Loophole may allow schools to escape state-mandated reforms
Last month, the state trotted out a bunch of scary must-do reforms when it released the list of the so-called "worst-performing schools."
Fire the principal and staff. Convert into a charter school. Or possibly shut your doors forever. But absolutely no more business as usual.
Flickr photo by woodlewonderworks
Child, please.
According to some excellent reporting by theContra Costa Times and the Oakland Tribune, a loophole as emerged.
It turns out, the reforms were tied to the acceptance of federal School Improvement Grants. Backed by federal stimulus dollars, the U.S. Department of Education offered up to $4 billion in SIG funding to turn around schools deemed consistently low performers. But here's the rub: the program is voluntary. So, if a school district decides to turn down the grant money, the state can't make them adhere to the reforms.
"At this point in time, there is not an enforcement mechanism other than public opinion," Hilary McLean, spokeswoman for the state Department of Education, told the Times.
Oakland Unified School District, which had five middle schools on the list, is a prime example of what could happen at most of the 188 schools on the list. According to the Tribune:
Some state colleges still committed to keeping student debt down
On an otherwise gloomy higher education landscape, there's one sliver of good news for students struggling to cover their college expenses.
According to a new survey by the Project on Student Debt, 50 colleges with policies to limit or eliminate loans in student aid packages are still keeping those policies in place. That includes all 10 University of California campuses, the California Institute of Technology,Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College, and Stanford.
These colleges are apparently not going down the same road as some highly selective colleges like Williams and Dartmouth that recently announced that they could no longer afford to stick to their "no-loan" pledges.
"It's good that schools that have committed resources to minimizing debt for those who can least afford it are staying the course," said Lauren Asher, president of the Oakland-based Institute for College Access and Success, which carried out the study.
This doesn't translate into a free ride for students.
Flickr photo by Amoeda
Aid packages vary from school to school, but, at least in California, all require that parents at least have to make their "expected family contribution" based on federal guidelines.
According to the survey, Stanford families with an income of $60,000 and one child in college have to contribute $12,949, towards the total cost of attendance of $50,992. Those funds could come from a range of sources – regular income, savings, loans, student employment, grandparent contributions, etc.