If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
The Blog
Educators would agree that this is a terrible time for public education, but I got to thinking: What about the children? What lessons are they learning from this experience, if any? I decided to interview some of our fourth grade students and get their perspective on the plight of public education, politics and government.
Here is a way for us to avoid the austerity trap that Europe has fallen into. And we get on with the long-term job of taming the budget deficit when the economy is healthy enough to do so.
We tend to focus on federal matters but for most people the face of government is to be found in the local agencies providing basic services such as police protection, ambulance services, welfare, and medical care for the poor. This is where the erosion of public services is being felt.
A group of homeless youth who are part of an organization known as the Hello Youth Group made a YouTube video and then went to the state capitol in Springfield to talk with legislators.
If Illinois does not close Tamms, the state will face the certainty of substantial long and short-term costs that taxpayers cannot afford.
It's time to stop ignoring poverty and the realities that disadvantaged students face. We must instead address the factors that can and do impede student achievement and well-being.
I am no fan of budget cuts in general but with everything else under the sledgehammer, it is nuts to exempt Israel (nor would it be exempted but for the power of the lobby).
Faced with unassailable evidence that the death penalty in California costs hundreds of millions of dollars per year, supporters tend to respond with what is intended to be a conversation stopper: "You can't put a price tag on justice."
Next time someone asks you for whom the austerity bell tolls, tell them it ain't just the EU.
The choice for most of us is clear. When asked, "What would you cut if you have to," Americans chose cuts in military spending over cuts in Social Security or Medicare -- three to one. But poll Congress and you get different answers.
The House Budget Committee's latest draconian budget proposes even deeper cuts in the safety net while refusing to ask the rich and powerful to contribute their fair share. Indeed, it would give them more tax breaks at the expense of poor struggling families desperately trying to get back on their feet.
A key reason that it's relatively easy to scaremonger about predictions regarding Social Security's finances decades in the future is that the language often used to talk about Social Security's finances isn't immediately comparable to anything else that most people can relate to.
Until recently, we all saw the college years as an important time for intellectual, social and cultural growth. Those days seem to be over. Colleges and universities have been profoundly politicized.
There is no lobby for the poor in this country. The only thing that they can rely on is a little bit of government assistance to keep their dignity and their opportunities alive.
In the current economic climate, university administrators must consider the long-term implications of their decisions. These decisions will greatly impact the future of these institutions and the quality of research and education they provide.
