May 19, 2024
More than 50 years ago, I began working for the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Commission, a state agency charged with planning for and coordinating postsecondary education. It was an exciting time as the state was pursuing and implementing its goal of providing access to and choice of opportunities for students and families.
May 5, 2024
Paul Tough, who has written several books on education, inequality, and success, explores what changed in the last decade to make a college education—and higher education as an institution—so unappealing to so many Americans (“Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault is That?” September 5, 2023, The New York Times Magazine).
October 23, 2022
In a culture, knowledge is passed from generation to generation. Purveyors of knowledge may be known as gurus.
September 19, 2021
As a child, I woke up early every morning to practice my piano lessons. But before starting to warm up with scales and chords, I would pick up our daily Duluth newspaper from the front porch and read every word of the sports section.
November 21, 2020
Americans are fascinated with rankings, whether they are for football teams, consumer products, or colleges and schools. Each fall, I eagerly look forward to the release of various rankings.
November 14, 2020
Every two years, the governor and Minnesota Legislature appropriate funds for state government. Funds for higher education are allocated to the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota State System, and the Office of Higher Education (a cabinet agency), largely for need-based financial aid. The need-based state grants are awarded to low-and moderate-income students who choose to attend a public or private college or university.
July 16, 2020
In spring 1970, 50 years ago, I completed my bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and was ready to embark on graduate education and a career. Now, in spring 2020, I am a stay-at-home senior citizen respecting the coronavirus and reflecting on the two milestone years—1970 and 2020. Many changes have occurred in half a century, but disappointingly, despite some progress, much work remains to strengthen equality and opportunity for all citizens.
May 24, 2020
On March 12, 2019, authorities charged 50 people, including 33 parents, with facilitating fraud and paying a combined $25 million in bribes to get the parents’ children into elite colleges. The scandal, called Varsity Blues, drew in Hollywood stars, hedge-fund millionaires, and athletic coaches.
December 4, 2019
Every
fall weekend, my oldest daughter, my son, and I gather in front of my TV to
watch the University of Southern California (USC) football team. My son and I
began this ritual while my daughter attended USC from 2001 through 2008,
earning two degrees; the Trojans ranked as one of the nation’s top teams under
Coach Pete Carroll.
October 3, 2019
In How Schools Work, former U.S. secretary of education Arne Duncan writes about the big lies that pervade the education system. In fact, under the category “lies,” the book’s index lists 20 separate references such as lies about academic achievement, about college preparedness, about efficacy and preparedness, and so forth.