THE GOOD NEWS: San Francisco provides its residents with greater educational opportunities. Community colleges can provide an important ladder to help low-income students make their way to the middle class. According to Georgetown University, nearly 30% of Americans with an associate’s degrees now make more than those with bachelor’s degrees. Photo by Andrew/Flickr . The city of San Francisco jus
Today’s students see themselves as digital natives , the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Teachers, parents, and policymakers certainly acknowledge the growing influence of technology and have responded in kind. We’ve seen more investment in classroom technologies , with students now equipped with school-issued iPads and access to e-te
Growing up can be tough . Between school, parental pressure, raging adolescent hormones, and trying to fit in, young people often feel overwhelmed and unable to cope. In the last few years, suicide surpassed homicide to become the second leading cause of death for teenagers, and its rise has been felt across nearly every demographic, especially women and girls . While there are a myriad of factor
For the past four decades, there’s been a controversial movement in German kindergartens to curb drug abuse later in life. The answer to this vexing issue: Take away the kids’ toys. Studies dating back to the ‘80s have found that toys — like recreational drugs — provide children with an easy means of escape. Therefore, by removing this crutch, children are forced to develop important problem-solv
According to the Centers for Disease Control , over 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. As a result of the country’s aging population, this progressive brain disorder has grown to be the the sixth leading cause of death among all adults and the fifth leading cause for those aged 65 or older. Although there is no cure for this debilitating disease, a new study has found a way to reduce
After weeks of negotiation, Harvard University recently agreed to provide the Department of Justice access to its admissions files. The department is reopening a complaint by 63 Asian-American groups that Harvard discriminates against Asian-American applicants. The complaint was previously dismissed under the Obama administration. Many worry that government lawyers plan to use the case to argue t
Thurgood Marshall. Oprah Winfrey. Toni Morrison. Spike Lee. Martin Luther King Jr. These are just some of the notable graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), which are home to many of the nation’s most brilliant scholars. HBCU graduates have not only shaped the course of history, but today, these institutions produce 90% of the nation’s black science and technology gradu
By Gabe Rivin The past often looms large when people talk about Endicott. Endicott was the birthplace of IBM. It was a manufacturing powerhouse. Shoes, computer parts, leather — the village, near New York’s border with Pennsylvania, was always a company town. It was the kind of place with plenty of jobs to go around. But over the years, things took a turn for the worse. Endicott-Johnson, the shoe
By Maya Kachroo-Levine In the last few years, the gig economy has transformed the way we work. The freelance life has taken off, and it’s estimated that 35% of the workforce now participates in independent contract work. Washington Leadership Academy — a public charter school located in Washington, D.C. — is adapting to this evolving workforce in a creative way. They’re integrating independent co
Since 2001, U.S. reading comprehension scores on one international test have failed to increase, signifying an alarming trend in which countries that the United States normally outperformed are now consistently surpassing our fourth-grade students. Every five years, the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) administers a benchmarking test to students in various global education
By Michael Stahl Class trips are always among the most highly anticipated days on the calendar for students. Hours-long learning sessions outside the confines of the school building — at planetariums, zoos, museums, and other enclaves — are exciting if only because they break up the monotony of the school day for so many kids. But there’s one school in Michigan that permits its teachers to take s
By Cameron Glover What do we do when a student misbehaves? Traditional methods of discipline — like reprimanding, detention, or suspension — may not actually solve the problem. Those approaches usually fail to produce long-term solutions, making it more likely for students to disengage or drop out altogether. Restorative justice is becoming a more recognized approach, particularly in education. I
The gig economy is here to stay. Currently, freelancers account for nearly 34% of the workforce , and by 2020 it’s estimated that number may grow to 43%. Because of this, companies are looking for ways to recruit and retain talented individuals, or poach them from competitors. Ridesharing giant, Lyft, is hoping its new education initiative will give them a leg-up over companies like Uber and Side
By Paul Rogers The world is changing. That means jobs are changing. And with that, schools — and students — will need to change, too. Contemporary high school graduates need to be both media-savvy and collaborative, capable of establishing professional relationships throughout their lives in order to thrive in a digital marketplace. This will require schools to rethink their core competencies whi
For the first time in nearly a decade, the United States Congress is about to take up legislation to upgrade the Higher Education Act — the federal law that governs how the federal government supports and regulates higher education institutions. The process began earlier this month, when U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican from North Carolina, chairperson of the House Committee on Education and
By Maya Kachroo-Levine Let’s face it: In high school, learning outside the classroom is a rarity. Some high schools offer the occasional service project or career development opportunity within the community. But for the most part, practical application and internships are reserved for college students while high schools focus on core curriculum — and keeping the students in the building. At Purd
Earning a college diploma doesn’t just mean a student has become an expert in a specific field. It also means they’ve learned good study habits, developed self-discipline, and figured out how to navigate a complicated bureaucratic landscape. Case in point: the simple task of getting transcripts delivered from one institution to another. Now, Sony is looking to make managing education records easi
By Gabe Rivin Powderhouse Studios won’t be like most high schools. It’s not just the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule or the lack of homework. It’s far more than the school’s banishing of traditional grade levels. What’s perhaps most distinctive is the way it will respond to a central question in education today: Who should control the learning in class? For Powderhouse, the answer is simple. It’s all
For the past 14 years, we’ve watched images of war-torn Iraq on the evening news, heard about soldiers who’ve lost limbs and lives, and have been promised that the divisive and costly war would come to an end so America could finally move on. But what about the people who actually live there? As many in the western world decry the conflict for ideological reasons, the Iraq War and the ensuing fig
Public school funding has shrunk over the past decade. School discipline rates reached historic highs. Large achievement gaps persist . And the overall performance of our nation’s students falls well below our international peers. These bleak numbers beg the question: Don’t students have a constitutional right to something better? Many Americans assume that federal law protects the right to educa
By Paul Rogers Imagine a high school that “learns” you before you learn from it. Where you are surveyed prior to even stepping into a classroom and your curriculum is personalized to your interests, abilities, talents, and dreams. This is just one way in which a new Memphis charter school is trying to reimagine what’s possible in education — part of a growing national trend toward schools that fo
Amid rising tuition and living costs, more students than ever at one prestigious university are turning to government assistance to find their next meal. Since the beginning of this year, more than 500 University of California, Berkeley students have applied for food stamps. In the previous year, only 111 students had applied. In 2015, that number was just 41, according to a SFGate report . Thous
Every five years, Congress is tasked with reauthorizing the Higher Education Act of 1965. The last authorization was in 2013, so the U.S. House of Representatives just released a new bill to overhaul the act for next year. While the proposed bill would create a much-needed modernization of the FAFSA application process , it also bears the mark of Trump’s right-wing social agenda by banning free s
The Gateway Pundit’s White House Correspondent, Lucian Wintrich, was jailed Nov. 28, 2017, for breach of peace and released on $1,000 bail after unsuccessfully giving a speech titled “It’s OK to Be White” at the University of Connecticut. The controversial conservative was arrested after grabbing a woman who stole his notes off the lectern. Another person was arrested for allegedly breaking a win
By Michael Stahl In trying to save one of the United States’ most important stretches of land from succumbing to the effects of climate change, southeast Louisiana is calling in the cavalry: 45 prospective ninth-graders. The state’s coastline abutting the Gulf of Mexico is disappearing at an alarming rate. Studies show that about 45 square miles of wetlands are vanishing each year there , due in
By Cameron Glover In Los Angeles, there’s a growing desire to reconnect “disconnected” students — those whose life circumstances present barriers to keeping up with the demands of schoolwork — so they can earn their high school diplomas. The challenge is a big one: 111,000 students in the L.A. public school system must navigate the complexities of homelessness, incarceration, and the foster care
Jimmy Iovine is one of the biggest names in the music business. The Brooklyn native went from being a restless teen who dropped out of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at 19 to a powerhouse producer who worked with icons like John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, and U2 before founding Interscope Records with Ted Field in 1990. Iovine’s improbable rise through the ranks was a result of his supe
After a terrifying near-miss, a TV audience was reminded that just because an experiment is taking place on-camera doesn’t mean it’s any safer than if it were done elsewhere. When Australia’s “Studio 10” hosted YouTube science personality Jacob Strickling, the guest sent plastic Coke bottles flying by combining their contents with liquid nitrogen. The first two attempts, undertaken solely by Stri
As part of an initiative that began in the Obama era, the office of Federal Student Aid is looking to modernize the federal student loan system so it’s easier for students to apply for, and later, pay off their loans. “The goal is a customer service experience that will rival Amazon or Apple’s Genius Bar,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said . The first step in upgrading the entire system is mak
Since becoming the Trump administrations’ Education secretary, Betsy DeVos has been dead-set on repealing Obama-era protections for America’s most vulnerable students. Shortly after taking office, she revoked guidelines that
