Latest News and Comment from Education

Friday, March 26, 2010

Formspring Question of the Day � Student Activism

Formspring Question of the Day � Student Activism

Formspring Question of the Day

Formspring.me is a neat little website that does one simple thing: It lets you ask people questions and read their answers. The questions are anonymous — unless you choose to identify yourself — and they stay private until an answer is submitted.
I set up a Formspring.me account a couple of weeks ago, and I’ll be posting the questions and answers here on an occasional basis. If you’ve got something you’d like to ask, go right ahead.
Question: Did you also study student activism in other countries? Have you found striking parallels/differences in patterns of student activism in different countries and even in different types of US institutions?
Answer: I’ve only done a little research on student activism outside the United States — it’s a vast topic, obviously. One thing that’s kept my study focused at home is the fact that so much of the work I do is on

SAFRA Passes!

After months of organizing, lobbying, and just plain waiting, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act — SAFRA — passed yesterday night. It has been sent to President Obama for his signature.
SAFRA will streamline and simplify the federal student loan program by eliminating banks as go-betweens. The reform’s savings over the next ten years are estimated at $61 billion — or, as one activist Twitterer put it last night, “61 + nine zeros.” The bulk of that money will go to increases in Pell Grants and other education