Education news and discussion

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caltrek
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by caltrek »

MorrisonWarren wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 1:56 pm
weatheriscool wrote: Tue Oct 18, 2022 2:30 pm ...
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/17/politics ... index.html
I actually very much hope this is true, because I have several problems with it, I hope it works well and I manage to apply for this compensation.
But where can I go to get more information about this?
As per the above article, this program has been put on hold. If things change, this looks like a good place to start: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief/application
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
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caltrek
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by caltrek »

The Legal Fight that Could Kill Biden’s Student Debt Relief Plan
by Ian Millhiser
November 11, 2022

Introduction:
(Vox) I regret to inform you that we’re back to the will-it-happen-or-not phase of President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive student debt — but this time it’s not his fault. On Thursday, a Trump-appointed judge in Texas became the first judge in the country to declare that the program is invalid.

The program, which was announced this summer and which would provide some borrowers with as much as $20,000 in debt relief, was already under legal assault.

Last month, the conservative United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit temporarily prohibited the Biden administration from “discharging any student loan debt” under the program. That case is known as Nebraska v. Biden.

Again, the order in Nebraska is temporary — it appears designed to pause the program while the court figures out whether or not to strike it down — but it is an extraordinarily ominous sign for Americans hoping to benefit from the program. Although the Eighth Circuit has not yet ruled on whether the program is lawful, its order suspending the program remains in effect.

Now this week, Judge Mark Pittman, the Texas judge, has gone one step further. His decision in Brown v. Department of Education rests on the so-called “major questions doctrine,” a doctrine, largely invented by Republican appointees to the federal judiciary, which the Supreme Court’s current majority has invoked to strike down policies supported by President Joe Biden.
Read more here: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politic ... ska-biden
Last edited by caltrek on Wed Dec 14, 2022 5:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
JohnMeeks
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by JohnMeeks »

The cost of studying in the US can seem extortionate but it’s important to look at the difference between the “sticker” price (what is advertised on university websites) and what students actually pay, once all sources of funding have been considered. It's good to remember that approximately 85 percent of full-time undergraduate students at four-year public universities and 89 percent at private non-profit universities benefited from some type of financial aid. It is also important to remember that this is the 21st century, and college or university is not a requirement. A huge number of people go to courses where they pay from only 3-5k and get half a year of specialty, plus a huge number of lessons on YouTube and other similar platforms. Education is more affordable than ever. Of course with student loans, I would like to end, but if you can not afford it just do not go to college.
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

Florida May No Longer Offer AP Classes
“Tens of thousands of Florida high school students take Advanced Placement courses every year to have a competitive edge heading into college,” the Miami Herald reports.

“Now, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he wants to reevaluate the state’s relationship with the private company that administers those courses and the SAT exam. The move comes after the College Board accused DeSantis’ administration of playing politics when it rejected an Advanced Placement African American Studies course.”
https://politicalwire.com/2023/02/13/fl ... p-classes/
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

'Unfathomable': Fla. parents, students blast DeSantis idea to nix APs
https://www.washingtonpost.com/educatio ... alaureate/

No paywall
https://archive.is/bdijs
As news zipped across Florida that the governor had threatened to eliminate Advanced Placement classes, some parents discussed moving out of the state to protect their children’s chances at a good education. And high school students, some of them enrolled in AP classes, tried to fathom what was happening.

Prisha Sherdiwala, a 17-year-old junior in Palm Harbor, Fla., is taking three AP classes this year to boost her GPA and to make her more attractive to college admissions officers, a strategy drummed into her by her school counselor. But Sherdiwala has also grown to love the strenuous environment of her AP English Literature, Calculus and Chemistry courses, despite the hours of homework each week.

“In the APs, I am surrounded by other people who enjoy the rigor,” Sherdiwala said. “And I tend to have teachers that are really well-versed in what they’re teaching.”

What will happen, she wants to know, if all of that goes away her senior year?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) warned Tuesday that he may withdraw state support for AP programs, intensifying his ongoing conflict with the College Board, which oversees all AP classes, including an African American studies course the DeSantis administration says leans left and lacks “educational value.” Earlier this month, the College Board announced it was revising the course to eliminate lessons on Black Lives Matter and the reparations movement.
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

DeSantis signs far-reaching school voucher expansion into Florida law
Source: Tampa Bay Times

The measure grants vouchers or education savings accounts to all children in grades K-12, regardless of family income.

Millions more Florida school children became eligible for taxpayer-funded school vouchers on Monday as Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a far-reaching bill that the Legislature sped to completion.

“The State of Florida is No. 1 when it comes to education freedom and education choice. And today’s bill signing cements us in that No. 1 position,” DeSantis said during a ceremony held at a Miami private school. He was surrounded by House and Senate leaders who made the measure a priority.

DeSantis noted that 1.3 million children in Florida use some sort of choice, whether vouchers, charter schools or district options such as magnets. “That empowers parents ... to find the best school for their child,” the governor said.

The bill has generated strong criticism from Floridians who contend the initiative will hurt an under-funded public education system without having many of the accountability requirements that traditional public schools must meet.
Read more: https://www.tampabay.com/news/education ... orida-law/
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

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weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/texas- ... professors

Texas Senate approves ban on tenure for university and college professors
by Michael Adkison | Thu, April 20th 2023, 5:39 PM CDT
AUSTIN, Texas — A bill passed by the Texas Senate on Thursday would ban public universities and colleges from granting tenure to professors, a Republican priority from Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.

Senate Bill 18, authored by Conroe Republican Brandon Creighton, would ban the practice of tenure, which grants academics assurance of employment regardless of their personal beliefs or discussions.

Sen. Creighton called the tenure practice "outdated and costly," saying it limits academic integrity by ensuring employment regardless of performance. Republican legislatures across the country have scrutinized tenure in recent years, with many working on "tenure reviews" every few years. Texas, though, is largely leading the way to an outright ban on tenure altogether.

In February 2021, Patrick lashed out at the University of Texas Faculty Council, which approved a resolution encouraging "academic freedom" to teach critical race theory and similar topics. In a Tweet, Patrick labeled the council "looney Marxist UT professors" and said he would not allow them to "poison the minds of young students with Critical Race Theory."

Since then, Patrick has publicly criticized higher education professors, even saying in his inauguration speech that he wanted to directly address their actions on multiple fronts. This session, he followed through, by effectively banning the education of critical race theory in higher education last week and now moving to ban tenured roles in higher education.
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

History, civics scores decline among U.S. eighth-graders
Source: UPI
May 3 (UPI) -- U.S. history and civics scores of eight graders declined between 2018 and 2022, according to The Nation's Report Card from the National Center for Education Statistics. A lack of critical thinking skills are partially to blame.

"A well-rounded education includes a thorough grounding in democratic principles, and these assessments challenge students to show their knowledge and skills as they prepare to become full participants in American democracy," said NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr in a statement.

"Self-government depends on each generation of students leaving school with a complete understanding of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship. But far too many of our students are struggling to understand and explain the importance of civic participation, how American government functions, and the historical significance of events."

Carr said that is partially due to problems with critical thinking skills. For example, to comprehend how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,'s "I Have A Dream" speech incorporates two ideas from the U.S. Constitution or Declaration of Independence, students need more than reading skills. "Students have to be able to read and know literacy skills, but they need critical thinking to know how to extrapolate an answer to that question," Carr said.
Read more: https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/05 ... 683129917/
weatheriscool
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Re: Education news and discussion

Post by weatheriscool »

'Lose Your School, You Lose Your Town': Educators in Rural States Mobilize Against School Vouchers
https://www.nea.org/advocating-for-chan ... al-schools
Public schools everywhere have an important and unique place in their communities, but for rural areas, that role is even more consequential. Schools are more than academic institutions; they provide critical services to students who need them the most. Rural schools are also hubs for community engagement through concerts, theatrical productions, and sports. Often, they are a town’s largest employer.

“At our school, we offer a lot, because our community expects a lot,” says Steve Peterson, a teacher in Decorah, a town in northeastern Iowa. “They want good programs—academic, but also extra-curricular opportunities.”

Peterson, his colleagues, and many parents, however, are looking ahead to the next school year and beyond with unease and trepidation.

In January, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law one of the broadest school voucher programs in the nation. Beginning in 2023-24, the state will begin shifting hundreds of millions of dollars in education funding to religious and private schools. Voucher legislation has been passed or is being considered in more than a dozen states this year.

The strength and standing of rural schools will be tested. How will they prevent a drop in enrollments? How can they continue to provide the breadth of services to every student? How will an exodus of educators be stemmed?
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