it is best to let children become independent on their own, this is not how our society functions. Given this is the case, it is probably best to equal the playing field by allowing the poor to have the same reminders upper and middle class students have from their parents.
I am a student at a top University from a upper middle class family My parents constantly reminded me of deadlines, or even dealt with them for me ("I signed you up for the SAT, you're taking it in March," etc.). Further, students at the high school I attended constantly talked about deadlines, academic results, etc. This culture is likely not replicated in areas where making rent the next month is a greater concern than immediate academic concerns. This gave me an advantage over students from areas where not as many students apply to college and are unfamiliar with the process.
Quite honestly, I think the text messages are a great idea - a cheap way to improve college attendance rates for the poor. They're not a solution to the problem, but they do reduce it.
I am a student at a top University from a upper middle class family My parents constantly reminded me of deadlines, or even dealt with them for me ("I signed you up for the SAT, you're taking it in March," etc.). Further, students at the high school I attended constantly talked about deadlines, academic results, etc. This culture is likely not replicated in areas where making rent the next month is a greater concern than immediate academic concerns. This gave me an advantage over students from areas where not as many students apply to college and are unfamiliar with the process.
Quite honestly, I think the text messages are a great idea - a cheap way to improve college attendance rates for the poor. They're not a solution to the problem, but they do reduce it.
140
The question isn't why it wouldn't be whether it's a good idea -- it is a good idea. The question should be -- who is doing the reminding?
The author didn't ask that question. And she should have. Would it be a company? Or the college? Or the high school? And who would pay for it?
One suspects that it would be technology company. Getting paid precious resources that probably should go towards paying teachers school upkeep, school lunches, counselors, school nurses, etc. All of which are being cut from inner-city and rural area schools where poor kids attend chool.
But somehow we can find money to pay a tech company to text kids reminders? Well, if the tech company has the right lobbyist, anything is possible. Kids have no lobbyists.
The author didn't ask that question. And she should have. Would it be a company? Or the college? Or the high school? And who would pay for it?
One suspects that it would be technology company. Getting paid precious resources that probably should go towards paying teachers school upkeep, school lunches, counselors, school nurses, etc. All of which are being cut from inner-city and rural area schools where poor kids attend chool.
But somehow we can find money to pay a tech company to text kids reminders? Well, if the tech company has the right lobbyist, anything is possible. Kids have no lobbyists.
4
That's what we're complaining about. When I went to college, students did all that for themselves.
When you did go off to college, many guys actually drove themselves in their own cars, and handled everything themselves. They called their parents once or twice during the semester, but basically they were on their own until Thanksgiving.
When you did go off to college, many guys actually drove themselves in their own cars, and handled everything themselves. They called their parents once or twice during the semester, but basically they were on their own until Thanksgiving.
14
Totally agree.
Jonathan, everyone is born with a set of talents and circumstances. I was born to a well-educated, upper middle class family. There was never an option not to go to college. From there, I had to make my own way. Some kids get varying levels of better or worse.
Kids on the bottom of the have an enormous road to travel just to get to college. I like to think I would be in my situation today regardless of my parents and support network, but I doubt it. I probably would have named ludicrously high, failed, and ended up recalibrating extremely low. Truth is, no one knows what would have happened.
Kids from educated families have parents who are passionate about education. They make sure they do their homework, apply for college, show up on the first day, and try to steer them straight if they fall off the wagon. That's valuable and certainly more effective than a series of text messages.
Jonathan, everyone is born with a set of talents and circumstances. I was born to a well-educated, upper middle class family. There was never an option not to go to college. From there, I had to make my own way. Some kids get varying levels of better or worse.
Kids on the bottom of the have an enormous road to travel just to get to college. I like to think I would be in my situation today regardless of my parents and support network, but I doubt it. I probably would have named ludicrously high, failed, and ended up recalibrating extremely low. Truth is, no one knows what would have happened.
Kids from educated families have parents who are passionate about education. They make sure they do their homework, apply for college, show up on the first day, and try to steer them straight if they fall off the wagon. That's valuable and certainly more effective than a series of text messages.
24
I'm quite surprised at how negative most of the comments are. To answer some of the questions about hand holding, as a teacher in a diverse district I have witnessed the power of small actions. So many students are virtually left on their own without parental guidance. Checking binders, sending reminders, and inviting students to spend lunch in my room almost always improves academic outcomes (even if it is just improving it to a passing grade). In a sense it is a hand holding technique but it shows that someone cares and in a sense models how to organize and persevere as they move on to HS and, possibly, college. It also trickles down to their future parenting skill where, perhaps, they can also break out of a generational cycle of poverty.
90
Maybe it's because this column has had a history of offering "solutions" that seem to have hidden agendas behind them. While this column pretends to want to help kids, one has to ask if there aren't software companies or cell phone companies behind these studies who see profit possibilities in connecting every student to the data-mining industry. Did the author ask those questions?
Are people looking beyond the superficial benefits of a few more kids applying for college and seeing the real dangers of the data-mining industry? Keep in mind corporation's favorite customers are the young. If this was limited to texts only, it might be harmless. But that is unlikely. Chances are they will be asked to put an app on their smart phones. When someone loads an app on their smart phone, they are almost always also connecting to a data-mining company. But why are the solutions being proposed now always TECHNICAL?
Were children incapable of achieving results before the advent of technology? Yes. The problem isn't too little technology. The problem is poverty, high unemployment, and badly funded schools.
Are people looking beyond the superficial benefits of a few more kids applying for college and seeing the real dangers of the data-mining industry? Keep in mind corporation's favorite customers are the young. If this was limited to texts only, it might be harmless. But that is unlikely. Chances are they will be asked to put an app on their smart phones. When someone loads an app on their smart phone, they are almost always also connecting to a data-mining company. But why are the solutions being proposed now always TECHNICAL?
Were children incapable of achieving results before the advent of technology? Yes. The problem isn't too little technology. The problem is poverty, high unemployment, and badly funded schools.
24
kathleen " I'm quite surprised at how negative most of the comments are. " Well, most of them seem to come from commenters who, judging by the pattern of other comments of theirs, are conservative & seem sincerely to hope that any 'hand-holding' will not be implemented or not work becauase they want the poor to stay poor.
21
Since these ideas are so effective why not create a charity to spread them around. The NAACP could make a large project out of doing it and liberals around the country could spend their time and talents actually helping the poor. Now it will take parents and children actually using the system which might be a large constraint to it making large changes.
4
vulcanalex "The NAACP could make a large project out of doing it and liberals around the country could spend their time and talents actually helping the poor." Whereas you are crossing your fingers and hoping & praying with all your might that the poor don't get helped in any way ever at all. So what's with the hypocrisy of your last sentence? Why bother? Being PC?
18
Unfortunately, many teenagers from poor families are functionally illiterate, and totally unqualified for any college. They can't even pass the dumbed-down high school courses. Until we fix this problem, nudging is of little use.
46
I agree that the level of success is low for the poor when it comes to higher education. This can be seen through test scores, grades, character, and such. Many children lack help from home so as teachers we must give them hope at school. I speak more on this with my recent post at http://theteacherroad.com/hope-for-the-hopeless-each-kid-needs-to-know-y....
7
As the concluding paragraph states, there is little incentive to institute these small, inexpensive changes because those who stand to profit or gain from major changes aren't interested. A big motivator of charter schools or exam prep is money to be made by various factions, as well as political gains. Small changes like those suggested in the article stand little chance of widespread implementation.
30
Brian--But I think there would be a groundswell of motivation on the part of teachers, who annually consider and search for remedies to some of these problems, like homework completion and raising student performance (think grades). My husband recently saw a program available to his district and recommended that his administration investigate it. Teachers are a natural constituency.
14
Brian you are spot on. Sadly exactly correct.
6
If a student has so little motivation to even enroll, where is the motivation going to come from for them to actually do the work?
Back in the dark ages before computers, when my son was interested in attending boarding school, we checked out a guide book from the library, went through it and put in book marks for the schools WE felt were appropriate for him, and then told him to take a look at our choices (about 15 schools). We then told him he must type a letter to the schools that interested him, asking for a catalog and admission information. A friend, upon hearing this said, "My son would be 30 before he ever did that!" My reply? If he's not interested enough to type a letter, we're not interested in paying for it.
The last thing community colleges and other institutions of higher learning need is more students who must have their hands held every step of their college career. At some point, personal responsibility must kick in.
As for the homework text messages...oh for heavens sake. Don't parents ever look in their child's backpack? Most schools have a homework agenda where the child must write down that day's homework. Parents are supposed to sign that they have seen this. Yes, I have had a grandson who did his homework and then "forgot" to hand it in. How was this corrected? Not with text messages, but with a zero on the work. When this affected his grade for the grading period dramatically, he turned in his completed homework
Back in the dark ages before computers, when my son was interested in attending boarding school, we checked out a guide book from the library, went through it and put in book marks for the schools WE felt were appropriate for him, and then told him to take a look at our choices (about 15 schools). We then told him he must type a letter to the schools that interested him, asking for a catalog and admission information. A friend, upon hearing this said, "My son would be 30 before he ever did that!" My reply? If he's not interested enough to type a letter, we're not interested in paying for it.
The last thing community colleges and other institutions of higher learning need is more students who must have their hands held every step of their college career. At some point, personal responsibility must kick in.
As for the homework text messages...oh for heavens sake. Don't parents ever look in their child's backpack? Most schools have a homework agenda where the child must write down that day's homework. Parents are supposed to sign that they have seen this. Yes, I have had a grandson who did his homework and then "forgot" to hand it in. How was this corrected? Not with text messages, but with a zero on the work. When this affected his grade for the grading period dramatically, he turned in his completed homework
26
India--Such might be the norm in circles where you run, but it's not everywhere. My husband uses email to communicate with parents (he does not own a smart phone and cannot text), but this would be so much more efficient. Often it's the parents who need their hands held, but helping parents can really pay off as they learn how to help their kids manage their time and focus on school. If there is a text message program that can help parents learn how to help their kids stay on top of their schoolwork, I will happily concede to there actually be a legitimate use for the silly things.
8
India,
You did a lot of "hand holding" with your son by checking out a guide book at the library and going through it with him and telling him--he needed to type the letter. So many, many people do not get that level of help. I didn't. From the time I was in high school I researched schools, wrote letters, fill out applications and financial aid forms without any oversight from my parents, because as my mother told me recently, "We though you'd be able to figure it out". My parents supported my going to college and graduate school but they had little to no hand in the administrative tasks that got me there. I know most people would be lost with the amount of responsibility I took for navigating the systems to gain my higher education--I have a PhD--so I think any number of methods that will support young folks ability to go on to college, if that what they want and need, are necessary.
You did a lot of "hand holding" with your son by checking out a guide book at the library and going through it with him and telling him--he needed to type the letter. So many, many people do not get that level of help. I didn't. From the time I was in high school I researched schools, wrote letters, fill out applications and financial aid forms without any oversight from my parents, because as my mother told me recently, "We though you'd be able to figure it out". My parents supported my going to college and graduate school but they had little to no hand in the administrative tasks that got me there. I know most people would be lost with the amount of responsibility I took for navigating the systems to gain my higher education--I have a PhD--so I think any number of methods that will support young folks ability to go on to college, if that what they want and need, are necessary.
38
Wait, you went to the store to get a guide book, pointed out a number of schools that your child should attend, and directed your child to look through the book and write a letter but you don't think this was hand holding? And you don't think it might help a student who doesn't have a similarly active parent to get a text message to prompt them?
79
When does the hand-holding stop? When do the ambitious "poor" learn to stand on their own legs? Do these same people get special babying when they move from college into jobs? Playing the game of sink-or-swim, the truly ambitious DO swim, and it's not because somebody is holding them up. They hold themselves up. College applicants can't get their papers in on time or can't finish the paperwork? Well,Tough ----. They've just made room for somebody else. Can't organize their time? Figure it out; it's not that difficult. Can't make deadlines? Too bad. You'll be fishing off the pier for your dinner while the diligent people who did all these things right are inside the four-star restaurant watching you through the window.
16
Harsh! For someone with the extraordinary gumption to have come from nothing to achieving success to disrespect others who need more help is demeaning. And if it comes from someone who was brought up in a family where there were expectations and understandings that kids would go to college and how to make that happen (from birth), it's downright ugly. There is no crime in not having all the innate executive functioning skills we need in life and having to learn them, actually even be taught them. And it's not a terrible fault to come from a family that is dysfunctional or simply not aware of what's needed to get on a path to college success. It's a national tragedy, on many levels, that so may children do not get the guidance they need to be successful in all their endeavors. We, collectively, cannot afford not to offer help to these students, especially when something this modest has such great success.
42
Wouldn't it be wonderful if it really were that simple, Marilyn?
The thing is my 1% babies got pretty much all the babying they needed when they were babies. Some kids don't. My kids won't have to play sink or swim because when the water gets deep they have family backup. My kids don't need so many texts because they have college counselors with enough time to help them. My kids don't have the same time management issues because they don't have to work or take care of their siblings or their grandparents or their kids. My kids have less paperwork and fewer deadlines because they don't have to apply for financial aid. And, perhaps most important, my kids don't see college as unattainable or remote they see it as the obvious next step. Even those in the top half of the income distribution don't generally have all these barriers
In this nation it should not be necessary to be excellent in all these areas to go to college and reach one's full potential. As a country we cannot afford that. We can afford to give a little extra "parenting" here and there when it helps.
The thing is my 1% babies got pretty much all the babying they needed when they were babies. Some kids don't. My kids won't have to play sink or swim because when the water gets deep they have family backup. My kids don't need so many texts because they have college counselors with enough time to help them. My kids don't have the same time management issues because they don't have to work or take care of their siblings or their grandparents or their kids. My kids have less paperwork and fewer deadlines because they don't have to apply for financial aid. And, perhaps most important, my kids don't see college as unattainable or remote they see it as the obvious next step. Even those in the top half of the income distribution don't generally have all these barriers
In this nation it should not be necessary to be excellent in all these areas to go to college and reach one's full potential. As a country we cannot afford that. We can afford to give a little extra "parenting" here and there when it helps.
35
Children with college-educated parents have parents who remind them about deadlines, help them prioritize, and help them stay organized. They also provide stable, non-chaotic homes and regular food.
I have had students who sleep on the living room floor on a moldy rug and get ringworm on their face after moving into a friend's house because their mother dies of a drug overdose and their father has decided that he can no longer care for all five children. I have had other students whose mother's boyfriend abuses them and then skips town to settle in a new county once CPS has been called too many times and is closing in on removing the kids. My list goes on.
Hand-holding? I wish.
These kids didn't choose the chaos they were born into.
I have had students who sleep on the living room floor on a moldy rug and get ringworm on their face after moving into a friend's house because their mother dies of a drug overdose and their father has decided that he can no longer care for all five children. I have had other students whose mother's boyfriend abuses them and then skips town to settle in a new county once CPS has been called too many times and is closing in on removing the kids. My list goes on.
Hand-holding? I wish.
These kids didn't choose the chaos they were born into.
55
"A child born into a poor family has only a 9 percent chance of getting a college degree,"
This is a sad and scary fact under any circumstances.
But it is terrifying in light of another story on the fact that the 51% of kids in US public schools are poor.
In 1994-95, only a third--33%--were poor.
In Mississippi, 71% of public school kids are poor. In New Mexico, it's 68%.
If only 9% of these kids get a college degree, we are looking at massive populations of undereducated, under skilled adults in the very near future, and in proportions which completely overturn numbers seen only a decade ago.
Very scary stuff.
This is a sad and scary fact under any circumstances.
But it is terrifying in light of another story on the fact that the 51% of kids in US public schools are poor.
In 1994-95, only a third--33%--were poor.
In Mississippi, 71% of public school kids are poor. In New Mexico, it's 68%.
If only 9% of these kids get a college degree, we are looking at massive populations of undereducated, under skilled adults in the very near future, and in proportions which completely overturn numbers seen only a decade ago.
Very scary stuff.
105
Yes. Let's address the unequal system of school funding in this country (based on local property taxes), raising the minimum wage, bringing jobs back to the U.S. etc.
That would go a lot further than a simplistic, nibble at the edges, "texting" program.
That would go a lot further than a simplistic, nibble at the edges, "texting" program.
13
Actually, all children are poor. None of them have any way of earning income, and are totally dependent on their parents.
So what you are actually saying is that the parents of these children are poor. In that case, why did they undertake to have expensive children who have to be fed, clothed, and educated? If they expect somebody else to care about their children, they are wrong. If you are a child, only your parents really care about you, and you are totally dependent on your parents to grow up. Anyone who thinks the government can love and nurture children is not living in the real world.
So what you are actually saying is that the parents of these children are poor. In that case, why did they undertake to have expensive children who have to be fed, clothed, and educated? If they expect somebody else to care about their children, they are wrong. If you are a child, only your parents really care about you, and you are totally dependent on your parents to grow up. Anyone who thinks the government can love and nurture children is not living in the real world.
17
Jonathan--While it's correct that parents are naturally positioned to be their children's greatest advocates, and most are, it's simply, thank heavens, not true that no one else cares about your kids. As their teacher, I care. As their neighbor, I care. As their health care worker, I care. As a person living in this economy, I care.
If their parents need help, or if they cannot rely on their parents, it's up to us to step in.
When I taught I actually had people tell me they were only concerned about their own children. When I recovered from the shock of that, I let them know that these other kids are going to be their children's peers and associates for their entire lives, as well as the folks many of us depend on when we get older (think health care workers, clerks, mail carriers, IRS workers, etc.). It behooves each of us to care about the children of others, if only selfishly, as we are going to encounter and deal with them so often in our futures.
If their parents need help, or if they cannot rely on their parents, it's up to us to step in.
When I taught I actually had people tell me they were only concerned about their own children. When I recovered from the shock of that, I let them know that these other kids are going to be their children's peers and associates for their entire lives, as well as the folks many of us depend on when we get older (think health care workers, clerks, mail carriers, IRS workers, etc.). It behooves each of us to care about the children of others, if only selfishly, as we are going to encounter and deal with them so often in our futures.
48
As someone who's worked on the issue of raising college completion rates, I appreciate data about small steps that have a big impact, especially for the low-income students that are schools fail so miserably. On the other hand, I worry that done wrong, this creates new problems.For 20 years, I've been interviewing students who apply to Harvard, a required part of the admissions process. This year, for the first time, 2 out of the 4 students I emailed didn't respond. After a week, I made a follow-up call, and it still took 2 days for either to respond to the second message. A third responded to the email, after more than a week had passed. Clearly, no one has taught these kids that they need to be responsible for "assignments" as they are given. I've talked with a friend who ran a nonpartisan nonprofit to engage high school and college students in the political process, and she reports similar problems on getting this generation to respond. If I throw a party, I send 1 invitation; I expect guests to remember to attend. But evite trains us not to be so functional, and increasingly people "forget" even to attend social gatherings because we collectively expect constant reminders. What are we preparing kids for when we text them and their parents repeatedly? No one texts me in advance of work deadlines, to remind me. How can these simple nudges be combined with the development of soft skills that train students to set their own (lifelong) internal reminders to get things done?
27
I think it may be the constant distraction effect of mobile internet technology like Facebook, Instagram, games, etc. - at my community college equivalent, last semester I started sending emails to students who missed class, which our system auto-copied to sms, and felt it made a distinct difference - the nudge effect - where before they would probably just have skipped class - after my email/sms they'd often show up, and come and talk to me to confirm they received it - so that little human contact seemed to make a difference.
Especially with many immigrants struggling to manage full-time work and family obligations, or first-time higher-education students from 3 generations who never did - study can drop off the list unless they do get a reminder from someone who cares.
Especially with many immigrants struggling to manage full-time work and family obligations, or first-time higher-education students from 3 generations who never did - study can drop off the list unless they do get a reminder from someone who cares.
11
Saying that these low cost but effective nudges have "no natural constituency" is really saying they are not marketable in a first order money driven economy. This is the same problem that farmers faced before the development of the futures markets. There is no intertemporal market place that can profit from the educational development of the children of the less well off.
I'm not sure we can expect such a market to develop on its own. Look at the utter mess we have created with the mostly privatized student loan industry. It is foolish to expect a first order market solution to our need for an educated populous to fill in behind us as we grow older and retire.
If our current economic sensibility were capable of responding on an inter-generational basis then Social Security payroll taxes would be used exclusively to invest in education of the younger generations and investment in long term infrastructure and public capital projects such as renewable power plants and drinking water reclamation.
Instead current period FICA funds are diverted into fictitious bonds that allow politicians to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and foreign wars to protect multinational corporate interests. Mostly around oil reserves and assets.
As long as our horizon extends no farther than the next congressional election or the next annual bonus the outcomes will never improve.
I'm not sure we can expect such a market to develop on its own. Look at the utter mess we have created with the mostly privatized student loan industry. It is foolish to expect a first order market solution to our need for an educated populous to fill in behind us as we grow older and retire.
If our current economic sensibility were capable of responding on an inter-generational basis then Social Security payroll taxes would be used exclusively to invest in education of the younger generations and investment in long term infrastructure and public capital projects such as renewable power plants and drinking water reclamation.
Instead current period FICA funds are diverted into fictitious bonds that allow politicians to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and foreign wars to protect multinational corporate interests. Mostly around oil reserves and assets.
As long as our horizon extends no farther than the next congressional election or the next annual bonus the outcomes will never improve.
19
Gee they do have a natural constituency which is every person who cares about effectively helping the poor. Seems like common core was a private thing and those might propagate these ideas as well. Around here churches would be very interested as well as some other social charities.
3
I say teachers, especially of middle school, high school, and community college students, are the natural constituency for these programs. Despite the widespread public disdain for public school teachers, they are actually concerned with their students' learning and progress, and will value this kind of intervention highly. I hope to see a lot of this going on in the future.
21
Along the lines of behavioral nudges, what if students and teachers engage in a steady stream of short-burst interactions not just on reminders, but also on subject matter; and not just via text, but via mobile video? Disclaimer: I am the founder of Riffiti, where we were motivated along these lines mid-last year and are about to release a mobile product, to learn from multiple perspectives on a single topic. I see this text messaging reminder scheme as a validation of a notion that short messages, whether text or video, can be harnessed to enhance our participation, and hence our learning. For those interested: www.riffiti.com.
2
Helping someone get a college "degree" - without a college "education" - only helps at the periphery; especially when they only have a high school "degree", but no high school "education".
Even worse, it raises revenues for the culprits behind the demise of high school education. Here is the extremely short version of why higher education is the culprit behind "lower" high school education. I will state it in terms of questions to think about.
Where do high school teachers get (or, more likely, not get) their education?
Where do "professors" who teach these future teachers get their so-called PhD? (sometimes with government money which universities take a large share of).
The details, with examples, of how all of this happens, and the impact, especially of the faux-PhDs, can be found in the categories "University Education Dumbs Down High School" and "Regional State Schools – What Does a Future High School Teacher Get? Look Here" that are on my blog inside-higher-ed
If, as the Obama administration is trying to do, we hold colleges accountable, we might have a chance of regaining a well educated populace; and, thus, return to being the great economy and democracy that we use to be.
Even worse, it raises revenues for the culprits behind the demise of high school education. Here is the extremely short version of why higher education is the culprit behind "lower" high school education. I will state it in terms of questions to think about.
Where do high school teachers get (or, more likely, not get) their education?
Where do "professors" who teach these future teachers get their so-called PhD? (sometimes with government money which universities take a large share of).
The details, with examples, of how all of this happens, and the impact, especially of the faux-PhDs, can be found in the categories "University Education Dumbs Down High School" and "Regional State Schools – What Does a Future High School Teacher Get? Look Here" that are on my blog inside-higher-ed
If, as the Obama administration is trying to do, we hold colleges accountable, we might have a chance of regaining a well educated populace; and, thus, return to being the great economy and democracy that we use to be.
12
Yes, because the super-hi-quality colleges and high schools of yesteryear were the engines of our great economy and democracy? No, in fact highly-skilled jobs in manufacturing in the '30's & '40's were performed by many with an 8th-gr ed or less via the apprentice system; in the '50's & '60's & beyond, office admin, purchasing/ sales/ inventory/ mgt jobs that supported families were performed by high school grads (not to mentioned a continuation of skilled hi-sch grad labor force in all mfg fields). You're putting the cart before the horse. Post-WWII economic boom was caused by a # of historic reasons, caliber of schooling not among them; ed followed suit. Today we change college (which changes hs) to match a host of students who once would have found good jobs w/far less ed-- they pursue ed in hopes of better than min-wage jobs. Meanwhile for a decade they see BA's pushing hs grads out of retail et al low-wage jobs, & STEM grads going jobless while industry/congress keeps raising the cap on cheap H1b-visa imports pushing them out of the market-- & we decry the 'lack of motivation'.
31
I commonly ask college students their sources of news, virtually all report Teitter, none respond newspapers. Teachers frequently use text messages to communicate with students: reminders, HW assignments, etc.
Newspaper readers are declining repaidly, policy decisions are influenced by "trending tweets," the world is changing, you can complain and bemoan the change, and be left behind.