This is my response to a front page article in the Wall Street Journal. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304851104579361451951384512 Who knows, maybe I'm being unfair. Maybe it is a fine topic for study. But I don't think … [Continue reading]
Excellent Op-Ed But, Again, The Author Seems Not Aware of the Fundamental Problem.
March 3, 2014 by
In her New York Times Op-Ed, SUZANNE METTLER, points out how college now increases inequality. This is no surprise to readers of this blog. Here are the relevant posts. American 15-Year-Olds Fall Further Back in Math No Jobs for Ph.D’s? … [Continue reading]
The Start of Grade Inflation Wonderfully Described by Someone Who Was There
March 3, 2014 by
There is a new comment on my post Education First? or, Endowment First? . I recommend reading the whole comment; but, here, I want to call attention to the excellent description of how much everything changed in such a short time. I will add some … [Continue reading]
Princeton Giving Up on Using Grades As Motivation and Feedback?
February 25, 2014 by
"That is my worry. I will state my position as briefly as I can: If the same material is taught to similar students, then the times it is taught with a higher standard for an A, B, etc.... will be the times that, on average, more students will … [Continue reading]
Tom Friedman’s “How to Get a Job at Google”
February 24, 2014 by
It is good because it quotes the Sr. VP in charge of hiring on the five attributes that companies like Google are looking for in an employee. Here is the link … [Continue reading]
Good News: WSJ article notes that “Cash-Conscious Families Clamor for Numbers on How Much Students Learn”
February 21, 2014 by
The article is here. http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304899704579391513428597546 Here is my comment. "I am a former professor. Far too many universities cater to their naive and uneducated customers - once quiantly called … [Continue reading]
New York Times Editorial Board: “…the new college campus…does not seem geared to fulfill…the major mission of universities: educating students.”
February 17, 2014 by
This is not the first Editorial from the New York Times on education. But it is the first that I have seen where The Editorial Board seems to be realizing that too many universities don't see the "new college campus" as a place for education. I … [Continue reading]
A Comment on Nicholas Kristoff’s Op-Ed in the New York Times
February 16, 2014 by
I tell him what I think Clark Kerr's explanation would be for why there are fewer public intellectuals. I also, comment on my own situation in trying to address important public issues. Here is a link to his blogpost, which, in turn contains a link … [Continue reading]
Education First? or, Endowment First?
There is a new post on the Economist site (http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2014/02/higher-education-0) that discusses new research on how universities spend their endowments when times are hard, and when times are good. Essentially, they … [Continue reading]