Education https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en A New Book on Teaching for Climate Justice - by Tom Roderick! https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/new-book-teaching-climate-justice-tom-roderick <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>A New Book on Teaching for Climate Justice - by Tom Roderick!</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2023-04-25T13:03:48-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 25, 2023 - 13:03">April 25, 2023</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 25 Apr 2023 17:03:48 +0000 Sara Carrero 1755 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/new-book-teaching-climate-justice-tom-roderick#comments Should Young People Be on School Boards? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/should-young-people-be-school-boards <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Should Young People Be on School Boards?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><img alt="school doors" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f003f6bc-7f0c-4cd5-b2ef-350932192ba5" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/_DSC2868.JPG%20c.%202015%20Carolina%20Kroon%20BXCHS%20Circles%20051815.JPG" width="2000" height="1474" loading="lazy"></p> <p><strong>To the Teacher</strong></p> <p>Currently, school boards are embroiled in controversies in places ranging from <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/cbsd-school-board-vote-teacher-advocacy-pride-flag-ban-aclu-20230111.html">Pennsylvania</a>, <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/01/11/house-republicans-introduce-bills-on-school-lgbt-curriculum-policies/">Iowa</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/23/1150716064/florida-ap-african-american-studies">Florida</a>, and beyond, with intense divisions emerging around issues ranging from the rights of transgender students to how (and whether) to teach the history of race in America.</p> <p>Missing in this debate is the question of whether students themselves should have a voice in these decisions. A variety of youth advocates have argued that students deserve representation on school boards, and that—rather than just being a constituency affected by school board decisions—institutions should change so that the voices of students are formally incorporated into the process of setting educational policy for districts. In some instances, young people have stopped waiting for school boards to reform their structures and instead have decided to take action by running for school board seats themselves—and sometimes winning.</p> <p>This lesson includes an opening discussion, two readings with discussion questions, and an extension activity. The first reading looks at what school boards are, some of the controversies that have emerged around their decisions, and how school boards might include mechanisms through which students can have a voice in school policy. The second reading points to instances in which young people have decided to take matters into their own hands and run for school board seats.</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Introduction</strong></h3> <p>Invite students to share what they know about school boards:</p> <ul> <li>What is a school board?</li> <li>What kinds of decisions do school boards make?</li> <li>Do those decisions affect you as a student? If so, how?</li> <li>Do you think students should have a say in the education policies and priorities of their local school boards? Why or why not?</li> </ul> <p>Share with students that you’ll be reading about and discussing this issue today.</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Reading One</strong></p> <h3><strong>What Decisions Do School Boards Make, and Should Students Weigh In?</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Readings%20-%20School%20Boards_0.pdf"><em><strong>pdf version</strong></em></a></p> <p><br> School boards are authorities that set policy on matters such as budget, curriculum, and leadership in a given district’s public schools. These boards, sometimes referred to as “boards of education,” consist of elected or appointed citizens and help decide how hundreds of billions in government funds are <a href="https://educationdata.org/public-education-spending-statistics#:~:text=K%2D12%20schools%20nationwide%20receive,education%20or%20%247%2C058%20per%20student.">spent</a> on public schools each year. A May 2022 article by Anna Sudderth for XQ Institute, a nonprofit organization that aims to improve high school education in the U.S., <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-does-a-school-board-do-frequently-asked-questions/&amp;sa=D&amp;source=docs&amp;ust=1676310680687783&amp;usg=AOvVaw3M-f7ymcCd-F4AI6mz3KAe">outlines</a> the primary responsibilities of school boards:</p> <blockquote> <p>School boards are responsible for the education of a community’s young people, ensuring all students have access to a high-quality, rigorous education that prepares them for college, career, and life. Boards usually consist of five to nine elected or appointed representatives from the community, who meet regularly to discuss and decide issues related to local schools. They base their decisions on input from the superintendent, families, teachers, students, and the general public….</p> <p>School board members are elected or appointed members of the community who pursue a vision for local schools reflecting the needs of the students, the wishes of the voters, and the consensus of the community….</p> <p>School boards address a wide array of issues, from the daily logistics of running a district to broader goals for the education of a community’s young people. On a practical, day-to-day level, school boards:</p> <ul> <li>Hire and evaluate the superintendent</li> <li>Approve budgets</li> <li>Set spending priorities</li> <li>Approve textbooks and other curriculum materials</li> <li>Adopt the annual school calendar</li> <li>Make decisions regarding opening and closing schools</li> <li>Work closely with school and district leaders on school schedules, supplies, safety, discipline, classroom resources, facilities, and other issues….</li> </ul> <p>Broader tasks include setting high academic standards, supporting teachers and staff, ensuring transparency and accountability, creating a safe and positive school culture, and advancing policies that allow every student to thrive.</p> <p><a href="https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-does-a-school-board-do-frequently-asked-questions/">https://xqsuperschool.org/rethinktogether/what-does-a-school-board-do-frequently-asked-questions/</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> Currently, school boards are embroiled in controversies in places ranging from <a href="https://www.inquirer.com/news/cbsd-school-board-vote-teacher-advocacy-pride-flag-ban-aclu-20230111.html">Pennsylvania</a>, <a href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/01/11/house-republicans-introduce-bills-on-school-lgbt-curriculum-policies/">Iowa</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/23/1150716064/florida-ap-african-american-studies">Florida</a>, and beyond, with intense divisions emerging around issues ranging from the rights of transgender students to how (and whether) to teach the history of race and racism in America. As reporter Katie Reilly <a href="https://time.com/6228330/school-board-elections-midterms-2022/">explained</a> in a November 2022 article for Time magazine, these debates have surfaced during school board races around the country:</p> <blockquote> <p>In places across the U.S. with few competitive races at the state or federal level, it’s the school board candidates who are making local headlines. A candidate in Zionsville, Ind.—north of Indianapolis—received national attention for a Facebook post in which he <a href="https://www.indystar.com/story/news/education/2022/10/21/zionsville-school-board-candidate-says-all-nazis-werent-bad/69574142007/">declared “All Nazis weren’t ‘bad.'”</a> In North Carolina, one candidate for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools <a href="https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/education/cms-school-board-candidate-accuses-incumbent-crossing-line-charlotte-schools-election-north-carolina/275-66e45278-7d9b-41cd-b0c0-5cd6b8fd836d">accused her opponent of making her 9-year-old son cry</a>.</p> <p>Conservative advocates and lawmakers have sought to <a href="https://time.com/6208554/florida-lgbtq-teachers-dont-say-gay-education-law/">restrict how race and gender identity</a> are discussed in classrooms, calling for <a href="https://time.com/6117685/book-bans-school-libraries/">bans on certain books</a> and arguing that lessons addressing systemic racism and identity will divide children and make white students uncomfortable. At the same time, progressive advocates have called on schools to address discrimination and to invest in social-emotional learning, comprehensive sex education, and diversity initiatives to make schools more equitable for all students.</p> <p>Education issues are personal and polarizing for parents because the policies directly affect their children. And while school-board races are typically nonpartisan (meaning that candidates run on their own, rather than as part of a party slate), the politics are inescapable. Board members wield significant influence over what students learn and can play an important role in local political organizing.</p> <p><a href="https://time.com/6228330/school-board-elections-midterms-2022/">https://time.com/6228330/school-board-elections-midterms-2022/</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Missing from these debates is the question of whether students themselves should have a voice in decisions about their education.</p> <p>There are a variety of ways that students could become more involved in school board decisions. In an August 2019 report entitled “Elevating Student Voice,” Meg Benner, Catherine Brown and Ashley Jeffrey, analysts for the Center for American Progress, <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/elevating-student-voice-education/">outline</a> a variety of ways to increase student decision-making power. They write: “Students have the greatest stake in their education but little to no say in how it is delivered. This lack of agency represents a lost opportunity to accelerate learning and prepare students for a world in which taking initiative and learning new skills are increasingly paramount to success.”</p> <p>At the school level, Benner, Brown, and Jeffrey recommend a number of steps that administrators could take to increase student voice, including creating robust student governments, empowering student journalists to weigh in on important issues, and creating more democratic classroom practices. At the district level, the authors contend that:</p> <blockquote> <p>[S]chool districts and boards should incorporate student perspectives in their decision-making process as well as implement policies that encourage schools to empower students to drive their own learning and influence school policies. To do so, district level policymakers should do the following:</p> <ul> <li>Support state-required surveys and develop district-level student surveys to gather information about instruction and school climate. Districts should… develop student surveys on the rigor of instruction, quality of teaching, and school climate while ensuring youth involvement in each step of the process. Districts should publish the school-level data and use the results to create improvement plans and support school leaders…</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Include students on governing bodies and create student advisory committees to engage more student perspectives in important decisions. District school boards should appoint at least one student member with voting power to the board. District boards should develop democratic processes to select the student and help the student representative develop strategies to gain input from diverse student perspectives before weighing in on school board matters….</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Create specific initiatives to engage student groups that are historically marginalized. While efforts to create strategies to engage all students are important, targeted programming enables specific subgroups such as students of color, students who identify as LGBTQ or students from other marginalized racial or ethnic groups to have a voice.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Encourage schools to build time for student-educator collaboration and enable personalized learning.…</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Offer student-led conferences and provide training to teachers on how to conduct them. Student-led conferences can be empowering for students—even very young students—but they involve a shift in the typical teacher-parent communication.</li> </ul> </blockquote> <blockquote> <p><a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/elevating-student-voice-education/">https://www.americanprogress.org/article/elevating-student-voice-education/</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>While a variety of steps at the level of individual schools might give students a greater voice in classroom discussion and school activities, some might argue that anything short of full representation on a school board risks tokenizing student input. For this reason, debates about the composition of local boards are likely to continue in the future.</p> <p><br> <strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>According to the reading, what do school boards do and who serves on them?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>What are some of the reasons that school boards have been at the center of so much controversy?</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>According to the reading, what are some of the steps that districts might take to increase student voice in school policy?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Which of the suggestions offered in the reading were most compelling to you? Why?</li> </ol> <ol start="6"> <li>In your experience, how have school board decisions affected you or your school? How?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What impacts, positive or negative, do you think it could have if students had more of a voice in those decisions?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Reading Two</strong></p> <h3><strong>When Students Run for School Board</strong></h3> <p><a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Readings%20-%20School%20Boards_0.pdf"><em><strong>pdf version</strong></em></a><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Some youth advocates have argued that students deserve representation on school boards, and that—rather than just being a constituency affected by school board decisions—institutions should change so that the voices of students are formally incorporated into the process of setting educational policy for districts.</p> <p>In an April 2022 article for Ms, a feminist magazine, Delilah Brumer <a href="https://msmagazine.com/2022/04/21/teenage-girl-students-state-boards-education/">profiled</a> two young women who won seats as student representatives on their school boards in Massachusetts and California, two of only five states where student school board members’ votes are actually counted like those of adult board members. Brumer wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>Rana Banankhah of California serves on her state’s board of education, acting as the voice of over 6 million students. After making it through a process involving detailed essays, application questionnaires and <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/05/28/governor-newsom-announces-appointments-5-28-21/">an appointment</a> by California Governor Gavin Newsom, the 17-year-old now works with experienced and widely respected policymakers ranging from professors to school district administrators.</p> <p>“I’ve seen that our state board truly does respect you and treat you just as every other adult board member, which I really appreciate,” Banankhah said. “To be treated like an adult, even though I can’t even vote for [U.S.] president, was really eye-opening.”</p> <p>Banankhah and Livingston are <a href="https://nasbe.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/2021/06/Governance-matrix-June-2021.pdf">two of five teens</a> in the country who are voting members of their states’ boards of education. They help decide high school graduation requirements, determine teacher qualifications and develop state student assessments. They also bridge the gender gap in education leadership—since women make up only <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/when-the-man-behind-the-curtain-is-female-more-women-now-hold-key-education-policymaker-jobs/">31 percent of school district chiefs</a>….</p> <p>Since July, Banankhah has focused her attention on increasing teen Covid-19 vaccination rates…. She also is working with the California Association of Student Councils to draft and pass <a href="https://81e5b513-b0d3-489d-9346-38db381cf366.filesusr.com/ugd/d9c98c_997d55f535134df4ad6ffe948ee13673.pdf">legislation to create an advisory group</a> for current and future state student board members, allowing for more teen involvement.</p> <p>“Students have an extremely valuable perspective that none of the other board members have, which is one in which they’ve actually lived the policies that the board is passing,” Banankhah said.</p> <p>Livingston serves on the budget committee and regularly promotes the funding of mental-health focused resources for students and professional development aimed at educating teachers on the signs of a student in distress.</p> <p><a href="https://msmagazine.com/2022/04/21/teenage-girl-students-state-boards-education/">https://msmagazine.com/2022/04/21/teenage-girl-students-state-boards-education/</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> Not only are student board members among those most impacted by school board policy, they are also able to bring a youth perspective on contentious issues. In a November, 2022 story for Voice of America, journalist Dan Novak <a href="https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/in-america-some-school-boards-have-student-members/6845412.html">interviewed</a> five young people who successfully campaigned for school board seats in Maryland, Wisconsin, and Virginia. These student school board members described the ways they are able to impact critical decisions about gender and sexual identity, teaching on race, and the allocation of school funds to support low-income students. Novak wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>Until recently, most school boards were thought of as non-partisan. But some school boards have been affected by political disagreements….</p> <p>Debates about school policy can involve local and state school officials, school board members and parents. However, some districts permit student members on school boards. They provide the board with a student opinion on the board’s decision-making….</p> <p>[Noa Blanken, a student representative in Harford County schools in northern Maryland,] said that many adults from outside the district have come to speak to the board during meetings. She said many have spoken out against critical race theory, an idea that makes race a central consideration. During public comments in meetings “groups come and they get pretty loud and rowdy,” she said.</p> <p>Blanken said some people who have spoken to the board support reducing funding for programs for poor students, like free school lunches. Blanken said she wanted to be a board member to support low-income students, who make up a large percentage of students in Harford County.</p> <p>“These people are coming in and they are arguing that we need to focus all of our money on science and math and reading and history [to improve test scores] and take away all these other resources that these students so desperately need. And it's really upsetting to see”….</p> <p>[Zach McGrath, a student board member at the Wauwatosa School District outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin,] said he believes student members have a “moderating effect on the discourse between the board members, because you don't want to get into a fit when it's in front of a student. You want to set a good example.”</p> <p><a href="https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/in-america-some-school-boards-have-student-members/6845412.html">https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/in-america-some-school-boards-have-student-members/6845412.html</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> These examples suggest that having student representation on school boards can bring an important perspective to public debates that might otherwise be missing. Nevertheless, such representation is missing in many parts of the country, and the youth leaders who are currently serving on school boards remain the exception to the rule.</p> <p><br> <strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>What are some impacts of having students as voting members on school boards? What examples from the reading stood out for you?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>As school boards are drawn into heated political debates, what do you think are the best ways for making sure that student voices are heard?</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>As an exercise, imagine that you were responsible for designing a school board. Who would be eligible to run for school board, and who would have voting power? What would the responsibilities of the school board be? How would you want school board elections to be funded?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Are there issues you think your local school board should address, or policies they should change? &nbsp;What are they?</li> </ol> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Extension Activity</strong></h3> <p><br> Invite students to research their local school board. Ask them to find out, if they can:</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>What is the composition of the board?&nbsp; Are students represented in any way?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What decisions does the board make?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Are there issues in the news about the school board or school district? &nbsp;</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p>In the next class, ask students to share their findings. Then, in the whole group or in small groups, invite them to discuss their responses to questions such as:</p> <blockquote> <ul> <li>What stood out for you in your research?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What do you want to find out more about?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Were there issues the board decided on or discussed that you care about? What are they?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Are there issues you think the board should discuss?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you think students should have more of a voice on the school board?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>If so, how might you make the case for that, or organize for it?</li> </ul> </blockquote> <p><br> <em>— Research assistance provided by Sophia Zaia</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2023-02-20T12:22:56-05:00" title="Monday, February 20, 2023 - 12:22">February 20, 2023</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 20 Feb 2023 17:22:56 +0000 Laura McClure 1732 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Can We Cancel Student Debt? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/can-we-cancel-student-debt <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Can We Cancel Student Debt?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h3><img alt="Image of money and graduation cap" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3935f916-6ab5-4473-af23-282318666742" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/mentor-3513738_1920.jpg" width="1920" height="1056" loading="lazy"></h3> <p><strong>To the Teacher:&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>This lesson consists of two readings that encourage students to consider the ongoing problem of student loan debt in the U.S. The first reading discusses the Biden administration’s extension of the moratorium on loan repayment and possible next steps. The second reading explores how grassroots activism around student debt has successfully elevated this issue in American politics.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Reading One&nbsp;</h3> <h2>Will Biden Deliver on His Promise to Cancel Student Debt?</h2> <p>In recent months, activists have scored some important victories on student debt. During the pandemic, student loan payments had been suspended. However, payment requirements were set to resume on February 1, 2022, even as the Omicron surge created job instability and economic hardship for many. In this context, a variety of grassroots groups pushed the Biden administration to extend the deadline for the moratorium. The administration <a href="https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-extends-student-loan-pause-through-may-1-2022">did so</a>, first agreeing to a short-term extension and then ultimately pushing back payment requirements through <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2022/02/17/education-department-halts-collection-of-student-loans-through-november/?sh=105cdd9538f7">November 2022</a>.</p> <p>While the creation of an additional nine-month grace period is a significant win for advocates of debt relief, the larger question of how to address the student debt crisis remains. Over the last ten years, debt from student loans has skyrocketed. As CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/30/student-debt-totals-increased-by-107percent-this-decade.html">reports</a>, “At the end of 2009, Americans held roughly $772 billion in student loans. By the end of 2019, that total had spiked to nearly $1.6 trillion,” more than doubling national debt load from these types of loans. Meanwhile, the non-partisan Peter G. Peterson Foundation <a href="https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2021/10/student-debt-has-increased-sevenfold-over-the-last-couple-decades-heres-why">noted</a> that “After adjusting for inflation, federal student debt increased sevenfold from 1995 to 2017[.]”</p> <p>On the campaign trail in 2021, Joe Biden promised American students that he would create a <a href="https://medium.com/@JoeBiden/joe-biden-outlines-new-steps-to-ease-economic-burden-on-working-people-e3e121037322">program</a> offering an immediate $10,000 in debt forgiveness for student borrowers, with additional debt forgiveness available to those who complete public service. Amid the economic hardship caused by the pandemic, this was a highly popular part of his platform. However, Biden has yet to act on his promise, and the level of relief he proposed would still not be enough to solve the growing student debt crisis.</p> <p>Many advocates of student loan cancellation believe Biden should not only deliver on his promise, but should go even bigger. Both grassroots activists and selected members of Congress have urged Biden to issue an executive order on the issue. As national higher education reporter Danielle Douglas-Gabriel explained in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/12/30/student-loan-forgiveness-debt-repayment/">The Washington Post</a> in December:</p> <blockquote> <p>[A]fter Biden last week <a href="extended the pause">extended the pause</a> on federal student loan payments… activists gained a temporary victory — and reprieve…. “Momentum is on our side,” said Thomas Gokey, co-founder of the Debt Collective. “Broad-based debt cancellation is the right next step, but it will take the same kind of public pressure to win.” ...</p> <p>While consumer groups and activists have applauded the payment pause’s extension, they remain focused on pushing for more. Biden repeatedly said canceling at least $10,000 in education debt would be part of his economic recovery plan after his election, but he didn’t include any such policy in this year’s sweeping rescue package or domestic spending bill, signaling to liberal groups that the issue was not a priority.</p> <p>The Debt Collective announced Wednesday that it will replace its rally with a virtual strategy session on how to hold the president accountable.…</p> <p>Activists and some Democratic lawmakers have urged Biden to issue an executive order canceling federal student debt, with some calling for $50,000 per borrower and others pressing for full forgiveness. Proponents say reducing the burden of student loans would help stimulate the economy and close the racial wealth gap, as Black borrowers shoulder a disproportionate amount of debt.</p> <p>In a <a href="https://edtrust.org/resource/jim-crow-debt/">recent survey</a> of nearly 1,300 Black borrowers, conducted by Education Trust, two-thirds of respondents said they regretted taking out loans that now seem “unpayable.” Many felt the federal lending system exacerbated existing inequality and said the best remedy would be widespread loan forgiveness….</p> <p>The Biden administration, however, has wavered this year between assurance that it is reviewing the president’s legal authority to forgive student loans and insistence that Congress should deliver a bill to bring the policy to fruition.</p> </blockquote> <p><br> Although President Biden has not immediately canceled student debt, his administration did take action last fall to help more Americans qualify for loan forgiveness. In October 2021, Biden expanded the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, making it easier for teachers, health care workers, and other public servants to earn debt relief. According to the Department of Education, more than one million borrowers may benefit from changes to this program. Still, signing up for the program is not easy, and only a fraction of debtors qualify.</p> <p>In January <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/28/nation/biden-gives-reprieve-student-loans-borrowers-want-permanent-relief/">Boston Globe</a> reporter Haley Fuller explained that the suspension of debt payments has provided genuine relief for some borrowers:</p> <blockquote> <p><br> For some people with student loan debt, the pause has done what it was intended to do — provide temporary relief during a time of economic upheaval. Christopher Gaunya, who lives in Florence, Mass., was grateful for the pause in his monthly $670 student loan payment after he was laid off in 2020. Now that he found a new job with the Veterans Health Administration, he felt able to resume his student loan payments in February. The pause’s extension, however, is giving the 59-year-old more time to prepare for repayment.</p> </blockquote> <p>However, Fuller <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/01/28/nation/biden-gives-reprieve-student-loans-borrowers-want-permanent-relief/">quotes others</a> who are still anxious about how they will ever pay off their loans, as well as politicians who believe that bolder action on debt cancellation is a logical next step:</p> <blockquote> <p>While others sipped eggnog or relaxed with their families, Andrea Madden, 37, spent much of the holidays in a blind panic about the $180,000 she owes in federal student loans.…</p> <p>“I jokingly say that unless I get hit [and killed] by a bus, I’m never going to pay these loans off,” said Madden, whose debt stems from her undergraduate days at Monmouth College and attempts to obtain a master’s degree at several for-profit universities. “It’s a constant state of anxiety, and it basically has put me in limbo.”….</p> <p>At a virtual town hall about student debt… [U.S. Representative Ayanna] Pressley praised Biden for the extension of the pause and argued it set the groundwork for more sweeping executive action.</p> <p>“It was a policy choice, one that recognized the crushing burden this debt was having on millions of workers and families in the midst of this ongoing pandemic,” Pressley said at the town hall. “Now, in less than 100 days, the Biden administration has another opportunity to stand on the right side of history, and to cancel $50,000 in student debt with the mere stroke of a pen.”</p> <p>That move would erase student debt for nearly 84 percent of borrowers, or more than 36 million people, according to April 2021 <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Education Department Response to Sen Warren - 4-8-21.pdf">data from the US Department of Education</a>. In Massachusetts alone, more than 900,000 people owe around $31 billion in student debt, and canceling $50,000 in debt would erase the debt for more than 80 percent of those borrowers, [U.S. Senator Elizabeth] Warren said.</p> <p>“The payment pause has given people a taste of what it’s like to be debt-free on student loans,” Warren said. “We need to make that permanent for millions of people across this country.”</p> </blockquote> <p><br> As of mid-February, Biden has yet to issue an executive order canceling student debt. Grassroots advocates and sympathetic politicians will continue pushing the administration in the coming months to act on this issue.</p> <p><br> <strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>According to the reading, what action did Biden promise on student debt when he was on the campaign trail? What steps has his administration taken so far to address the issue?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>A moratorium on student loan payments has been extended multiple times since the start of the pandemic. What do you think of this measure? What might be some of the pros and cons of a temporary grace period on loan payments?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Have you or members of your family borrowed money to pay for education, or do you know others who have student loan debt? How has this debt affected their lives? Has it been worth it to take on student loans, have the payments created undue hardship, or both?</li> </ol> <p><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3>Reading Two</h3> <h2>Fighting for the Cancellation of Student Debt</h2> <p>Grassroots pressure to address the crisis of student debt has succeeded in turning this into a prominent issue in American politics. One group that has taken a leading role in educating the public about the issue and pushing for solutions is called the Debt Collective, which is an outgrowth of an earlier group known as Strike Debt.&nbsp;</p> <p>Looking at the history of these groups is useful in highlighting the progress that has been made in the past decade—as well as the work that still needs to be done to resolve the debt crisis.</p> <p>Strike Debt was formed as part of the Occupy Wall Street movement that emerged in 2011. In 2014, members of the group formed the Debt Collective, a membership-based union for debtors and their allies. Over the years, activists in these groups have promoted a variety of tactics to cancel debt, including debt “jubilees,” debt strikes, and advocacy for action by the federal government.</p> <p>One of the first campaigns of Strike Debt was the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/14/nyregion/occupy-offshoot-aims-to-erase-peoples-debts.html">Rolling Jubilee</a>. In this drive, activists used their knowledge of how modern debt systems work to reduce the burden of debt for millions of Americans. According to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/occupys-rolling-jubilee-ends-15-million-of-debt-2013-11">Business Insider</a>, the group would “crowdsource money to buy consumer debt for ‘pennies on the dollar’ on the secondary market, and then, once they owned the debt, they would cancel it.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Traditionally, debt collectors demand the money back from lenders; Rolling Jubilee spun this tradition by instead sending congratulatory letters to debtors informing them that their debts had been paid off. Within a year of launching, Rolling Jubilee purchased and erased nearly <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/occupys-rolling-jubilee-ends-15-million-of-debt-2013-11">$15 million</a> worth of debt from unpaid medical bills and <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/09/17/rolling-jubilee">$3.9 million</a> in private student loans. Although this amount is a mere fraction of the overall debt burden owed by those struggling to pay, Rolling Jubilee helped shine a spotlight on the unjust practices of major U.S. lending corporations.</p> <p>In late 2014, some members of Strike Debt turned their energy toward forming the Debt Collective. The group supported a payment strike by fifteen students who had taken out loans to attend Corinthian Colleges, a set of <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/09/29/feds-found-widespread-fraud-at-corinthian-colleges-why-are-students-still-paying-the-price/">fraudulent for-profit universities</a>. Their campaign made a lasting impact. In July 2021, the Department of Education cleared <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/07/15/corinthian-colleges-students-loan-cancellation/">7,200 former Corinthian students</a> of their debts.</p> <p>Currently, the Debt Collective is continuing its work by advocating for debt cancellation on the federal level. In a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/07/15/corinthian-colleges-students-loan-cancellation/">second organized debt strike</a> that began in the winter of 2021, group members demanded President Biden erase student debt within his first 100 days in office. In the year that followed, some members of the union simply decided not to pay. Writing for <a href="https://www.thelily.com/women-hold-two-thirds-of-student-debt-these-activists-say-theyll-strike-if-biden-doesnt-cancel-it/">The Lily</a> in January 2022, freelance reporter Abigail Higgins spent time with women activists who have recently gotten involved with Debt Collective. Higgins writes:</p> <blockquote> <p><br> Richelle Brooks thought education was her shot at escaping poverty — a chance to stop bouncing between nights in her car and a shelter, an opportunity to secure a different future for her two children.&nbsp;“I saw education as a salvation,” Brooks said.</p> <p>In many ways, it has been. After finding that neither a bachelor’s nor a master’s degree was enough to get a decently paying job in Los Angeles — especially as a Black woman, Brooks said — she worked her way through a doctorate in education to eventually get a job as a school principal.</p> <p>Education is also, however, what saddled her with $220,000 of debt she said she will never be able to pay off. "There’s a constant cloud over your head, or a shackle to your ankle,” said Brooks. “And until it’s canceled, that never goes away.”</p> <p>Brooks is one of more than <a href="https://strike.debtcollective.org/">1,400 student debtors</a> who are on strike and refusing to pay back their student loans. Others say they are prepared to join if <a href="https://biden100.debtcollective.org/">Biden doesn’t take action</a> to cancel student debt. Brooks said her decision was spurred by the book “<a href="https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/1520-can-t-pay-won-t-pay">Can’t Pay Won’t Pay</a>” by the <a href="https://debtcollective.org/">Debt Collective</a>, a debtors’ union she now organizes with that is working to cancel all debts (not just from student loans).</p> <p>“I realized this is bigger than an individual issue; this is systemic and systematic and it’s intentional and predatory,” Brooks said. “I literally couldn’t pay and then I declared my inability to pay publicly.”….</p> <p>Striking is a <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/02/12/student-loan-borrowers-announce-a-strike-refusing-to-pay-their-debts.html">risky tactic</a>: Tanked credit can rob borrowers of the chance to own a car or even rent a home. Some defaulters can have professional licenses <a href="https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2020/04/student-loan-default-has-serious-financial-consequences">suspended</a> and government agencies and debt collectors may garnish wages and even withhold social security….</p> <p>The Debt Collective is encouraging strikers to use strategies such as loan deferment and income-driven repayment to bring their monthly bills to $0 while <a href="https://community.debtcollective.org/t/protecting-yourself-from-creditors-and-collectors-while-on-strike/3520">protecting</a> their financial future. They also say, however, that debtors’ willingness to take drastic action is a sign of their desperation — with millions defaulting, the collective says that many already are effectively on strike.</p> <p>“We’re in a world where you’re just supposed to suffer in silence and in shame because being poor is your fault and being in debt is your fault,” said Astra Taylor, co-founder of the Debt Collective. “It’s really powerful for people to come out and say, ‘Hold on, we’re not going to suffer in silence. We’re going to come out and name ourselves as a collective.’”<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Though individual debtors may feel isolated, groups like Debt Collective provide a place for people to meet and form collective strategies to address their debt. Writing for <a href="https://nonprofitquarterly.org/we-owe-you-nothing-the-movement-to-cancel-student-debt-gains-ground/">Nonprofit Quarterly</a> on February 9, 2022, reporter Rithika Ramamurthy discussed some of the group’s plans:</p> <blockquote> <p><br> Debt Collective organizer Hannah Appel, once an Occupy activist, went over the origins of the Debt Collective’s strategy, its positions, and its political goals “Alone, our debts are a burden,” Appel stressed, “Together, organized, they make us powerful. Our collective debt can give us leverage over the systems that exploit us.” ....</p> <p>The Debt Collective is focused on student debt cancellation in the present, but their horizon is more ambitious. Overall, [Debt Collective Press Secretary Braxton] Brewington said, their goal is “transforming the economy, so that people don’t have to go into debt in the first place.”</p> <p>How does one get there? Consciousness raising is one way, which is a strategy that the Collective has excelled at—staging demonstrations, protests, and political education across the country. Exposing the realities of finance capitalism and the interconnections between debtors and their creditors is no easy feat. But in some sense, Brewington argued, this might be an easier task than, say, organizing a union at every Starbucks store in the country because finance is so concentrated. “It’s the IMF, it’s the World Bank, it’s JP Morgan, it’s the US government,” Brewington said, “It’s like 10 corporations that control finance.” The small number of culprits make for a discrete list of targets, but it doesn’t make organizing any less challenging, as debtors are still isolated and dispersed through the networks of finance that traverse the globe.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Pressing President Biden to take action on debt cancellation is one goal of the Debt Collective. However, the group intends to continue its work until debtors are able to win larger transformations in the American economy.&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>One Debt Collective organizer quoted in the reading argues, “We’re in a world where you’re just supposed to suffer in silence and in shame because being poor is your fault and being in debt is your fault.” How does coming together with others change this dynamic?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>According to the reading, what are some of the tactics used by Strike Debt and the Debt Collective? Which do you think are the most interesting or effective?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Some student debtors have decided to stop paying off their student loans, going on a debt strike. Do you think such an action is justified? Why or why not? How do the strikers explain the reasons behind their actions?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are some of the challenges and risks involved in striking? Would you go on strike for something you believe in?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The Debt Collective’s vision involves not only debt forgiveness for student borrowers, but making college free for all and implementing wider changes to the American economic system, so that people do not have to go into debt to begin with. What do you think? Is this vision appealing? Is it realistic? What type of actions might it take to bring it into existence?&nbsp;</li> </ol> <p><br> <em>Research assistance provided by Celeste Pepitone-Nahas.</em></p> <p><br> &nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2022-02-23T15:48:19-05:00" title="Wednesday, February 23, 2022 - 15:48">February 23, 2022</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:48:19 +0000 Sara Carrero 1648 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Banning Beloved: Censoring Toni Morrison’s Acclaimed Books https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/banning-beloved-censoring-toni-morrisons-acclaimed-books <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span> Banning Beloved: Censoring Toni Morrison’s Acclaimed Books</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="Normal1"><strong>To The Teacher:</strong></p> <p>Toni Morrison is one of America’s most acclaimed writers. She is also one of its most censored. Before her death in 2019, Morrison published 11 novels and received the Nobel Prize for Literature, as well as the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom. Yet multiple school districts around the country have witnessed attempts—both successful and unsuccessful—to ban works by Morrison.</p> <p>In this lesson, students learn about the life and legacy of Toni Morrison and discuss how her 1987 book Beloved is both frequently taught and frequently subject to calls for censorship. Questions for discussion follow each reading.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Reading One:</strong></p> <h3><strong>Toni Morrison: Celebrated and Censored</strong></h3> <p><br> Toni Morrison is one of America’s most acclaimed writers. She is also one of its most censored.</p> <p>Before her death in 2019, Morrison published 11 novels, including The Bluest Eye (1970), Sula (1973), Song of Solomon (1977), Beloved (1987), and Paradise (1997). These works, in the words of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/06/books/toni-morrison-dead.html">New York Times</a>, “explored Black identity in America — and in particular the often crushing experience of Black women — through luminous, incantatory prose resembling that of no other writer in English.”</p> <p>Among numerous honors, Morrison was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1993, becoming the first African-American woman to receive this prize. Beyond writing and publishing, she led a successful career as an editor and helped promote many other African-American authors.</p> <p>Despite this legacy, the American Library Association has regularly included her works on its annual <a href="https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2019">list</a> of most banned and challenged books. In recent decades, multiple school districts around the country have witnessed attempts—both successful and unsuccessful—to ban works by Morrison, in some cases removing her books from English courses. Given this, discussion of Toni Morrison’s work provides an important window into censorship and the role of literature in our society.</p> <p>On October 28, 2021, Farah Jasmine Griffin, professor of African American and African diaspora studies and English literature at Columbia University, published an op-ed in the Washington Post that outlined the censorship battles over Morrison’s books. Among other examples, Griffin noted:</p> <blockquote> <p>Since the publication of her first novel,<a href="https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B000TWUTYQ&amp;preview=newtab&amp;linkCode=kpe&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_K757ZACSAEG713M4RCHE&amp;tag=thewaspos09-20"> </a><a href="https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B000TWUTYQ&amp;preview=newtab&amp;linkCode=kpe&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_K757ZACSAEG713M4RCHE&amp;tag=thewaspos09-20">“The Bluest Eye”</a> in 1970, Morrison’s books have often come under fire. In 1997, Texas prisons considered<a href="https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B000TWUTXW&amp;preview=newtab&amp;linkCode=kpe&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_AN6YPJAH2KSPND8WYF6T&amp;tag=thewaspos09-20"> </a><a href="https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B000TWUTXW&amp;preview=newtab&amp;linkCode=kpe&amp;ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_AN6YPJAH2KSPND8WYF6T&amp;tag=thewaspos09-20">“Paradise”</a> too<a href="https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/paradise-in-texas-prisons/"> </a><a href="https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/09/paradise-in-texas-prisons/">dangerous</a> for their libraries because it might incite “strikes or riots.” …. Last year, a Southern California school board announced<a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-10-01/banned-book-reinstated-toni-morrison-the-bluest-eye"> </a><a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-10-01/banned-book-reinstated-toni-morrison-the-bluest-eye">the reversal</a> of its decision to remove “The Bluest Eye” from its core reading list for AP English Literature classes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/28/beloved-toni-morrison-virginia/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/28/beloved-toni-morrison-virginia/</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> In the latter incident, parents in San Bernadino, California sought to ban The Bluest Eye, citing the book’s scenes of rape and incest. The protagonist of the story is Pecola Breedlove, an 11-year-old Black girl who prays for blond hair and blue eyes, traits she believes will make her more beautiful. Writing for the San Bernardino Sun on February 11, 2020, reporter Brian Whitehead outlined the controversy over the book:</p> <blockquote> <p>“The Bluest Eye,” which had previously been on the district’s reading list, was the only book removed from the catalog of nearly 500 pieces of literature up for approval.</p> <p>District officials Monday could not recall another time such an action was taken.</p> <p>“There are dozens of books on the list that deal with controversial issues,” [school board member Dan] Flores said. “Yet, the only one being removed is by Toni Morrison, one of the most prominent Black female authors of recent time. Her literature speaks to the African American experience in America and I could not personally support removing one of her books from our reading list altogether.”</p> <p>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sbsun.com/2020/02/11/colton-school-district-removes-the-bluest-eye-from-classroom-reading-list/">https://www.sbsun.com/2020/02/11/colton-school-district-removes-the-bluest-eye-from-classroom-reading-list/</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>After PEN America, a non-profit organization with a mission to “protect open expression in the United States and worldwide,” wrote a letter to the San Bernardino school board, the ban on The Bluest Eye was lifted, and teachers were allowed to add it back to reading lists.</p> <p>However, other districts have also targeted the book – including public schools in Virginia Beach, which this fall <a href="https://ncac.org/news/virginia-beach-toni-morrison-lawn-boy-banned">removed</a> Morrison’s volume from libraries pending a challenge by school board members.</p> <p>Over the years, the back-and-forth of banning and reinstating of books by Toni Morrison has become a pattern. In 2009, when one of her books was banned in a Michigan school district, Toni Morrison herself spoke out about the incident. As the Guardian reported at the time:</p> <blockquote> <p>Speaking at an event in New York to launch the National Coalition Against Censorship's new initiative, the Free Speech Leadership Council, the 78-year-old Morrison said that<a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/toni_morrison_defends_censored_work_118135.asp"> </a><a href="http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/authors/toni_morrison_defends_censored_work_118135.asp">there was an "enormous sacredness" attached to reading in her family</a>.”….</p> <p>Reading, she said, was essential. "You have to read, you have to know, you have to have access to knowledge." The censorship issue is rooted in fear of information, she believes, dating back to Eve's temptation in the Garden of Eden – the idea that the acquisition of knowledge has dire consequences.….</p> <p>[Morrison] edited and published Burn This Book, a collection of essays on censorship and the power of words, in which she writes that "a writer's life and work are not a gift to mankind; they are its necessity"....</p> <p>"The thought that leads me to contemplate with dread the erasure of other voices, of unwritten novels, poems whispered or swallowed for fear of being overheard by the wrong people, outlawed languages flourishing underground, essayists' questions challenging authority never being posed, unstaged plays, cancelled films – that thought is a nightmare. As though a whole universe is being described in invisible ink," Morrison writes. "Certain kinds of trauma visited on peoples are so deep, so cruel, that unlike money, unlike vengeance, even unlike justice, or rights, or the goodwill of others, only writers can translate such trauma and turn sorrow into meaning, sharpening the moral imagination."</p> <p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/05/toni-morrison-sacredness-censorship">https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/05/toni-morrison-sacredness-censorship</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>For Discussion</strong><br> &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>What stands out for you in the reading? Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>According to the reading, what were some of the reasons cited for banning Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from the California school district in 2020?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>Toni Morrison spoke out in 2009 about the issue of the material in her books, writing that “only writers can translate such trauma and turn sorrow into meaning.” Is there a place for discussion of trauma and sorrow in the classroom? Have you encountered such themes in novels, and if so, how have you felt about that experience?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="5"> <li>District staffers in San Bernardino who opposed removing The Bluest Eye from school curriculum had suggested that teachers instead work “to establish an optimal [environment] in which students can address controversial and uncomfortable content.” What do you think of this recommendation?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="6"> <li>Recall a time you approached difficult or controversial content in an English course. What practices do you think can help to create an optimal environment for discussing difficult or uncomfortable material in school?<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <hr> <p><strong>Reading Two </strong></p> <h3><strong>Beloved: A Pulitzer-Winning Book that Some Have Tried to Ban</strong></h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>In the fall of 2021, controversy over Morrison erupted in a political race in Virginia, when a candidate for governor ran a political ad featuring a mother of a student who said he was traumatized after being assigned Morrison’s book Beloved in his high school English class.</p> <p>Debate over the ad drew Morrison’s work into the public spotlight; however, as we have seen, it was not an isolated incident. Recently, New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg described “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/12/opinion/book-bans.html?referringSource=articleShare">A Frenzy of Book-Banning</a>,” with books by Morrison prominent among the titles appearing in a spate of local debates about censorship, education, and literary expression.</p> <p>Likely Morrison’s best-known work, Beloved won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 1988 and was a finalist for the National Book Award. The novel is set after the Civil War and tells the story of a mother who kills her infant daughter in order to protect her from the horrors of slavery. Since its publication, the book has been taught in countless schools across the country and is commonly used on AP Literature exams.</p> <p>In the Virginia case, one parent claimed that her son had nightmares after reading Beloved in a senior year English class, which led her to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/88g4y5/mom-who-tried-to-ban-toni-morrison-beloved-glenn-youngkin">promote</a> legislation giving parents the right to opt their children out from reading particular books. Likewise, in 2012, Matt and Barb Dame, parents in a Michigan school district, asked that the book be banned from an AP English course in their child’s school; they argued that it contained “<a href="https://patch.com/michigan/plymouth-mi/parents-teachers-state-case-in-book-challenge">gratuitous sex and violence</a>” as well as “repeated instances throughout the novel where God’s name was used in vain.”</p> <p>Reporting for Michigan Radio in 2012, senior producer Jennifer Guerra interviewed students about their reactions to the potential banning of the book. Guerra writes:</p> <blockquote> <p>Meredith Yancy, 16, is reading the book in her Advanced Placement English Literature class at Salem High School. She says she didn’t have a problem with the book’s mature content.</p> <p>"I handled it just fine. Slavery, that’s a really serious issue. And a lot of events in the book are not there to be gratuitous and offensive; they’re there to make a point of how awful those times really were."</p> <p>Another student, 16-year old Alexis Bentley, says she was "offended" when she heard Beloved might be banned.</p> <p>"African-American history is not pretty," says Bentley, who is African-American. "It’s not going to be all flowers and daisies; it’s going to be ugly, and there are going to be times where you’re going to be appalled at what’s in the history. But it’s education."</p> <p>One of the AP English teachers, Brian Read, says he’s taught Beloved for 10 years without any complaint from parents. Read points out that students and parents were given the full AP reading list before the semester began, so they could have voiced their concerns then.</p> <p>And he says there are always alternative options if a parent doesn’t want a student to read one of the assigned books. "I’ve done that in the past with Huckleberry Finn, with Catcher in the Rye; so there are always options. I think what surprises me is the desire to remove it from access to all students."</p> <p>Read says the content in Beloved is mature, so he understands why some parents are concerned. But he adds that "most literature we teach has some content that people will disagree with. It’s when we confront those things that we’re really confronted with our own humanity."</p> <p><a href="https://www.michiganradio.org/education/2012-01-17/a-michigan-school-district-considers-banning-two-books">https://www.michiganradio.org/education/2012-01-17/a-michigan-school-district-considers-banning-two-books</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>In her op-ed for the Washington Post on October 28, 2021, Columbia professor Farah Jasmine Griffin argued that Beloved being drawn into debates about banning books is “less about the comfort of teenage readers and more about parents trying to elide the harsh truths and realities of our nation’s history.” She writes:</p> <blockquote> <p>Literary history is full of examples of complex, difficult books replete with scenes of sex and violence, often told in controversial, if beautiful, language. The most sophisticated of these works do not sensationalize violence, nor do they insist that readers put themselves in the place of the characters, but instead, they encourage us to bear witness to the suffering of others. For literature to bear witness, it must engage with violence, even as it condemns it. From the Old and New Testaments to Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” or Elie Wiesel’s “Night,” readers are confronted with powerful narratives that not only tell the stories of oppressed people, but also hold the mirror up to humanity, often showing us parts of ourselves we’d rather not see.</p> <p>Nowhere is this more apparent than in “Beloved,” a novel that includes sex, some of it consensual, much of it brutal and abusive. Such abuse constituted the horrific conditions of slavery. Nonetheless, sex in “Beloved” is not overly explicit, as… the earlier campaign against it would have us believe, although it can make for difficult and painful reading. If her novel is “obscene,” that is because the institution of slavery was obscene. The novel is about slavery — including, but not limited to, the sexual abuse that it encouraged and relied upon as a tool of power. Significantly, “Beloved” is also about a mother, Sethe, seeking to protect her child from the horrors of that institution, which includes protecting her from sexual assault. For Sethe, murdering her child is better than having the girl face the terror with which she herself has lived as an enslaved woman.</p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/28/beloved-toni-morrison-virginia/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/10/28/beloved-toni-morrison-virginia/</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> Morrison’s novel includes material that is disturbing. Whether that is a cause for banning the book from the classroom, or whether it is the role of literature to force us to confront disturbing truths, lies at the heart of current debate.</p> <p><br> <strong>For Discussion</strong><br> &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>What stands out for you in the reading? Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>How do the students quoted in the reading respond to objections that Beloved contains sexually explicit material? What did you think of their viewpoints?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>How much influence do you think parents should have in reviewing the material that students access in schools? How much input do you think your parents should have in&nbsp; deciding what books are suitable for your classes? If you were a parent, how much say would you want over the works your child was assigned to read?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>In the reading, Michigan English teacher Brian Read notes that the program in his school allows students alternative options if a parent does not want a student to read an assigned book. Is offering such alternatives a good way of responding to concerns about controversial literature? What might be the pros and cons of this approach?<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Perhaps unexpectedly, sales of Beloved have only <a href="https://qz.com/2081096/toni-morrisons-beloved-sales-jump-after-virginia-campaign-ad/">increased</a> since the book was in the news during the Virginia governor’s race. What do you think of this development?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><br> <em>Research assistance provided by Celeste Pepitone-Nahas.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-11-30T09:32:38-05:00" title="Tuesday, November 30, 2021 - 09:32">November 30, 2021</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:32:38 +0000 Laura McClure 1630 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org How Can I Be A Culture Shifter? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/how-can-i-be-culture-shifter <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>How Can I Be A Culture Shifter?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2020-03-04T09:25:38-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 4, 2020 - 09:25">March 4, 2020</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:25:38 +0000 Sara Carrero 1397 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org DeVos and a Controversy over Public Education https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/devos-and-controversy-over-public-education <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>DeVos and a Controversy over Public Education</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>To the Teacher:</h4> <p>This lesson includes a student reading and small group activities focusing on Betsy DeVos, the Trump administration’s Secretary of Education, and education reform. You may want to print out in advance:</p> <ul> <li>copies of <a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Reading(2).pdf">this student reading</a></li> <li>copies of <a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Quotes.pdf">these quotes</a>&nbsp;for small and large group discussion&nbsp;</li> <li>copies of&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Chart.pdf">this pdf chart</a>&nbsp;for small groups to complete</li> </ul> <p>Begin by asking students to take a short quiz.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Quiz&nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>1.</strong>&nbsp; What does the U.S. Department of Education do?</p> <p>a) Provides educational services for the children of senators, representatives and members of the Supreme Court</p> <p>b) Provides most of the funding for K-12 schools</p> <p>c) Gives grants to states and local school districts to support programs that are aligned with federal policy</p> <p>d) Writes rules of conduct for grades 6, 7 and 8</p> <p>e) Runs all public schools and two-year colleges</p> <p><br> <em>Answer: </em>C. The federal Department of Education (ED) provides grants and other support for schools that are aligned with federal policy. The federal government also enforces civil rights laws in public schools to ensure that they do not discriminate and provide equal access to education. Most of the funding for public schools comes from state and local governments, and public schools are operated by local school districts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2.</strong>&nbsp; Advocates for "school choice" support a variety of ways of channeling tax dollars to support private education.&nbsp; One way is by providing school vouchers.&nbsp; What is a <strong>school voucher</strong>?</p> <p>a) A certificate signed by the governor of a state affirming that a school is properly credentialed</p> <p>b) A government allotment to families that can be used to pay for private school tuition</p> <p>c) The system by which public school teachers teach one class a day in a private school</p> <p>d) A full course meal delivered daily to non-profit charter schools</p> <p><br> <em>Answer:</em> B. A voucher is an allotment of money from the government that families can use to send their children to a private school.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp; Another policy supported by school choice advocates is using public money to support charter schools.&nbsp; What is <strong>a charter school</strong>?&nbsp;</p> <p>a) Any school that is not publicly funded</p> <p>b)&nbsp; A school that is funded by the government but run independently.</p> <p>c) A school which specializes in writing contracts, by-laws and charters.</p> <p>d) A school affiliated with a specific religion</p> <p>e) All of the above</p> <p><br> <em>Answer:</em> &nbsp;B. A charter school is a school that is funded by the government but managed independently. Generally this means that the charter school (or group of charter schools) has more flexibility over things like the curriculum, personnel and budget.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><br> <strong>4.</strong> The Secretary of Education becomes president when which of the following occurs:</p> <p>a) The president dies</p> <p>b) The president dies on school property</p> <p>c) The president dies and 15 other congressional leaders and cabinet members are also unable to take over</p> <p>d) When there is an educational emergency</p> <p>e) Never, ever</p> <p><br> <em>Answer:</em> C.</p> <p>Next, ask students read the following. (See this&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Reading(2).pdf">this pdf version of the reading</a>.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Student Reading:<br> The Department of Education, DeVos &amp; Education Reform<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>The Department of Education</strong></p> <p>The U.S. Department of Education (ED) does not build or run or directly control schools or colleges. Nor does it provide most of the funds for K-12 public education - that is the job of state governments. What the ED <em>does </em>do is administer a large array of programs aimed at improving schools. The department does give grants to states and local school districts for specific programs that advance the goals and policies set by the leadership of the department and ultimately by the President. &nbsp;</p> <p>For instance, President Obama’s $4 billion Race to the Top initiative rewarded state education systems that put a priority on teacher assessments, that accepted charter schools, and that had a sizable low-income student population. The initiative gave school systems, many of them cash-starved, a financial incentive to adopt the policies the administration was advocating.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Betsy DeVos</strong></p> <p>On February 7, 2017, Betsy DeVos was sworn in as President Trump’s secretary of education. She had been confirmed by the Senate earlier that day by the narrowest possible margin, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tiebreaking vote - the first time that a vice president’s tiebreaker was needed to confirm a Cabinet secretary.</p> <p>DeVos’s nomination was extremely controversial. Much of the debate centered on DeVos’s level of knowledge and experience and on her stances on education policy, including her support for "school choice."</p> <p>Betsy DeVos is a well-known name in Michigan. She chaired the state Republican Party, chaired an investment firm, and led several education reform organizations. DeVos grew up in a billionaire family and married into another billionaire family. Her brother, Erik Prince, is founder of Blackwater—a firm that supplied mercenaries and security guards for conflicts in Africa and the Middle East. Her husband is the heir to the Amway fortune.</p> <p>The family has contributed over a billion dollars to a variety of causes, including the Republican Party, and organizations that support education reform.&nbsp; Betsy DeVos has been a leader in the campaign to use public funds to support private schools and charter schools. She has founded and led national organizations that lobby for reform legislation and support school choice candidates for office. She and the DeVos family have contributed tens of millions of dollars to fund these organizations, Christian schools and think tanks. Opponents to her nomination were concerned that public education will suffer under an Education Department devoted to privatization.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Education Reform</strong></p> <p>What is the "education reform" that DeVos supports?&nbsp;</p> <p>While education reform has taken on different meanings over time, the current movement for reform supports policies including:</p> <ul> <li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">"High stakes" testing. That is, using students’ standardized test scores to determine punishments (such as sanctions, penalties, or funding cuts for schools or educators), advancement (such as student grade promotion or graduation), or compensation (salary increases or bonuses for educators).</li> <li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">Assessing teachers and using those assessments to reward or sanction them.</li> <li style="margin-left: 0.25in;">"School choice" - that is, using public money to support private schools or independently run schools through various funding mechanisms. This can include vouchers and charter schools.<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Small-group Activity</h4> <p>Give students this&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Quotes.pdf">this pdf of quotes</a>&nbsp;(the quotes also appear at the bottom of this lesson) related to Betsy DeVos’s appointment as Secretary of Education. Some of those quoted speak in support of the DeVos nomination; others speak in opposition.</p> <p>Next, ask students to break into small groups. Ask each group to fill out&nbsp;<a href="/sites/default/files/files/DeVos%20Chart.pdf">this pdf chart</a>&nbsp;based on the quotes, the reading, or other information they have. (Alternatively, have each group draw the chart on a piece of chart paper and fill that in.) &nbsp;</p> <p>Give students time to complete the chart, perhaps 15 minutes. While they are working, reconstruct the chart on the board. &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Classroom Discussion</h4> <p>When the small groups are ready, reconvene the class. Ask each group to share from their list, and add their contributions to your chart. Discuss the issues as they come up, and clarify any misconceptions.&nbsp; Make a list of questions for further research, if necessary. &nbsp;</p> <div>Once you’ve completed the chart, discuss the DeVos debate with students, asking questions such as:</div> <ul> <li>What issues are most compelling to you?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The National Review asserts that school choice is a "better-performing alternative" to public schools, while Diane Ravitch asserts that charter schools and vouchers are not only undermining public schools, but that they are not better performing.&nbsp; Which argument do you find more persuasive?&nbsp; What evidence might establish the accuracy of either assertion?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How might charter schools and vouchers undermine public schools?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Jeb Bush asserts that more local control of schools is a positive. What do you think might be positive about greater local control of schools? What might be negative about it?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The New York Times editorial argues that DeVos’s personal lack of experience is an important concern. Do you agree?&nbsp; What about her family’s contributions and financial connections?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Of the quotes we read, what stood out for you the most? Why?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What statements from the quotes do you think are questionable? How might you investigate the accuracy of these statements?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How do you think the debate over school choice is relevant to our school?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Optional Homework</h4> <p>Ask students to choose one controversy over school choice or Betsy DeVos’ nomination. Research that controversy, including multiple points of view on it. &nbsp;Then write a 5-paragraph essay that argues for your own position on this issue. It should include:</p> <ul> <li>A summary of the issue and your thesis.</li> <li>Three points in support of your thesis, with evidence.</li> <li>A concluding paragraph.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Quotes about the DeVos Nomination&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>1. The National Review</strong> supported the DeVos nomination. In an editorial, the conservative publication condemned the size and scope of the ED and applauded the idea of school choice. The editorial noted a slippage in reading and math scores in&nbsp; 2015 (as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress), and argued that this shows that the recent education initiatives have not worked. They also pointed to the success of DeVos' American Federation for Children in helping to elect reform-minded candidates.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">DeVos has long been bullish about the prospects for school choice in its many forms, observing that the ineffectiveness of the public-school monopoly, often ruled by thuggish teachers’ unions, has become obvious. It’s part of the reason that Congress passed and President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act last December, the most sweeping education-reform bill since No Child Left Behind, and the most significant deregulation of American education in recent memory — now in need of a secretary who will enforce its terms.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Meanwhile, school choice — a term, she has said, that ought to encompass everything from "vouchers and tax credits [to] virtual schools, magnet schools, homeschooling, and charter schools" — is taking root as a viable, and better-performing, alternative. As education secretary, DeVos will be in the ideal position to roll back the mess of federal regulations that have hamstrung teachers and kept students in failing schools, to restore to states a measure of power over their own education systems, and to help make the government a resource for, not an impediment to, student success. Conservatives opposed to another four years of top-down meddling in the nation’s classrooms should applaud this principled choice.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2.&nbsp; Diane Ravitch,</strong> and author and historian of American education and a best-selling author, writes in In these Times that DeVos and Prince families "have contributed generously to anti-gay and anti-labor causes over the years, but Betsy DeVos and her husband, Dick, have shown a special passion for privatizing public education." Ravitch, who has written extensively about education reform, argues against DeVos’s deep support for "school choice."</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">School choice advocates seldom mention that every dollar allocated to vouchers or charters is a dollar subtracted from public schools, which are compelled to lay off teachers, increase class sizes and cut programs in response. Meanwhile, voluminous research on charters shows that they do not necessarily offer better quality education. Even those schools that get high test scores often achieve this by cherry-picking new students and culling existing ones through high attrition rates. Vouchers, meanwhile, help prop up religious schools that teach creationism and employ few, if any, certified teachers.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">The DeVoses and their foundations have spent millions nationwide to elect pro-school choice candidates to school boards, state legislatures and Congress. Anyone who wants to understand the failure of the school choice movement should look to Michigan. Charter schools were first authorized in the state in 1993. In 2014, a&nbsp;year-long investigation&nbsp;by the&nbsp;<em>Detroit Free Press</em>&nbsp;concluded that the state was spending $1 billion annually on charters that performed poorly, and were neither accountable nor transparent. Today, 80 percent of the state’s approximately 300 charter schools are operated by for-profit management. Since the onset of school choice, Michigan’s performance on national tests has steadily declined.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>3. Former presidential candidate Jeb Bush</strong>&nbsp; was enthusiastic about DeVos' appointment. Writing in USA Today, Bush reiterated the anti-big government positions he took in his campaign. He also condemned teachers unions, and opined that school choice benefits lower income children.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">While the vast majority of K-12 spending is done by state and local governments, the bulging layers of bureaucracy that administer education policy are the direct result of federal overreach into our education system. As a result, too many education dollars are wasted on bureaucrats and administrators instead of being driven down into the classroom where they could make a bigger impact on learning. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Instead of defending and increasing Washington’s power, Betsy will cut federal red tape &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; and be a passionate advocate for state and local control of schools. More importantly, she will empower parents with greater choices and a stronger voice over their children’s education. In the two decades that I have been actively involved in education reform, I have worked side-by-side with Betsy to promote school choice and put the interests of students first. I know her commitment to children, especially at-risk kids, is genuine and deep.</p> <p><br> <strong>4. The New York Times</strong> editorialized against DeVos’s nomination. The editors noted her record in Michigan to stop legislation designed to hold charter schools accountable. They also noted her reluctance in the hearings to support Education Department efforts to prevent fraud by for-profit colleges.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"Government really sucks." This belief, expressed by the just-confirmed education secretary, Betsy DeVos, in a 2015 speech to educators, may be the only qualification she &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; needed for President Trump.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Ms. DeVos is the perfect cabinet member for a president determined to appoint officials eager to destroy the agencies they run and weigh the fate of policies and programs based on ideological considerations.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">She has never run, taught in, attended or sent a child to an American public school, and &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; her confirmation hearings laid bare her ignorance of education policy and scorn for &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; public education itself. She has donated millions to, and helped direct, groups that want to replace traditional public schools with charter schools and convert taxpayer dollars into vouchers to help parents send children to private and religious schools.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>Sources</h4> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/senate-to-vote-today-on-confirmation-of-betsy-devos/2017/02/06/fd4b7e9c-ec85-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.d9e5e63d50f1">https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/senate-to-vote-today-on-confirmation-of-betsy-devos/2017/02/06/fd4b7e9c-ec85-11e6-9662-6eedf1627882_story.html?utm_term=.d9e5e63d50f1</a></p> <p><a href="https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/betsy-devos-swamp-denizen-named-secretary-of-education">https://rethinkingschools.org/articles/betsy-devos-swamp-denizen-named-secretary-of-education</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/01/dick_and_betsy_devos_lift_the.html">http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2017/01/dick_and_betsy_devos_lift_the.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442452/betsy-devos-trump-education-secretary-conservative-reformer-school-choice">http://www.nationalreview.com/article/442452/betsy-devos-trump-education-secretary-conservative-reformer-school-choice</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.betsydevos.com/education/">http://www.betsydevos.com/education/</a></p> <p><a href="http://inthesetimes.com/article/19786/diane-ravitch-betsy-devos-secretary-education-charter-public-schools-trump">http://inthesetimes.com/article/19786/diane-ravitch-betsy-devos-secretary-education-charter-public-schools-trump</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/what_is_the_goal_of_school_reform_20130904">http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/what_is_the_goal_of_school_reform_20130904</a></p> <p><a href="https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2017/01/26/devos-and-alliance-for-school-choice-where-the-ultimate-choice-means-vouchers-to-private-schools/">https://deutsch29.wordpress.com/2017/01/26/devos-and-alliance-for-school-choice-where-the-ultimate-choice-means-vouchers-to-private-schools/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/01/30/devos-nomination-senate-vote/97243810/">http://www.freep.com/story/opinion/editorials/2017/01/30/devos-nomination-senate-vote/97243810/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/17/devos-school-choice-education-florida-jeb-bush-column/96173842/">http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2017/01/17/devos-school-choice-education-florida-jeb-bush-column/96173842/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/opinion/betsy-devos-teaches-the-value-of-ignorance.html?_r=0">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/opinion/betsy-devos-teaches-the-value-of-ignorance.html?_r=0</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?421224-1/education-secretary-nominee-betsy-devos-testifies-confirmation-hearing">https://www.c-span.org/video/?421224-1/education-secretary-nominee-betsy-devos-testifies-confirmation-hearing</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2017-02-20T13:36:28-05:00" title="Monday, February 20, 2017 - 13:36">February 20, 2017</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 20 Feb 2017 18:36:28 +0000 fionta 347 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Obama's Free College Plan https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/obamas-free-college-plan <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Obama&#039;s Free College Plan</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>To The Teacher:</h4> <p><br> In January 2015, President Obama announced a plan - dubbed "America's College Promise" - to make two years of community college free to any high school graduate with a C+ average who attends school at least half time. The White House projects that the plan could benefit as many as 9 million students each year, saving them an average of $3,800 annually.</p> <div>Community colleges have long been an affordable option for students seeking higher education, a place where they get vocational training or build up credits that they can transfer to a four-year institution that provides a bachelor's degree. However, the cost of higher education in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decades. And the cost of community college has also become prohibitive for many potential students. The president's proposal seeks to address this.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This lesson consists of three student readings. The first reading takes a closer look at President Obama's proposal and considers some of the arguments for and against it. The second reading looks at the historical significance of community colleges in the U.S. The third reading considers the question, "Should all higher education be free?" Questions for discussion follow each reading.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> </div> <h4>Reading 1:<br> Free Community College</h4> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In January 2015, President Obama announced a plan, dubbed "America's College Promise," to make two years of community college free to any high school graduate with a C+ average who attends school at least half time. The plan is based on a program already in place in Tennessee called "Tennessee Promise." The program - enacted by a Republican governor - has been extremely popular in the state.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Community colleges have long been an affordable option for students seeking higher education, a place where they get vocational training or build up credits that they can transfer to a four-year institution that provides a bachelor's degree. However, the cost of higher education in the United States has risen dramatically in the past decades. And the cost of community college has also become prohibitive for many potential students. The president's proposal seeks to address this.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>President Obama laid out his vision for America's College Promise in a <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/remarks-president-americas-college-promise">January 9, 2015 speech</a> at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tennessee. He said:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">[T]oday I’m announcing an ambitious new plan to bring down the cost of community college tuition in America. I want to bring it down to zero... Community colleges should be free for those willing to work for it - because in America, a quality education cannot be a privilege that is reserved for a few. I think it’s a right for everybody who’s willing to work for it....</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">There are no free rides in America. You would have to earn it. Students would have to do their part by keeping their grades up. Colleges would have to do their part by offering high-quality academics and helping students actually graduate. States would have to do their part too. This isn’t a blank check. It’s not a free lunch. But for those willing to do the work, and for states and local communities that want to be a part of this, it can be a game-changer.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Think about it: Students who started at community colleges during those two years, and then go on to a four-year institution, they essentially get the first half of their bachelor’s degree for free. People who enroll for skills training will graduate already ready to work, and they won’t have a pile of student debt. Two years of college will become as free and universal as high school is today.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The White House projects that the plan could benefit as many as 9 million students each year, saving them an average of $3,800 annually. Nevertheless, the president's proposal has drawn criticism from Republican lawmakers in Congress, mainly for its price tag. As Julie Glum reports in a January 9, 2015, article for the <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/free-community-college-republicans-slam-obamas-proposal-high-cost-low-gpa-requirement-1778674">International Business Times</a>:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">House Speaker John Boehner was not impressed.&nbsp;"With no details or information on the cost, this seems more like a talking point than a plan," his spokesman Cory Fritz said in a statement.&nbsp;Some&nbsp;news outlets estimated the effort would cost roughly $15 billion a year....</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The proposal is based on the Tennessee Promise, which gives Tennessee high school seniors two free years at any state community college or technical school.&nbsp;Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., supported the Tennessee Promise but&nbsp;expressed frustration about the president's potentially pricey plan.&nbsp;"While the White House says that three-quarters of the program would be paid for with federal funding, I have yet to hear what offsets, if any, would be proposed to ensure Americans are not saddled with greater debt and deficits as a result," she said in a&nbsp;statement. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Defenders of the president's proposal note, however, dispute these notions. As Daily Beast columnist <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/24/the-free-community-college-plan-is-obama-s-gi-bill.html">Jonathan Alter</a> argues in a January 24, 2015 article, the cost of America's College Promise is hardly exorbitant when put in context:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The more basic arguments against the president’s idea don’t hold up under inspection. The first is cost: $60 billion over 10 years. That’s not chump change, but it isn’t as prohibitive as some of the post-State of the Union commentators suggested. It’s less than five percent of what we’ve spent in the last decade in Iraq and Afghanistan. Is restoring the middle class and preparing this country to compete internationally really less important?</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The second major argument is that free college is another entitlement - a dirty word nowadays. We’ll be locked into paying for two years of college forever, we’re told. The same argument could have been used against Social Security, the GI Bill and Medicare, all of which were enacted before the pejorative "entitlements" came into common usage. Entitlements become problematic when their provisions are set in stone and their costs spiral out of control, neither of which need be inevitable. To guard against the budgetary miscalculations that have plagued other landmark programs, we’ll need regulations that prevent huge tuition increases.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>While it will be difficult for America's College Promise to pass Congress, the Obama administration has said that placing the issue of free higher education into the national discourse is in itself a victory. A January 15, 2015, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/15/opinion/expanding-community-college-access.html">New York Times</a> editorial concludes by noting an interesting historical parallel:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The skepticism that has greeted Mr. Obama’s proposal in some quarters has overtones of the skepticism that greeted 19th-century educators when they began to agitate for free, universal public high schools. Their efforts proved crucial at a time when the country was moving away from farming and toward a world in which reading, writing and reasoning would be critical. Expanded access to community college could do the same thing for the country in the information age.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h4>For Discussion:</h4> <ol> <li> <div>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="2"> <div>What is President Obama's argument in favor of making community college free?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="3"> <div>Why do critics of America's College Promise oppose the plan?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="4"> <div>What do you think of this debate? What arguments do you find most compelling?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="5"> <div>How would the price tag of America's College Promise compare with other items in the U.S. federal budget? What you think of these spending priorities?</div> </li> </ol> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <h4>Reading 2:<br> Community Colleges in American History</h4> <div><br> Since the early 1900s, community colleges- once commonly referred to as junior colleges - have provided an important path to higher education for many Americans. Today, "community college" is primarily used to refer to a two-year institution that is publicly funded and draws students from its surrounding community. According to the Community College Research Center, as of the 2012-2013 school year, 45 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States—a total of 7.7 million students—are enrolled in community colleges.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The American Association of Community Colleges, the main governing body and advocacy organization for community colleges, details the <a href="https://www.aacc.nche.edu/research-trends/history-of-community-colleges/">history of community college</a>:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Great challenges faced the United States in the early 20th century, including global economic competition. National and local leaders realized that a more skilled workforce was key to the country's continued economic strength - a need that called for a dramatic increase in college attendance - yet three-quarters of high school graduates were choosing not to further their education, in part because they were reluctant to leave home for a distant college.&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">During the same period, the country's rapidly growing public high schools were seeking new ways to serve their communities. It was common for them to add a teacher institute, manual learning (vocational education) division, or citizenship school to the diploma program. The high school-based community college, as first developed at Central High School in Joliet, Illinois, was the most successful type of addition. Meanwhile, small, private colleges such as Indiana's Vincennes University had fashioned an effective model of higher education grounded on the principles of small classes, close student-faculty relations and a program that included both academics and extracurricular activities.&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">From the combination of these traditions emerged the earliest community colleges, roughly balanced in number between private and public control but united in their commitment to meet local needs.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><br> In his <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/remarks-president-americas-college-promise">speech announcing America's College Promise</a>, President Obama underscored the historical role of community colleges in making higher education more widely attainable:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">For millions of Americans, community colleges are essential pathways to the middle class because they’re local, they’re flexible. They work for people who work full-time. They work for parents who have to raise kids full-time. They work for folks who have gone as far as their skills will take them and want to earn new ones, but don’t have the capacity to just suddenly go study for four years and not work. Community colleges work for veterans transitioning back into civilian life. Whether you’re the first in your family to go to college, or coming back to school after many years away, community colleges find a place for you. And you can get a great education.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">And that’s what community colleges are all about - the idea that no one with drive and discipline should be left out, should be locked out of opportunity, and certainly that nobody with that drive and discipline should be denied a college education just because they don’t have the money. Every American, whether they’re young or just young at heart, should be able to earn the skills and education necessary to compete and win in the 21st century economy.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><br> Since their inception, community colleges have played a positive role in the lives of millions of students that they have served. In a January 14, 2015 op-ed for the New York Times, Academy Award winning actor <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/14/opinion/tom-hanks-on-his-two-years-at-chabot-college.html?_r=0">Tom Hanks</a> discussed the importance of community colleges in his own life. He wrote:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">In 1974, I graduated from Skyline High School in Oakland, Calif., an underachieving student with lousy SAT scores. Allowed to send my results to three colleges, I chose M.I.T. and Villanova, knowing such fine schools would never accept a student like me but hoping they’d toss some car stickers my way for taking a shot. I couldn’t afford tuition for college anyway. I sent my final set of stats to&nbsp;Chabot, a community college in nearby Hayward, Calif., which, because it accepted everyone and was free, would be my alma mater.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">For thousands of commuting students, Chabot was our Columbia, Annapolis, even our Sorbonne, offering courses in physics, stenography, auto mechanics, certified public accounting, foreign languages, journalism — name the art or science, the subject or trade, and it was probably in the catalog. The college had a nursing program that churned out graduates, sports teams that funneled athletes to big-time programs, and parking for a few thousand cars — all free but for the effort and the cost of used textbooks.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Classmates included veterans back from Vietnam, women of every marital and maternal status returning to school, middle-aged men wanting to improve their employment prospects and paychecks. We could get our general education requirements out of the way at Chabot -&nbsp;&nbsp;credits we could transfer to a university -&nbsp;&nbsp;which made those two years an invaluable head start. I was able to go on to the&nbsp;State University&nbsp;in Sacramento (at $95 a semester, just barely affordable) and study no other subject but my major, theater arts. (After a year there I moved on, enrolling in a little thing called the School of Hard Knocks, a.k.a. Life.)...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">President Obama hopes to make&nbsp;two years of free community college accessible&nbsp;for up to nine million Americans. I’m guessing the new Congress will squawk at the&nbsp;$60 billion price tag, but I hope the idea sticks, because more veterans, from Iraq and Afghanistan this time, as well as another generation of mothers, single parents and workers who have been out of the job market, need lower obstacles between now and the next chapter of their lives. High school graduates without the finances for a higher education can postpone taking on big loans and maybe luck into the class that will redefine their life’s work. Many lives will be changed.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In a country that is increasingly defined by a widening gap between the wealthy and the rest of American society, community colleges remain an important source of educational opportunity.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h4>For Discussion:</h4> <ol> <li> <div>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="2"> <div>Historically, what have community colleges offered that other institutions of higher learning in the United States have not?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="3"> <div>Do you know people who have attended community college? What has their experience been?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="4"> <div>Actor Tom Hanks credits a community college with making a significant impact in his life. Do you think his experience is typical? Why or why not?</div> </li> </ol> <ol> <li value="5"> <div>The reading mentions a growing wealth gap between the rich and the middle class in America. Do you think community college is a means of addressing this gap? Why or why not?</div> </li> </ol> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <h4>Reading 3:<br> Should All Higher Education Be Free?</h4> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>President Obama's plan to make two years of community college free for anyone who meets a few basic requirements has won praise from many education advocates. The announcement has also opened up a wider conversation about the costs of higher education in the United States. While community colleges are a good start, shouldn't all college be free?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In many different parts of the world, higher education is far more affordable than in the United States. While it may seem inconceivable to many Americans, free universities have been the norm in many industrialized nations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As reporter Kelsey Sheehy writes for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/articles/2013/11/13/undergrads-around-the-world-face-student-loan-debt">US News &amp; World Report</a>:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Average tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in the U.S. was close to $8,400 in 2013-2014 for students studying in their home state and nearly $19,100 for those paying out-of-state tuition, according to data reported to U.S. News in an annual survey. At private colleges,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/10-most-least-expensive-private-colleges">the average sticker price is nearly $30,500</a>.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">By comparison,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/college-cheapskate/articles/2010/09/21/some-top-international-colleges-offer-free-tuition">tuition is free at public universities in countries</a>&nbsp;such as Argentina, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. ...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">"It is quite unfathomable for most Europeans that you would start your adult life tens of thousands of dollars in debt," says [Karen] Oberle, who researched higher education systems in countries such as the U.K., Hungary, Argentina and Turkmenistan for her book "College Abroad."</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">"People always seem stunned that the American system even sustains itself under the current conditions," she says.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Even with much lower tuition, European students often still incur some debt to cover the cost of living expenses and books. Nevertheless, their debt burden is far lighter than that of most U.S. students.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Although free universities in the United States might seem unrealistic, it would be within the power of elected officials to enact if there was the political will to do so. According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/03/how-washington-could-make-college-tuition-free-without-spending-a-penny-more-on-education/273801/">Jordan Weissman at&nbsp;The Atlantic</a>&nbsp;magazine, it would cost the United States $62.6 billion dollars per year to make all public institutions free for undergraduates. Weissman argues that most, if not all, of that amount could be covered by redirecting money currently spent on Pell Grants, education-based tax breaks, and work study programs into a more efficient free system.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Even if it required additional spending, the $62 billion dollar figure represents only a small fraction of the money spent by the government in other areas. Currently, the U.S. military budget is at roughly&nbsp;<a href="http://useconomy.about.com/od/usfederalbudget/p/military_budget.htm">$756 billion per year</a>, meaning that a 9% cut in defense spending would be sufficient to cover the cost of a free public university system.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As critics in the group Strike Debt&nbsp;<a href="http://billmoyers.com/groupthink/what-to-do-about-student-loans/wipe-the-slate-clean/">have noted</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="http://costsofwar.org/article/economic-cost-summary">money spent on 10 years of war</a> with Iraq and Afghanistan would have been sufficient to make higher education at every two- and four-year public university in the United States <a href="http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/publications/SHEF-FY12.pdf">completely free for the next 52 years</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What’s more, argue advocates, free higher education would provide long-term economic benefits for the country. Ultimately, they say, the cost of providing it would more than pay for itself. A congressional study found that the original GI bill, which provided free college education for veterans returning from WWII, was one of the best investments the U.S. government ever made, returning $7 to the economy for every $1 spent.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The U.S. is not the only country where people are debating government spending priorities. In the wake of the recent economic crisis, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, has mandated steep cuts to public spending to reduce budget deficits. This policy, known as austerity, has put low-cost higher education at risk in many European countries. In response to proposed cuts to university budgets, students in countries including the UK, France, Portugal, Sweden, and Bulgaria have protested austerity measures with marches, walkouts, strikes, and occupations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In other parts of the world too, people are protesting rising tuition fees. In Chile, a street artist named "Papas Fritas"&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/23/chile-student-loan-debts-fried-potatoes">burned student debt papers</a>&nbsp;worth roughly $500 million to protest for-profit universities that trick students into shouldering excessive loans.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Free higher education is possible in the United States and elsewhere- if citizens demand it.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <h4>For Discussion:</h4> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>1. How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>2. How does the United States compare with other industrialized countries in terms of funding higher education? What values and priorities do these social policies reflect?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>3. According to the reading, systems of free and low-cost higher education in other parts of the world are under attack. Why? How have students responded?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>4. Do you think that the U.S. should make public college education free? Why or why not?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>5. Do you think that free higher education could become a reality in the United States? What do you think it would take for this to happen?</div> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2015-02-22T01:00:00-05:00" title="Sunday, February 22, 2015 - 01:00">February 22, 2015</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sun, 22 Feb 2015 06:00:00 +0000 fionta 481 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Obama's Free College Tuition Proposal https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/obamas-free-college-tuition-proposal <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Obama&#039;s Free College Tuition Proposal</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>News:</strong><br> In his State of the Union Address on January 20, President Obama proposed what he calls "America’s College Promise." &nbsp;It would provide free tuition for students to attend two years of community college. If Congress passed the bill, and if all states participated, an estimated 9 million students would benefit each year. According to the White House, a full-time community college student could save an average of $3,800 in tuition per year.&nbsp; (The average debt for graduating seniors with student loans was $29,400 in 2012.)</p> <p><strong>Sources:</strong><br> Whitehouse:&nbsp;<br> <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposal-tuitio">http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposal-tuitio</a><br> Project on Student Debt:&nbsp;<br> <a href="http://projectonstudentdebt.org/files/pub/Debt_Facts_and_Sources.pdf">http://projectonstudentdebt.org/files/pub/Debt_Facts_and_Sources.pdf</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Question 1:&nbsp;</strong>Do you support free college tuition?&nbsp; Does President Obama’s proposal go far enough? Too far? How?</p> <p><strong>Question 2:&nbsp;</strong>Discuss as a group or in pairs: Are you yourself concerned about the high cost of tuition?&nbsp; Does the high cost of college affect your own plans for college or career?</p> <p><strong>Question 3:&nbsp;</strong>This program would reportedly cost taxpayers $6 billion a year.&nbsp;Is it worth it?</p> <p><br> <strong>Fact: &nbsp;</strong><br> There is evidence that providing financial support for people to get a college degree is a great investment. The World War 2-era "GI bill" provided returning vets with full tuition support adding up to over $19,000 per person in today’s dollars.&nbsp; A congressional study of this expensive program found that it was one of the best investments the U.S. ever made:&nbsp; Each dollar spent produced a $6.90 return in national output. &nbsp;And although African American veterans faced many obstacles in getting access to their GI bill benefits, it was still "one of the best pieces of legislation ever passed that has helped young black males," says Dr. William Hytche, former president of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.</p> <p><strong>Source: </strong><br> US government:&nbsp;<br> <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113hhrg82240/html/CHRG-113hhrg82240.htm">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-113hhrg82240/html/CHRG-113hhrg82240.htm</a></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2015-01-24T13:42:14-05:00" title="Saturday, January 24, 2015 - 13:42">January 24, 2015</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sat, 24 Jan 2015 18:42:14 +0000 fionta 486 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Colorado Schools Debate: Who Decides History? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/colorado-schools-debate-who-decides-history <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Colorado Schools Debate: Who Decides History?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>Learning Objectives</h4> <p>Students will</p> <ul> <li>analyze the controversial Jefferson County (Jeffco) School Board statement</li> <li>apply the board’s proposed evaluation guidelines to selected events in U.S. history included in a history book they use</li> <li>determine what effect, if any, it would have on them if stories of these events were told differently or omitted</li> <li>read quotes from protesters and consider what led them to protest<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4>Background</h4> <p>In the fall of 2014, several members of the Jefferson County, Colorado, school board expressed concern that the school district’s Advanced Placement U.S. history curriculum emphasized the "negative" aspects of U.S. history, and that it encouraged civil unrest. The board decided to set up a committee to review the curriculum. &nbsp;What happened next surprised the board.</p> <p>Students and teachers in Jefferson County were upset by the board’s decision to review the curriculum. They didn’t want the school board deciding what was acceptable—and unacceptable—for students to learn as part of U.S. history.</p> <p>Students turned their feelings into action: They walked out of classes and held demonstrations protesting the board’s decision. Meanwhile, teachers staged a "sick-out"—meaning that they called in sick as a protest. Teacher absences led to four schools closing in the last weeks of September. The local Parent-Teacher Association and a group of local college professors supported the walkouts. Ten national anti-censorship organizations and the College Board, which designed the AP history curriculum, added their support.</p> <p>What was it about the board’s decision that upset so many people? Why does the content of your history classes matter? That’s what you’ll explore in this lesson.</p> <p>(Note: For further exploration of the Jeffco board's point of view, see this interview with <a href="http://kdvr.com/2014/09/25/school-board-member-at-center-of-jeffco-ap-history-explains-what-she-has-in-mind/">board member Julie Williams</a>&nbsp;by Denver Fox News.)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Introduction</h4> <p>Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about how a group of teachers and students protested a decision by their local school board about what should be taught in their classrooms. Either have them read the Background above or read it aloud to them so that they will have the information they need to complete the activities.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Does it matter what you study in history class?</h4> <p><strong>1.</strong> &nbsp;Have students, working in pairs, read the statement that caused the conflict, and highlight the parts of the text that they believe caused the problems. Ask a few students to tell the class what they highlighted and explain why they thought it was perceived to be controversial.</p> <p class="rteindent1"><a href="http://coloradopols.com/diary/62806/right-wing-jeffco-school-board-seeks-review-of-history"><strong>Board Committee for Curriculum Review</strong></a><br> <br> The committee [to review the curriculum] shall be seated by the Board. Each director may nominated <em>[sic] </em>up to three candidates for the committee and the entire board then will vote to select the nine (9) members of the committee. The charge to the committee is to review curricular choices for conformity to JeffCo academic standards, accuracy and omissions, and to inform the board of any objectionable materials. The committee shall regularly review texts and curriculum according to priorities that it establishes, however, at any time, the Board may add items to the list for review. The committee shall report all comments (majority and minority) to the board in writing on a weekly basis as items are reviewed. Board members may move for discussion or action on items reported when matters warrant public discussion or action. The committee’s initial projects will be a review of the AP US History curriculum and elementary health curriculum. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p class="rteindent1">Review criteria shall include the following: instructional materials should present the most current factual information accurately and objectively. Theories should be distinguished from fact. Materials should promote citizenship, patriotism, essentials and benefits of the free enterprise system, respect for authority and respect for individual rights. Materials should not encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law. Instructional materials should present positive aspects of the United States and its heritage.&nbsp;Content pertaining to political and social movements in history should present balanced and factual treatment of the positions.</p> <p><strong>2.</strong> &nbsp;Give student pairs a chance to look over a U.S. history book and find topics there that they have studied that the Jeffco school board’s review committee might question. Have student pairs share the events they have identified with the rest of the class and explain why they think they might be up for review. Make a list on chart paper or the board of what students share.</p> <p><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp; Have each student pair choose one of the events to explore in more depth. Each pair will consider together:</p> <ul> <li>How might this event be told differently to conform to the Jeffco committee’s proposed guidelines?</li> <li>How would this different version of the story affect students’ understanding of the event?</li> <li>What might the effects be of omitting the topic entirely?</li> </ul> <p>Give students the following example. What might happen to the story of Rosa Parks if it were reviewed by the committee? Perhaps the story would be omitted because Parks broke the law. Or perhaps a different way of telling the story would emphasize that her action was criminal, and deemphasize the fact that she consciously broke a law that she considered to be unjust as part of a movement to change that law. How would they feel about Parks’ action depending on each telling of the story?</p> <p>After pairs discuss the bulleted questions above, ask them to share their analyses of the event they chose with the class.</p> <p><strong>4. &nbsp;</strong>Give students a chance to think about what they and their peers have presented. Have them answer the following questions in writing: Do you think it’s important that the events the pairs selected be taught? If so, why? If not, why not? You may collect the writing or have students share their answers.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Why protest?</h4> <p>Have students read the following quotes from protesters.</p> <p>Student quotes:&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"Students at my school plan to walk out of classes in protest of the Jeffco school board’s new proposed Advanced Placement U.S. History Curriculum Revision Committee which aims to teach students to become more ‘patriotic’ and less ‘rebellious’ by portraying the history of our country in a better light."&nbsp;<em>- Jack Shefrin, Arvada West High School senior</em></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"I don’t think my education should be censored. We should be able to know what happened in our past."&nbsp;<em>-Tori Leu, 17-year-old student&nbsp;</em></p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"Everything that [Americans have] done is what allowed us to be at this point today. And if you take that from us, you take away everything that America was built off of."&nbsp;<em>- Tyrone G. Parks, Arvada High School senior</em></p> <p>Five professors from the University of Colorado at Boulder wrote the <a href="http://blogs.denverpost.com/eletters/2014/10/06/protests-students-jeffco-school-board-2-letters/33896/">following</a>:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"We applaud the students of the Jefferson County School District for their civic engagement in demanding an honest and balanced curriculum in U.S. history. They are insisting that their education not erase important struggles to hold this nation accountable to its principles of liberty, equality and justice. Their participation in the cherished American tradition of civil disobedience, advocated and practiced by figures such as Nathan Hale, Henry David Thoreau and Rosa Parks, demonstrates their commitment to the often-contentious practice of American democracy. They know that learning a whitewashed version of American history will not provide them with the historical knowledge or critical thinking skills to effectively address the problems that they, and our nation, will face going forward."</p> <p><a href="http://coloradopols.com/diary/62806/right-wing-jeffco-school-board-seeks-review-of-history#sthash.C2WxEnuv.dpuf">Response</a> from Jeffco PTA President Michele Patterson</p> <p class="rteindent1">"My board voted unanimously to oppose the formation of this Curriculum Review Committee. Jeffco Schools employs professionals, educational experts, who should be making these decisions. Additionally, Jeffco Schools has a Curriculum and Text Book Review Committee which includes a variety of community participants. I have participated in the text book review process myself and find it to be thorough and adequate and I believe it would irresponsible of the school board to form a committee of citizens chosen solely by a board majority vote." If the board moves forward with this committee, they will be wading into dangerous territory. Censorship is not an issue parents or our Jeffco community will take lightly."</p> <p>Suggest that students use the quotes from protesters to help them answer the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>Why did so many students, parents, and teachers protest the school board’s proposed committee?</li> <li>What would you have done in the same situation?</li> </ul> <p>Allow students to answer the question with a partner or in small groups. Then have each pair or group report out to the whole class. Summarize what students have concluded.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Conclusion</h4> <p>Ask students to write down the most important thing they learned from this lesson. Ask them what issue would move them to protest the way that Colorado students did?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2014-10-16T15:09:21-04:00" title="Thursday, October 16, 2014 - 15:09">October 16, 2014</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Thu, 16 Oct 2014 19:09:21 +0000 fionta 512 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Student Debt and the Case for Free Higher Education https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/student-debt-and-case-free-higher-education <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Student Debt and the Case for Free Higher Education</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><div><strong>To the teacher:&nbsp;</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Going to college in the United States has become increasingly expensive, forcing millions of Americans to take out student loans to pay for higher education. &nbsp;But in today's economy, many college graduates are now having trouble paying back these loans.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Internationally, the United States stands out as having the most expensive higher education system in the world. Students in many other advanced industrialized nations go to college for free or almost free.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Would free higher education be possible in America? How did people in other parts of the world win and defend their right to affordable higher education?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This lesson is divided into three student readings. The first reading compares the scope of the present student debt crisis with the past and discusses what has changed. The second reading discusses congressional and presidential proposals for easing student debt, as well as proposals for a system of free higher education. The third reading looks at how other countries have maintained educational systems that are far more affordable for students.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Discussion questions aimed at getting students to think critically about the student debt problem and its possible solutions follow each reading.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <h4>Student Reading 1:</h4> </div> <h4>Student Debt—A Growing Problem</h4> <div>Stay in school and get good grades so that you can get into college. Go to college so you can get a good job. Get a good job and you will enjoy a life of economic security. For decades, some version of this narrative has been presented to almost all students in American high schools. Yet today, a burgeoning student debt crisis is calling these promises into question.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The cost of college tuition has climbed 130% over the past two decades. Most students must take out loans to afford it. In fact, as of June 10, 2014, the total amount of student loan debt owed by Americans reached an all-time high of $1.2 trillion, according to the <a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/speeches/student-debt-swells-federal-loans-now-top-a-trillion/">Consumer Financial Protection Bureau</a>. This number has roughly tripled in the past decade. The average debt per borrower has climbed to about $25,000. Meanwhile, as a result of the global economic recession, many college grads haven't found the good jobs they expected after earning their college degree.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The combination of a steadily increasing debt burden with an already unstable economy and unusually high unemployment has resulted in a full-fledged student debt crisis.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>This year, students are expected to take out more than $1 trillion in loans. As Heidi Moore of the <em><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/201sdfskdlfk4/jun/09/obama-order-student-loan-payments">Guardian</a></em> reported on June 9, 2014:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Student-loan debt is the fastest-growing category of debt for consumers... That has caused young adults to face a more difficult "on-ramp to adulthood" that Georgetown researchers called a "failure to launch."...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Student loan payments recently hit a record high compared to disposable income for many families. Student debt made up 63% of the $180 billion gain in total household debt between the end of 2012 and the end of 2013, according to economist Kristin Reynolds of IHS Global Insight.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Many borrowers, overwhelmed by debt, are simply defaulting on their loans. The delinquency rate for student loans is currently about 11%, and has been sharply rising since 2005, according to Bloomberg data.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Obama compared the burden of current students with his when he was younger, when he paid off his undergraduate education at Columbia in a year. "In the 1970s, the 1980s, when you went to college, you didn't anticipate you'd have this massive debt," Obama said.&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The growing loan burden also reflects that tuition has grown by more than 250% over the past 30 years at public four-year colleges, treasury secretary Jack Lew is fond of pointing out, compared to a 16% rise in family incomes.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Another factor that has fueled the student debt crisis is that average family incomes have not kept up with the steadily increasing cost of college. As reporter Annalyn Censky wrote for <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/13/news/economy/college_tuition_middle_class/index.htm">CNN.com</a> on June 13, 2011:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The crux of the problem: Tuition and fees at public universities, according to the College Board, have surged almost 130% over the last 20 years--while middle class incomes have stagnated.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Tuition: In 1988, the average tuition and fees for a four-year public university rang in at about $2,800, adjusted for inflation. By 2008, that number had climbed about 130% to roughly $6,500 a year--and that doesn't include books or room and board.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Income: If incomes had kept up with surging college costs, the typical American would be earning $77,000 a year. But in reality, it's nowhere near that.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The trend of increasing costs is even more severe at private universities, which in some cases charge more than $50,000 per year.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Twenty years ago, it was conceivable that a student could pay off a large portion of his or her college tuition by working a part-time job while attending school. With current college costs, that is no longer a realistic option.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Nor does financial aid cover the gap for most students. The federal government offers need-based Pell grants that provide students with up to $5,550 in aid. However, conservative members of the House of Representatives have proposed cutting back on these grants as part of their push to reduce the federal budget.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz wrote an opinion piece in the <em><a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/student-debt-and-the-crushing-of-the-american-dream/?_php=true&amp;_type=blogs&amp;_r=0">New York Times</a></em> about how student debt hinders economic growth - which affects all Americans, not just young people. Stiglitz argued:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Student debt also is a drag on the slow recovery that began in 2009. By dampening consumption, it hinders economic growth. It is also holding back recovery in real estate, the sector where the Great Recession started.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">It's true that housing prices seem to be on the upswing, but home construction is far from the levels reached in the years before the bubble burst of 2007.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Those with huge debts are likely to be cautious before undertaking the additional burdens of a family. But even when they do, they will find it more difficult to get a mortgage. And if they do, it will be smaller, and the real estate recovery will consequently be weaker. (One study of recent Rutgers University graduates showed that 40 percent had delayed making a major home purchase, and for a quarter, the high level of debt had an effect on household formation or getting further education. Another recent study showed that homeownership among 30-year-olds with a history of student debt fell by more than 10 percentage points during the Great Recession and in its aftermath.)</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">It's a vicious cycle: lack of demand for housing contributes to a lack of jobs, which contributes to weak household formation, which contributes to a lack of demand for housing.<br> &nbsp;</div> <div>Some debt-burdened college graduates dub themselves "debt slaves": they fear they'll be paying off debt for decades. They - and many others - are calling on lawmakers to address the growing crisis of student debt.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>For Discussion:</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>1.</strong>&nbsp;Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>How is student debt different now than in the past?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;According to economist Joseph Stiglitz, what impact does student debt have on the wider economy? Why does this issue affect all Americans, not just young people?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>4.</strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;Do you think it's fair to expect students to make financial sacrifices in exchange for the benefits of higher education? If so, how much sacrifice is reasonable? &nbsp;Explain your position.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <h4>Small-group Discussion</h4> </div> <div>The <em><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/19/student-loan-debt-to-exce_n_1019727.html#s345536&amp;title=Brittany_Baker_Allegheny">Huffington Post</a></em> published a series of blogposts from young people sharing their experiences with debt. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Break students into groups of 4-5. &nbsp;Ask students to read some of the blogposts, and then discuss these questions in their small groups:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>•&nbsp;What are some of the issues raised about student debt in these blogposts?</div> <div>•&nbsp;Do any of the students' stories relate to experiences among your family and friends?</div> <div>•&nbsp;Does the high cost of college affect your own future plans?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Reconvene the class and ask students to share their reflections on the blogposts or on how student debt and high college costs have affected them or their families and friends.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <h4>Student Reading 2:</h4> </div> <h4>Debating Solutions to the Student Debt Crisis</h4> <div>Lawmakers and advocates are now debating a variety of proposals to ease student debt burdens in the United States. Earlier in the year, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill that, if passed, would allow an estimated 25 million people to refinance their student loans at a much lower interest rate, something that would collectively save them millions of dollars. And on June 9, 2014, President Obama signed an executive order that would cap loan repayment for recent students at 10% of the borrower's income. &nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As reporter Heidi Moore wrote for the <em><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/09/obama-order-student-loan-payments">Guardian</a></em>:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Calling an education "the single best investment you can make in your future," Obama extended the four-year-old Pay As You Earn initiative, which has lowered monthly payments for student who borrowed federal student loans for the first time between 2008 and 2011.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The program lowered monthly payments to 10% of a borrower's after-tax income. Borrowers who graduated before 2008 or after 2012 had <a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/askcfpb/1555/what-pay-you-earn-paye-how-do-i-know-if-i-qualify.html">access to another program</a>, which limits student payments to 15% of income.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Monday's executive order will extend the initiative to anyone with a federal student loan.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">It also adds another dimension: forgiveness of student loans. If borrowers make regular payments on the PAYE program, the government will forgive any unpaid portion of their loans after 20 years. Forgiveness comes even sooner for students who decide to take government or nonprofit jobs, who will find themselves released from their loans after 10 years of regular payments.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The Warren and Obama proposals represent moderate responses to the student debt crisis. However, others have argued that more far-reaching solutions are needed.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson has joined with <a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/06/05/let_college_students_go_bankrupt/">other advocates</a> in arguing that current student debt burdens are akin to indentured servitude. In an op-ed for the <em><a href="http://www.suntimes.com/news/jackson/27255325-452/indenturing-our-young-people.html#.U72W8_ldVHo">Chicago Sun Times</a></em>, he wrote:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Historically, America prided itself on its public education. We were first to provide secondary school free for all. With the GI bill, 3 million veterans received tuition-free college or advanced training. For much of the post-war period, great public universities — from City College in New York to the fabled California schools — were free or close to it. Now, as college education becomes ever more necessary, it is becoming ever more unaffordable...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">This can't go on. We need fair taxes to generate the income needed to make college affordable for all who merit it. We should put clear limits on the debt burden graduates must bear — and how long they must bear it. ... Sen. Elizabeth Warren suggests students should be given the same interest rate — 0.75 percent — that the Federal Reserves gives the biggest banks (that taxpayers had to bail out).</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">The only way this will change is if students, parents and indebted graduates make their voices heard. But all of us should demand action. It is unacceptable that the sons and daughters of America's working families must face indentured servitude simply to get the education they need.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Other activists have promoted not just outright debt cancellation, but a system of free higher education. New York University Professor Andrew Ross, who has been a part of movements such as Strike Debt, argued a <em><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-palumboliu/student-loan-debt-the-nee_b_5355015.html">Huffington Post</a></em> article:&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Because student debt is non-dischargeable, and there is no statute of limitations on federal loans, it has assumed the air of inescapability. Indeed, many borrowers speak about their student debt as if it were a kind of life sentence...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Elected officials have not been able to provide debt relief... and so people must take debt relief for themselves, by any means necessary, but primarily in the form of economic disobedience.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Importantly, student loan forgiveness, while readily understandable to many, is not the pathway advocated by Strike Debt. "Forgiveness" implies that the debtor has done something wrong -- the notion of forgiveness belongs to the charity, and not the justice, tradition. Besides, even in the event of a mass debt jubilee, the immoral system of debt-financed education would still remain the same -- debt would simply accumulate again. Strike Debt advocates instead for a free system of higher education...</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Student activists pushing for free higher education point to the example of other industrialized countries, which ensure a much more affordable university education.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>For Discussion:</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>1.</strong>&nbsp;Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>What are some of the proposals that politicians have currently put forward to address the student debt crisis?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>3.</strong>&nbsp;Activists in campaigns such as strike debt believe that the politicians' initiatives do too little. How do their proposals differ? Do you agree that the proposals currently under consideration don't go far enough?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Rev. Jesse Jackson likens student debt to indentured servitude. What do you think of this comparison?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr> <h4>Student Reading 3:</h4> </div> <h4>Should Higher Education Be Free? A Global Debate</h4> <div>In many different parts of the world, higher education is far more affordable than in the United States. While it may seem inconceivable to many Americans, free universities have been the norm in numerous industrialized nations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As reporter Kelsey Sheehy writes for <em><a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/articles/2013/11/13/undergrads-around-the-world-face-student-loan-debt">US News &amp; World Report</a></em>:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">Average tuition and fees at public colleges and universities in the U.S. was close to $8,400 in 2013-2014 for students studying in their home state and nearly $19,100 for those paying out-of-state tuition, according to data reported to U.S. News in an annual survey. At private colleges, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/the-short-list-college/articles/10-most-least-expensive-private-colleges">the average sticker price is nearly $30,500</a>.</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">By comparison, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/paying-for-college/college-cheapskate/articles/2010/09/21/some-top-international-colleges-offer-free-tuition">tuition is free at public universities in countries</a> such as Argentina, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.</div> <div class="rteindent1">...</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">"It is quite unfathomable for most Europeans that you would start your adult life tens of thousands of dollars in debt," says [Karen] Oberle, who researched higher education systems in countries such as the U.K., Hungary, Argentina and Turkmenistan for her book "College Abroad."</div> <div class="rteindent1">&nbsp;</div> <div class="rteindent1">"People always seem stunned that the American system even sustains itself under the current conditions," she says.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Even with much lower tuition, European students often still incur some debt to cover the cost of living expenses and books. Nevertheless, their debt burden is far lighter than that of most US students.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Although free universities in the United States might seem unrealistic, it would be within the power of elected officials to enact if there was the political will to do so. According to <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/03/how-washington-could-make-college-tuition-free-without-spending-a-penny-more-on-education/273801/">Jordan Weissman at <em>The Atlantic</em></a> magazine, it would cost the United States $62.6 billion dollars per year to make all public institutions free for undergraduates. Weissman argues that most, if not all, of that amount could be covered by redirecting money currently spent on Pell Grants, education-based tax breaks, and work study programs into a more efficient free system.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Even if it required additional spending, the $62 billion dollar figure represents only a small fraction of the money spent by the government in other areas. Currently, the US military budget is at roughly <a href="http://useconomy.about.com/od/usfederalbudget/p/military_budget.htm">$756 billion per year</a>, meaning that a 9% cut in defense spending would be sufficient to cover the cost of a free public university system.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>As critics in the group Strike Debt <a href="http://billmoyers.com/groupthink/what-to-do-about-student-loans/wipe-the-slate-clean/">have noted</a>, the <a href="http://costsofwar.org/article/economic-cost-summary">money spent on 10 years of war</a> with Iraq and Afghanistan would have been sufficient to make higher education at every two- and four-year public university in the United States <a href="http://www.sheeo.org/sites/default/files/publications/SHEF-FY12.pdf">completely free for the next 52 years</a>.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>What's more, argue advocates, free higher education would provide long-term economic benefits for the country. Ultimately, they say, the cost of providing it would more than pay for itself. &nbsp;A congressional study found that the original GI bill, which provided free college education for veterans returning from WWII, was one of the best investments the U.S. government ever made, returning $7 to the economy for every $1 spent.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The U.S. isn't the only country where people are debating government spending priorities. In the wake of the recent economic crisis, the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union, has mandated steep cuts to public spending to reduce budget deficits. This policy, known as austerity, has put low-cost higher education at risk in many European countries. &nbsp;In response to proposed cuts to university budgets, students in countries including the UK, France, Portugal, Sweden, and Bulgaria have protested austerity measures with marches, walkouts, strikes, and occupations.</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>In other parts of the world too, people are protesting rising tuition fees. In Chile, a street artist named "Papas Fritas" <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/23/chile-student-loan-debts-fried-potatoes">burned the student debt papers</a> worth roughly $500 million in protest of for-profit universities that trick students into shouldering excessive loans.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>Free higher education is possible in the United States and elsewhere—if citizens demand it.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>For Discussion:</strong></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>1.&nbsp;</strong>Do students have any questions about the reading? How might they be answered?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>2.&nbsp;</strong>How does the United States compare with other industrialized countries in terms of funding higher education? What values and priorities do these social policies reflect?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>3.&nbsp;</strong>According to the reading, systems of free and low-cost higher education in other parts of the world are under attack. Why? How have students responded?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>4.&nbsp;</strong>Do you think that the U.S. should make public college education free? Why or why not?&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><strong>5.</strong>&nbsp;Do you think that free higher education could become a reality in the United States? What do you think it would take for this to happen?</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <hr><em>-- Research assistance provided by Meghna Chandra.</em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2014-08-18T10:11:32-04:00" title="Monday, August 18, 2014 - 10:11">August 18, 2014</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Mon, 18 Aug 2014 14:11:32 +0000 fionta 526 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org