For those not familiar, the FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is required by practically all universities and other scholarship funders as well as student loan applications. According to a recent article in the New York Times, some families have become so intimidated by the form, that they are hiring professional assistants to help them.
Continue reading FAFSA Foibles
Technorati Tags: Duncan, higher education, Obama
In an Op/Ed in the New York Times published a week ago, contributors Douglas J. Besharov and Douglas M. Call go on the offensive against the Head Start program and what they see as a lack of progress. Without providing a clear argument as to what is causing the failings of the program they criticize [...]
On Feb. 10, I watched President Obama speak in a town hall meeting in my home town (on TV, I wasn’t one of the few who could stand in line for 24 hours to get tickets) and my local newspaper reported on it. People are out of work and many are losing their homes in Southwest Florida. However, so far the government’s concerns seem to be banks that made poor investments, industries unwilling to change to meet the demands of the 21st century, and homeowners who bought more house than they could afford. What is missing is relief for those who are seeking to further their education.
Continue reading (Economically) Stimulating Students
Technorati Tags: Obama, politics, school funding
There has been some preliminary research done on how having a black president as a role model for African-Americans may be affecting their education, or at least the way in which they show it. The phenomenon, nick-named “the Obama effect” may be evidence that African-American students are changing their perceptions of what it means to be smart. There is now someone of their race who is not just successful in his own right, but who has the charisma, intelligence and influence over the world. Furthermore, they may be changing their view of the mainstream American public when considering that it was the American populace who made Obama president. When I saw this article, posted on New York Times, January 23, the headline was what first struck me – “Study Sees an Obama Effect as Lifting Black Test-Takers“, and I was fascinated.
Continue reading The Obama Effect
Technorati Tags: African Americans, Obama, sociology, testing
Yesterday was an exciting day for Sasha and Malia – Barack Obama’s young daughters. Not only are they preparing to move to perhaps the most famous residence in the world, but they also started at a new school. This post will not be about the girls as I take the same view as the major press outlets that the girls deserve their privacy and do not wish to form a commentary on their education progress any more than to wish them well. However, the decision of the President-elect to send his daughters to a private school does deserve some commentary.
Continue reading New School for the Obamas
Technorati Tags: NCLB, Obama, private schools, public schools, school reform
Head Start Falls Further Behind
In an Op/Ed in the New York Times published a week ago, contributors Douglas J. Besharov and Douglas M. Call go on the offensive against the Head Start program and what they see as a lack of progress. Without providing a clear argument as to what is causing the failings of the program they criticize [...]