public higher education

#Conn Superintendents Propose Ending Open-Ended #Tenure; Offering #PreSchool And All-Day #Kindergarten; Eliminating Grade Levels

Submitted by Judy Meredith on Thu, 12/08/2011 - 12:00am

 

Wow -- look whats happening in our neighboring state. From the Courant 
 
A slate of school reform proposals that include eliminating open-ended teacher tenure, providing preschool and all-day kindergarten statewide and eliminating grade levels drew interest Wednesday from Connecticut education leaders, who are preparing their own reform ideas for lawmakers.
 
Members of the state Board of Education and state Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor used words such as "tremendous," "bold" and "long overdue" in their reactions to the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents' proposals.
 
The board members did not act on the proposals, but they made it clear that they expect and welcome a shakeup of Connecticut's education system — and that Pryor, who started as commissioner in October, has their full backing as he revamps his state agency and the board drafts a package of reform ideas for state lawmakers to consider in early 2012.

in

Target Gambling Revenues to Higher Education?

Submitted by Judy Meredith on Thu, 09/01/2011 - 4:00am

ONE Mass will be tracking the various amendments to the Gambling legislation that target revenues. We expect the debate on Wed the 14th. 

in

Today's Big Idea To Get America Working: Invest In Public Education

Submitted by Sondra Peskoe on Tue, 08/16/2011 - 11:00pm

This is an interesting article about how to view the economy through the lens of investing in public education.  The premise...you can hurt the economy by NOT investing in public education and that spending on public education is an engine for economic equality.

Spending on public education decreases income inequality mostly by "contributing more to lower incomes than to higher incomes."...Public education expenditures also contribute to reductions in poverty rates.  [Full Article: Campaign for America's Future]

in

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's testimony could affect outcome of immigrant student tuition measures

Submitted by Sondra Peskoe on Wed, 07/20/2011 - 11:00pm

In written testimony submitted to the committee Wednesday on the two bills, one introduced in the House and one in the Senate, [Governor] Patrick outlined what he called three "sound public policy" reasons why he supports the bills; the importance of college graduates to the state's workforce, an increase in revenues to public institutions from new enrollees who otherwise could not afford attendance, and providing equality in accessing higher education. [Full Article and Audio: WAMC]

in

Patrick creates $2.5m higher ed fund

Submitted by Carmen Arce-Bowen on Sun, 07/10/2011 - 11:00pm

Called the Performance Incentive Fund, the money will support a grant-making process so that campuses can create programs and policies in line with the Vision Project, a plan to make state higher education institutions more competitive. [Full Article: Boston Business Journal]

in

Meehan: Best way to offset cuts at UML is to up enrollment

Submitted by Carmen Arce-Bowen on Sun, 06/12/2011 - 11:00pm

It is sad to see a public education institution lack the resources to fund infrastructure projects that would create more opportunities for its students and have the need to borrow money. 

Chancellor Marty Meehan, in a meeting with Sun editors last week, said the university will borrow the funding to pay for the project, expected to be completed by the fall of 2013. "We need to run this university like a private institution,always looking for ways to boost revenue," he said. "The best way to deal with budget cuts is to increase enrollment. Nonstate revenue increased by $17 million last year." [Full Article: LowellSun]
in

AN UPDATE ON STATE BUDGET CUTS

Submitted by Sondra Peskoe on Wed, 02/09/2011 - 12:00am

This report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities outlines the economic and financial challenges of the US and how the states have dealt with these fiscal realities and consequences.

Cuts to state services not only harm vulnerable residents but also worsen the recession — and dampen the recovery — by reducing overall economic activity. When states cut spending, they lay off employees, cancel contracts with vendors, reduce payments to businesses and nonprofits that provide services, and cut benefit payments to individuals. All of these steps remove demand from the economy.  [Full Report:  Center on Budget and Policy Priorities]

in

An investment that yields results

Submitted by yawu on Tue, 11/24/2009 - 1:39pm

An article in Saturday's Boston Globe shows the reciprocal relationship between the investments we make in public education, job training and public higher education and the businesses and jobs that make our economy thrive.

As the article points out, many high-tech businesses are refusing to relocate to states where wages are 20 to 30 percent lower because the Massachusetts workforce is better trained and more skilled:

“Among the reasons that we have continued to expand is we have access to high quality, educated employees, many with biotech and pharmaceutical backgrounds,’’ chief financial officer David Arkowitz. “Our intellectual capital resides here in Massachusetts, and it’s too precious to relocate.’’

This article also underscores the importance of investing in the state's educations system, k-graduate school.

in
Syndicate content