TIME Magazine asks: "Can Community Colleges Save the U.S. Economy?"
The answer, of course, is no. But if you believe, as Peter Morici and others do, that the huge structural trade deficit in manufactured goods and other forms of real wealth is part of the problem, and that rising borrowing to paper over that imbalance has hit the wall... If you fundamentally buy that argument, then a rebalancing toward community colleges, and away from low real-value university B.A.s, is certainly part of the solution. Changing that balance would have the incidental effect of raising community college graduation rates, which currently lag behind universities. So, too, would real education reform that improved K-12 education's deficiencies across the board.
Obama does seem to get community colleges' importance, for whatever reason - and good on him for taking some positive steps. Time will tell if it generates meaningful action, however, in the face of likely opposition from key Obama constituencies.
One certainly wonders why the GOP hasn't grasped community colleges' useful importance yet and been banging on about it for years now. It's especially puzzling given the fact that forces for the current status quo include many of the party's enemies. I suspect some of the less useful Reagan era lenses need to fall from a few eyes in order for that to happen, and the realizations associated with it will be helpful in steering the party toward some genuinely productive new thinking.
I'm writing this as my students take summer exam #3...
I of course, would really like to see community colleges expand, especially the vocational programs. That is something I wish we advertised better to struggling students... that the "non-traditional" education is an excellent career plan. After all, you can't export the job of a mechanic, or electrician (etc).
Still, you can break down all of my science classes into two groups: Those that want to be here, and those that are here because they don't know what else to do. The first group is extremely motivated, the second slip by without noticing that a D exam is a bad omen. (And I tend to see only the better second year students)
My CC is currently at 95% capacity, but is stuffed with group 2. Let's take nursing for an example. Within a week of registration, every bio class has a waitlist. Many of the students who get in have chronic attendance problems. Others will take the intro bio class 2 or 3 times in order to pass. It's inevitable, this particular group of students will never become nurses. We have not 'failed them', but we cannot succeed them either.
I'm not intentionally advocating for reform here, just noting that it's hard to spur success from CC's unless the student already wants it. (And those students, by and large, are already enrolled).
Good points, and a good contribution.
One expected consequences of my belief re: shifting the balance of students and funding away from low skills/value B.A.s and toward community colleges is that it would transfer a higher proportion of students who can be "succeeded" than is true for the current ratio. Which will raise the current ratios. As well as making better use of those students.
The rest of the motivation change is likely to come via circumstances, which I don't see as good. Very high unemployment plus bankrupt governments and cut services. Except that since I expect a $US decline, I'm more bullish on manufacturing's medium-term prospects than Obama's Council of Economic Advisers. Which makes Community Colleges a bigger plus, to me.
In terms of improving K-12, it is not a good sign when the NYT reports that:
Especially when you then compare that thought to a standard 7th grade reader from 40 years ago. But it does sound a bit like the profile Alchemist is also dealing with at the lower end.
It's beyond me, too. Here in TX, all high schools now must offer dual-enrollment courses (so pass an accuplacer, and you can escape your high school course while picking up credit). That's great.
Gov. Perry, otoh, is trying to raid the teachers' pension fund to support... toll roads.... and he has consistently moved to cut funding in general to this level (while supporting his A&M system buds). Politically, this is Not Smart -- it forces people to vote against him in self-defense. I dunno...perhaps he thinks we're all Democrats?