Saturday, July 10, 2010
The new news is celebration of successfully defending my dissertation proposal last week. I' ve been trav eli ng a bit since then checking out family all over the South.
With my work I hope to learn a new way to fund education for adults at the higher education level, or at least the will of registered voters towards public funding, if at all.
With my work I hope to learn a new way to fund education for adults at the higher education level, or at least the will of registered voters towards public funding, if at all.
Friday, June 27, 2008
I thought I'd jump on my high horse this morning and take a ride....
I N S I D E H I G H E R E D Daily Update
REFORMING ADULT EDUCATION,
http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/27/qt
Adult education programs are failing to reach millions of Americans who lack basic literacy or other skills needed to get decent jobs, says a report released Thursday by a national commission charged with studying the issue. "Reach Higher, America: Overcoming the Crisis in the U.S. Workforce" notes that 18 million adult Americans lack high school diplomas, 51 million haven't gone to college and 18 million aren't proficient in English. The report, from the National Commission on Adult Literacy, calls for an overhaul of federal programs for adult literacy so that efforts have the explicit goals of either job training or preparation for postsecondary education.
51 million! That is 1/6 of the United States population. If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is serious about creating jobs, perhaps creating learning programs that are affordable is a place to start, by enabling the part of the 51 million that reside in Pennsylvania the ability to apply for jobs and get them because they have an education. This will allow workforce development professionals the chance to promote our learned population as ready and smart to work for Mr. or Ms. Businessman/woman.
We could develop the programs with sufficient funding through the TIUs or community colleges with later matriculation to the SSHEs and the Pitt and Penn State campuses if desired. Why not take some of the state lottery money for senior citizens, and ear mark that towards education of adults to make their senior citizen years ones of being able to stand on their own or more independent of state coffers at a later age. Its pay them now or pay them later. The old tale about giving someone a fish comes to mind here: if you teach a person to fish, they'll be self-sufficient.
In Pennsylvania, we could at least try.
There are other countries, smaller than the GNP of the United States , that can afford to teach adults for next to nothing for the student. Can the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania not do as much?
Paul
I N S I D E H I G H E R E D Daily Update
REFORMING ADULT EDUCATION,
http://insidehighered.com/news/2008/06/27/qt
Adult education programs are failing to reach millions of Americans who lack basic literacy or other skills needed to get decent jobs, says a report released Thursday by a national commission charged with studying the issue. "Reach Higher, America: Overcoming the Crisis in the U.S. Workforce" notes that 18 million adult Americans lack high school diplomas, 51 million haven't gone to college and 18 million aren't proficient in English. The report, from the National Commission on Adult Literacy, calls for an overhaul of federal programs for adult literacy so that efforts have the explicit goals of either job training or preparation for postsecondary education.
51 million! That is 1/6 of the United States population. If the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is serious about creating jobs, perhaps creating learning programs that are affordable is a place to start, by enabling the part of the 51 million that reside in Pennsylvania the ability to apply for jobs and get them because they have an education. This will allow workforce development professionals the chance to promote our learned population as ready and smart to work for Mr. or Ms. Businessman/woman.
We could develop the programs with sufficient funding through the TIUs or community colleges with later matriculation to the SSHEs and the Pitt and Penn State campuses if desired. Why not take some of the state lottery money for senior citizens, and ear mark that towards education of adults to make their senior citizen years ones of being able to stand on their own or more independent of state coffers at a later age. Its pay them now or pay them later. The old tale about giving someone a fish comes to mind here: if you teach a person to fish, they'll be self-sufficient.
In Pennsylvania, we could at least try.
There are other countries, smaller than the GNP of the United States , that can afford to teach adults for next to nothing for the student. Can the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania not do as much?
Paul
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
I think all military members deserve education benefits war or peace. Here's why...
Reason 1:
I served from 1978-1984 in the navy on submarines. This was for all practical purposes an era of peace. Except I was on submarines and I am a life member of the VFW for certain missions my submarine was involved in. I wear the expeditionary medal for "having been on hostile/enemy land for more than 30 days consecutively" due to missions(s) my boat was involved.
Reason 2:
My brother, a Navy Lt and aviator, served from 1981 to 1985 when he was killed. These were years of peace too. I'm telling you this because service men and women risk their lives every day preparing to defend our country. My brother's jet crashed and he died. Certainly that servicemen and women risk their lives in peace for war deserve education benefits.
I hope you will agree with me that all members of the military deserve education benefits. We risked our lives.
Reason 3:
The final reason has to do with cost. The GI Bill from 1945 has returned six-fold in increased payroll taxes to the US government. The cost of education for the military as Kennedy and Eisenhower suggest, should not be a consideration because it is actually a revenue positive measure. We need to look long-term and not short-term for funding solutions. Politicians only see to the next election cycle which is no different than Wall Street but that is another post.
We all know the social reasons why education matters. MIlitary members deserve education benefits whether it is peace or war. And you know what? if you want to keep military spouses happy, and have GIs reenlisting, you will give education benefits to spouses too!
Paul
Reason 1:
I served from 1978-1984 in the navy on submarines. This was for all practical purposes an era of peace. Except I was on submarines and I am a life member of the VFW for certain missions my submarine was involved in. I wear the expeditionary medal for "having been on hostile/enemy land for more than 30 days consecutively" due to missions(s) my boat was involved.
Reason 2:
My brother, a Navy Lt and aviator, served from 1981 to 1985 when he was killed. These were years of peace too. I'm telling you this because service men and women risk their lives every day preparing to defend our country. My brother's jet crashed and he died. Certainly that servicemen and women risk their lives in peace for war deserve education benefits.
I hope you will agree with me that all members of the military deserve education benefits. We risked our lives.
Reason 3:
The final reason has to do with cost. The GI Bill from 1945 has returned six-fold in increased payroll taxes to the US government. The cost of education for the military as Kennedy and Eisenhower suggest, should not be a consideration because it is actually a revenue positive measure. We need to look long-term and not short-term for funding solutions. Politicians only see to the next election cycle which is no different than Wall Street but that is another post.
We all know the social reasons why education matters. MIlitary members deserve education benefits whether it is peace or war. And you know what? if you want to keep military spouses happy, and have GIs reenlisting, you will give education benefits to spouses too!
Paul
Labels: Education Benefits for the Military
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
I recently completed or passed my candidacy test for the doctorate in adult education in May toward the end of the semester. I hope to keep the blog more up to date outlining thoughts etc as I make movement towards the next phase which will be written comprehensive exams in January 2008.
The big thing now aside from reading a few books preparing for comps is putting together a doctoral committee and I need to inform them what my dissertation will be covering.
It's hard because I have two ideas: one involves community development and would entail a qualitative research method and the other involves measuring attitudes towards methods for paying for education for adults, and with measuring it will be quantitative.
So I'm spending time reading this summer to help decide. Also helping is the fact that no one really seems interested in the attitudes one... By the time the semester ended most professors were gone for the summer.
The big thing now aside from reading a few books preparing for comps is putting together a doctoral committee and I need to inform them what my dissertation will be covering.
It's hard because I have two ideas: one involves community development and would entail a qualitative research method and the other involves measuring attitudes towards methods for paying for education for adults, and with measuring it will be quantitative.
So I'm spending time reading this summer to help decide. Also helping is the fact that no one really seems interested in the attitudes one... By the time the semester ended most professors were gone for the summer.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Professor Vedder, the economics professor from Ohio University is a real character. If you haven't seen it, this article calls him the Simon Cowell of the Commission on Higher Learning.
I had just thrown him off as a joke after readingan earlier transcript from another hearing in which he seemed to bea crack pot more for amusement than testimonial value. In this commission it seems others take him seriously because he will speak and not hold back what "everyone" is thinking.
I don't necessarily like his thought though on efficiency. With the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania already giving Temple, Pitt and Penn State less, and PSU departments already having a 2% give back university wide, there is little left to cut without hurting programs and services. I wonder if Professor Vedder knows about state budget items such as prisons, and medicare? There are finite amounts of money in state budgets from tax revenues. If Penn State professors were among the highest paid in the Big Ten there might be an issue but they are not, they are somewhere near the bottom.
I had just thrown him off as a joke after readingan earlier transcript from another hearing in which he seemed to bea crack pot more for amusement than testimonial value. In this commission it seems others take him seriously because he will speak and not hold back what "everyone" is thinking.
I don't necessarily like his thought though on efficiency. With the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania already giving Temple, Pitt and Penn State less, and PSU departments already having a 2% give back university wide, there is little left to cut without hurting programs and services. I wonder if Professor Vedder knows about state budget items such as prisons, and medicare? There are finite amounts of money in state budgets from tax revenues. If Penn State professors were among the highest paid in the Big Ten there might be an issue but they are not, they are somewhere near the bottom.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Dateline: March 8, 2006
Did you know that two things happened today that will have an effect on higher education for adults? That's right... I'm speaking of Education Management's going private in a staggering deal. The Education Management Corporation, the nation's second-largest commercial school and education company, has agreed to be sold to Providence Equity Partners and the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs for $3.4 billion in cash.
This deal comes at a time when for-profit enrollments is outpacing traditional ones. 4% of students at degree granting institutions attend for-profits. The deal also comes at a time when Congress has repealed the 50% rule enabling schools from education Managment to agressively expand.
The deal price represents a 16% premium over current market prices.
and this is all in the same week... that saw slipped into a the budget bill that passed both houses last Tuesday, a provision that repealed "the 50-50 rule," which required colleges and vocational schools to offer at least 50% of their courses in traditional settings before students could qualify for federal loans.
Supposedly this will be good for "need-based" students and students that do not desire a liberal-arts education. But I think there will be an environment just ripe with opportunities for charlatans, frauds, and diploma mills that the 50% rules was designed to keep out of federal coffers to take advantage of the rules change.
In previous weeks there have been several stories about private not-for-profit colleges being bought by for-profit companies.
And who do you suppose was engineering all this? Can you say Represenative and GOP house leader John Boehner? Boehner who took over for Texas' pride Tom Delay was the house education committee leader now he has been able to move his lobbyists agenda to do jsut what non-profits wanted.
It's a sad day for quality education for adults. Caveat Emptor you say? But that is part of the issue of educating. Marketers can make anything exciting, worthwhile and valuable for you.
One good thing that is still remains is the default rate provision on federal loans. How far out or how long will a school be able to exist without being subject to these guidelines? For a full-time student I guess 4.5 years if loans are due back 6 months after graduation but when we are talking about adults attending classes part-time it will be much longer.
Okay, that's post #1, and something on my mind this week. Any thoughts from you?
Did you know that two things happened today that will have an effect on higher education for adults? That's right... I'm speaking of Education Management's going private in a staggering deal. The Education Management Corporation, the nation's second-largest commercial school and education company, has agreed to be sold to Providence Equity Partners and the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs for $3.4 billion in cash.
This deal comes at a time when for-profit enrollments is outpacing traditional ones. 4% of students at degree granting institutions attend for-profits. The deal also comes at a time when Congress has repealed the 50% rule enabling schools from education Managment to agressively expand.
The deal price represents a 16% premium over current market prices.
and this is all in the same week... that saw slipped into a the budget bill that passed both houses last Tuesday, a provision that repealed "the 50-50 rule," which required colleges and vocational schools to offer at least 50% of their courses in traditional settings before students could qualify for federal loans.
Supposedly this will be good for "need-based" students and students that do not desire a liberal-arts education. But I think there will be an environment just ripe with opportunities for charlatans, frauds, and diploma mills that the 50% rules was designed to keep out of federal coffers to take advantage of the rules change.
In previous weeks there have been several stories about private not-for-profit colleges being bought by for-profit companies.
And who do you suppose was engineering all this? Can you say Represenative and GOP house leader John Boehner? Boehner who took over for Texas' pride Tom Delay was the house education committee leader now he has been able to move his lobbyists agenda to do jsut what non-profits wanted.
It's a sad day for quality education for adults. Caveat Emptor you say? But that is part of the issue of educating. Marketers can make anything exciting, worthwhile and valuable for you.
One good thing that is still remains is the default rate provision on federal loans. How far out or how long will a school be able to exist without being subject to these guidelines? For a full-time student I guess 4.5 years if loans are due back 6 months after graduation but when we are talking about adults attending classes part-time it will be much longer.
Okay, that's post #1, and something on my mind this week. Any thoughts from you?
