Fixing Fafsa Will Require Fixing Colleges

Shortening the nightmarish federal financial aid form for college loan applicants will allow lower-income students greater access to higher education. Source: Time to Fix the Fafsa – The New York Times I wrote, “Colleges won’t easily give up the data they get from Fafsa. That data is too valuable for pricing, manipulating admission rates, and […]

Standardized Tests (For Colleges, Through K-12 Students) Is the Answer

An ill-conceived boycott could damage educational reform and undermine the Common Core standards. Source: Opting Out of Standardized Tests Isn’t the Answer – The New York Times I’m a former math professor. The k-12 problem is obvious – and testing can fix it, but not the way most people think. The problem is not the […]

Good News: Editor of NY Times “Upshot” Encourages More Discussion on Kevin Carey’s “The Fundamental Way That Universities Are an Illusion”

Our contributor Kevin Carey has written an important and eye-opening piece on this subject, and I encourage you to read it. Source: How Colleges Are Weak – The New York Times But as I state in my comment, Mr. Carey can use help with views from the inside. I wrote, Kevin Carey’s insights into, and […]

The Fundamental Way That Universities Are an Illusion – The New York Times.  Here is Another, Per Gross and Bok (and me)

Source: The Fundamental Way That Universities Are an Illusion – The New York Times “…Because universities aren’t as they appear, systems designed to improve them tend to fail…” That is a critical observation. Here is Bill Gross’ view of what colleges really are, and why it is so hard to change them. “…Universities are run […]

Good Essay on Universities Being an Illusion – But It’s Not Because They Don’t Exert Influence Over Teaching. It’s Because They DO!

Source: The Fundamental Way That Universities Are an Illusion – The New York Times I commented. “…When it comes to exerting influence over teaching and learning, [colleges are] Easter eggs. They barely exist…” They do exert an influence. It’s negative. I know. I’m a former math professor. Here is just one example of a college […]

Harvard Admissions Needs ‘Moneyball for Life’ – The New York Times

The university should start filtering for self-importance, and future big donors. Source: Harvard Admissions Needs ‘Moneyball for Life’ – The New York Times

Example of How First Graders Are Learning to Think Mathematically

a strategy for first graders learning addition. If you want to remember what 8+5 is, you recall that 8 needs two more to be 10; take those two away from the 5 and give them to the 8, leaving you with 10+3 = 13 Source: Meet the New Common Core – The New York Times […]

A Mathematician Sees the Problem; Hopefully He Will See the Cause Too

But don’t get too excited. It’s the same as the old one…My kid has had teachers who liked and understood the math they taught. But not everyone’s so fortunate Source: Meet the New Common Core I added, Prof. Ellenberg, I too am a mathematician, but, unlike you, I have been fortunate enough to have taught […]

So Are the Ramifications of Not Getting What You Paid For

The ramifications of defaulting and remaining in debt deliberately are usually real and lasting. Source: Taking On Student Debt, and Refusing to Pay – NYTimes.com I commented. You write that “…the ramifications of defaulting and remaining in debt deliberately are usually real and lasting…” True, but there is something much worse: the ramifications of colleges […]