Change.edu

Andrew Rosen, recently authored a book called, Change.edu: Rebooting for the New Talent Economy, in which he argues that non-traditional students are not well served by traditional higher education. Obviously, this is a somewhat self-serving argument coming from the chief executive of Kaplan, Inc, which is one of the largest for for-profit educational services companies in the world. Rosen calls for greater relevance, access, accountability, and transparency in higher education.

More interesting than the book, is a review of the book by Bill Gates, co-founder and chairman of Microsoft. His book review was published in today's Washington Post. Gates writes, "The United States used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with college degrees, but has now fallen to 10th place." Gates blames the current dropout rate among students at U.S. colleges. "While more than two-thirds of students who graduate from U.S. high schools attend college," Gates continues, "barely one-third of those will end up getting a degree. Something is clearly broken." The full book review is worth reading. See: "CHANGE.EDU: Rebooting for the New Talent Economy," by Andrew S. Rosen - The Washington Post

Putting aside the irony that Bill Gates is himself a college dropout, it isn't clear to me that higher graduation rates equate to a better economic future. In other words, what's needed is the creativity, knowledge, and intelligence college is intended to foster, not a piece of paper marked "diploma." With all of the accusations against for-profit colleges regarding dishonest marketing practices and excessive student loan debt for their graduates (and their dropouts), the future of for-profit companies in higher education is not at all certain. Currently, opinions of for-profit colleges vacillate between saviors of the downtrodden to purveyors of financial ruin for the disadvantaged who dare yearn for the American dream. This book will certainly add to, at least one side of, this debate.

 

University isn't for everyone. It never has been and it never will be. And it shouldn't be, unless it's going to be dumbed down for the masses, as has been done to raise high school graduation rates. My grandmother graduated from high school in 1926 and she could easily conjugate a verb. How many of today's high school graduates can do that? How many of today's high school graduates even know what the word conjugate means? Or is it conjugal? lol

Back in 1980, I read that only 25% of all enrolling freshmen will actually get a Bachelors degree. The other 75% eventually dropped out. According to this newer article, the graduation rate for a Bachelors degree has now increased from 25% to 33%. This is probably partially because of newer non-traditional degree granting programs.

 

As a high school teacher, I can tell you that few students know what "conjugate" means. By the time they graduate, I am still unsure! Some days, it is up to the students to decided that they want to learn!

 

How much impact does a teacher have on a student? What would you say the percentage is; Teachers importance vs. Parents importance vs. Student ability/want to learn?

Bill Gates has donated over a billion dollars to eduation (most of that it seems was supposed to close "tha gap") and yet we're still falling behind. Bill should have asked Stevey J why he did not try to help education-other than there was no money it. Stevey knew what the problem was: Unions.

"When schoolchildren start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of schoolchildren."

 

Ugh, my last sentence should read: "Some days, it is up to the students to decide that they want to learn!"

I can speak English...sometimes...

 

That's all right. My mind automatically corrected your sentence as I read it. I had to closely reread your original message to notice your typo.

Then, I made the mistake of rereading part of my initial message, which contains an error or two. Remind me not to review my messages after I've posted them publicly. This is one situation where ignorance really is bliss.

 

I don't want to completely derail the thread but thought I'd make just one follow-up comment. Perhaps it is just a matter of me being a relatively young educator, but the point I made above seems more and more true each and every day. Certain students in my classes have simply decided that they don't like me, my content area, or simply school in general and thus completely refuse to do anything (in or outside of class). Neither positive (trying to include content that interesting to them, using bribes like candy, etc.) nor negative reinforcement (disciplinary action) seems to work. So, as I see it, certain students need to make a conscious decision to learn. Maybe I am just young / inexperienced and sound ignorant, but I figured I'd throw out a few more thoughts in addition to what I posted above.

 

Please let us know how you like the book. I've found a few different book reviews online and it's clear that for-profit education continues to be a contentious issue.

Book reviews:
The Wall Street Journal's review
Kirkus' review
The Chronicle of Higher Education's review

Author interview:
Inside Higher Ed's interview

 

Some people hate to learn anything. It sounds disgusting but some people just hate to learn.