Finding the Sweet Spot on Student Loan Forgiveness
"President Biden has yet to deliver what experts say could be a strong political catalyst among Democrats and young voters: widespread student debt relief. ... The lack of action from Biden has many supporters of debt relief frustrated. With the midterm elections right around the corner in November, debt relief could give Biden and the Democratic Party an advantage among key voting blocs, especially young and minority voters." – Inside Higher Ed, 8/19/22
The Truth About Student Mismatch
"A recent Manhattan Institute paper entitled 'Does Affirmative Action Lead to "Mismatch"? A Review of the Evidence' usefully focuses attention on this issue. Author Robert VerBruggen sums up his findings: 'The research is mixed but generally consistent with a framework in which mismatch can be a problem but is not always, depending on such factors as how severely a student is out of step with his peers and how demanding his academic program is.' " – The James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, 8/19/22
In urban districts, a new embrace of career and technical programs
"Large urban districts, including Chicago, are rethinking and expanding these programs in the wake of the pandemic as students look for more direct, debt-free routes to in-demand careers. That push comes on the heels of a reckoning over the past decade’s college-for-all mantra, which propelled more students to campus, but didn’t always lead to a college diploma." – Washington Post, 8/19/22
ACLU-backed lawsuit targets Florida law limiting race-related education in public colleges
"Seven professors and a college student in Florida’s public institutions sued Thursday to block a new state law that curtails instruction about race and gender, arguing the statute is unconstitutional. The Florida and national branches of the American Civil Liberties Union are backing the lawsuit, which says the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees, or Stop WOKE, Act, treads on free speech rights and discriminates against Black students and instructors." – Higher Ed Dive, 8/18/22
Judge blocks DeSantis’s ‘Stop WOKE Act,’ says Florida feels like a ‘First Amendment upside down’
"A federal judge on Thursday blocked portions of a Florida law restricting how workplaces and schools can discuss race during required training or instruction championed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida Chief Judge Mark Walker issued a preliminary injunction blocking the private employer provisions in the law, known as the “Stop WOKE Act,” saying it violates free speech protections under the First Amendment and that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause for being impermissibly vague." – The Hill, 8/18/22
Biden’s ‘Fresh Start’ student loan plan would help 7.5M borrowers in default
"The Biden administration intends to put 7.5 million student loan borrowers who are in default back into good standing through its Fresh Start initiative, which the U.S. Department of Education detailed Wednesday. Under the program, defaulted borrowers will have one year from the end of the federal government’s pandemic-driven student loan repayment pause to arrange payments on their debt. The repayment moratorium is set to expire at the end of this month, though it’s possible the White House will extend it." – Higher Ed Dive, 8/18/22
Biden Student Loan Proposal Ignores the Root Problems of the Debt Crisis
"The Biden administration is days away from making one of the most anticipated decisions in his presidency on broad student loan forgiveness. The administration has already forgiven over $30 billion in student loans through borrower defense, disability discharges, and the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. These actions are unfair to American taxpayers and economically harmful, especially in the context of rapid inflation. Instead of addressing the root problems of the student debt crisis, the Biden administration continues to add fuel to the fire." – National Association of Scholars, 8/18/22
Professor Sues U of Oregon Employee Over Twitter Block
"Bruce Gilley, a political science professor, accused Tova Stabin, communications manager of the university's Division of Equity and Inclusion, of violating his First Amendment rights by blocking him on the division’s Twitter account. Stabin also manages the office’s social media accounts. ... Gilley is seeking an order to permanently unblock him and to prevent the account from blocking other users, $17.91 in damages and money to cover attorney fees." – Inside Higher Ed, 8/18/22
"US scholars need to stand up against the expanded use of NAGPRA, CalNAGPRA, and similar statutes beyond their letter and spirit. As my case shows, there is a desire among some tribes, activists, and even university officials to impose a de facto moratorium on all research involving Native American human remains, and to insist upon a posture of complete deference toward any demand made on the basis of asserted tribal custom or folklore—even if it means throwing academics under the bus in the process." – Quillette, 8/18/22
Virginia officials blame lagging test scores on pandemic school closures
"The Virginia Education Department said students are still bearing the scars of prolonged pandemic-related school closures, releasing test scores from last school year that showed them performing behind pre-pandemic levels. While students saw across-the-board gains in the 2021-2022 school year compared to the previous academic year, state education officials said the progress was not enough, and pinned some of the good news on lowered standards — not on better student performance." – Washington Post, 8/18/22
