Education News: September 5, 2008

Following are some of the top headlines from the world of education for the week ending September 5, 2008.

Record Number of Poverty Stricken Students
(Source: The New York Times, August 31, 2008):   Record setting numbers of poverty stricken students are showing up to the first day of school who either are homeless or qualify for free meals.  Exacerbating the problem are the financial statuses of the schools, as they are looking to cut costs across the board.  In today’s economy, many schools find themselves caught between rising costs for food and fuel, declining revenues and increasing student needs.

Needs Remain Unmet for D.C.’s Special Education Students
(Source: Washington Post, September 3, 2008):  The needs of students with learning disabilities and behavioral or physical challenges are failing to be met by many public and charter schools in Washington, D.C.  This lack of accommodation has forced many of the district’s students with special needs to opt for private schooling at a high cost to the taxpayers.  Despite a court order to expedite a backlog of over 1,000 decisions regarding placement of students in special education programs, parents still find a lengthy process involving delays and a disorganized bureaucracy. 

Financial Aid Isn’t Enough
(Source: US News and World Reports, September 4, 2008)  Many students from lower income families can’t afford the education they see as their path out of poverty.  While colleges do hand out $74 billion in financial aid, increased enrollment and consistent tuition hikes have lead to tuition increasing faster than grant money handed out per student.  The increasing amount of funds that colleges possess and the decreasing ability of students to pay has many calling for reforms.

With Eyes Only for College, Some Students Might Be Left Behind
(Source: Christian Science Monitor, September 3, 2008)  In the new global economy, the old premium that has been put on attaining a four-year degree in order to obtain higher wages is being called into question.  The “college is for everyone” mentality could also be hindering students, as some, for example, drop out due to the difficulty of college-prep classes they are forced to take.

Liberal Arts Degrees Modified to Fit Employment
(Source: USA Today, September 1, 2008)  In a time of employment uncertainty, many liberal arts students are sacrificing the classes they would like to take for the classes they worry businesses want them to take.  While liberal arts programs remain adamant that the skills they impart to their students are desirable to any business, parents and students have pressured them to adapt.

Chicago Senator Ends Four-Day Protest After Two- Days
(Source: USA Today, September 4, 2008)  Led by Senator James Meeks, students in Chicago protested inequalities across the state in school funding via walkout on the first day of school.  The protest ended early, however, following a statement by Governor Blagojevich claiming that he would not meet until the students had returned to school.  With the students now back in school, Meeks hopes the state leaders will take some action and deal with the funding issue.

Even With Easier Standards, Only 48% of California Schools Meet Requirements
(Source: The LA Times, September 5, 2008)  About 300 Californian schools were found to have met federal requirements based on their high school exit exams whose scores would have failed to meet the required proficiency level for math or English language arts using California standardized tests.  Even with these 300 additional schools, less than half of Californian schools met the requirements.  The problems, therefore, are that California does not have a consistent method for evaluation and that the schools are doing poorly even under the current methods.