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Post by scarletrunner19 on Jul 13, 2012 11:41:44 GMT -5
I strongly encourage the committee to get rid of any sections that penalize students. Those solutions that claim there are such things as obsolete degrees and that would deny students aid because their school's tuition is too high are counter-intuitive if we want to attract young people who want opportunities to go to school. Students are concerned about their futures after they leave school, as well as student loan debt. These are the issues that should be addressed by this committee and the committee dealing with employment.
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Post by kjlowry on Jul 25, 2012 17:55:38 GMT -5
The way the document that was received by the Style committee looks: an amendment passed to strike virtually all of the text that had been presented by the education committee. I may be wrong and there may have been changes at the last minute on the 4th that we haven't received yet.
we were given this: Problem: Education is a national security issue. It is said that national security is no longer a function solely of military might but is “closely linked with human capital” and that this capital is only as strong as the country’s public schools.
{The Independent Task Force report on U.S. Education Reform and National Security Regarding economic growth, produced a report that said the U.S. education system is not preparing students for the global work force. “Poorly educated and semiskilled Americans cannot expect to effectively compete for jobs against fellow U.S. citizens or global peers, and are left unable to fully participate in and contribute to society,”.
As far as the country’s safety, the report cited a Defense Department statistic that 75% of American youth do not qualify for the armed forces due to the lack of a high school diploma, physical obstacles such as obesity or criminal records. Factors such as obesity and crime cannot be blamed on schools, the report said. But it said that among those who are qualified for the armed forces, many are not academically prepared - 30% don’t pass the military’s aptitude test.
The report said there is a lack of technologically qualified individuals to address cyber threats to businesses and government. It points out that foreign language and global awareness skills among American students are lacking, jeopardizing military, business, intelligence and diplomatic interests, and it said a failure to learn about global cultures can have “serious consequences.”
The task force also said the American Dream appears to be out of reach for many. “The growing gap between the educated and the undereducated is creating a widening chasm that divides Americans and has the potential to tear at the fabric of society,” it said.
Solution (1): Every pupil from Pre-K to Grade 12 must be guaranteed access to a world-class education delivered by traditionally trained educators regardless of his or her socioeconomic status, gender, physical or intellectual needs, and racial/ethnic group. Thus producing students who will not be undereducated, underdeveloped for higher education and technical careers, and underemployed as adults.
Solution (2): Education should not be about having US students to compete with each other. Rather Education must employ egalitarian principles to ensure that all pupils are equipped for global competition.
Solution (3): Keep a firm separation between church and state especially in the education system.
Solution (4): Create and implement stricter criteria for the teaching workforce and increase teacher pay and benefits in order to recruit the best teachers.
Student Loan Debt Relief and Grants
77. Problem: There currently is no cap on student loan interest rates. As it stands, student loans are sold to private financial entities who have the ability to set the terms and interest rates to the levels that they deem applicable to the lendee. Seeing that education is a necessity from the cradle to the grave and not a luxury, why then is this necessity merchandized?
Solution (1): Because education is the only way to secure our future success as a nation, interest rates on student debts must be immediately reduced to 2% or less (plus the discount window rate currently 0.0 to 0.25%) as a cap and repayments deferred for periods of unemployment, illness or disability.
Solution (2): Employers will receive a student loan repayment tax deduction for paying the loans owed by their employees.
Solution (3): Mandate a support system for students receiving educational loans to ensure that they complete their academic programs.
Solution (4): Students will not be given loans to finance academic programs leading to obsolete degrees.
Solution (5): Lenders who operate under fraudulent terms and conditions will be prosecuted, and students who fall victim to these lenders will be relieved immediately of the loan regardless of the student loan agreement entered into.
78. Problem: Many students in the US are not entering into fields dealing with Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM).
Solution: Because the government and many states have STEM initiatives in place, this portion of the grievance should be eliminated. [The committee is recommending that ths grievance be eliminated.]
79. Problem: The cost of obtaining a higher education has increased significantly in the last decade. It is becoming harder and harder for individuals and families to pay for a college education. Solution (1): Public and private universities that do not reduce tuition to levels affordable to middle class families* and individuals shall lose all federal funding including grants and loans.
Solution (2): Adopting an Open University (OU) agenda - like in the UK - with a mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. Having an open admissions policy and widening participation in education thus making learning resources available free of charge - without sacrificing quality.
Solution (3): Regulate textbook publishers with regards to the growing costs of textbooks and encourage the usage of digital media.
*defined as $100,000 or less in annual family income.} amendment passed to REMOVE ALL THE TEXT BETWEEN {}
SO, the first statement immediately after THE PROBLEM is all that remained!! If you have different information - please let the Style committee know? Thanks, KJ Lowry
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Post by davidindc on Jul 26, 2012 10:06:23 GMT -5
This post stokes one of my fears. It sounds like the Steering Committee has given what appear to be incomplete materials to the Style Committee.
Is that accurate?
Is it possible to just go back to the slides that were on the screen when we voted? It seems like that would nail down exactly what we did, without resort to other peoples' memories or notes.
KJ, can you please check and either get back to us or ask the Steering Committee to do so?
Thanks.
David in DC
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Post by frankleespeaking on Jul 26, 2012 11:28:59 GMT -5
I don't know, but this is a terrible:
Solution (1): Public and private universities that do not reduce tuition to levels affordable to middle class families* and individuals shall lose all federal funding including grants and loans.
This problem is way too complex to just throw language like that out there. How exactly are these universities expected to do this when their funding is being cut to the bone?
And I agree with what scarlet said as well.
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Post by kjlowry on Jul 26, 2012 16:14:55 GMT -5
Problem: Education is a national security issue. It is said that national security is no longer a function solely of military might but is “closely linked with human capital” and that this capital is only as strong as the country’s public schools. Read more: 99declaration.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=education&action=post&thread=278&page=1#ixzz21lQkTMYDThe only part that wasn't stricken is what I just copied above! so most of what people have been concerned with here is already gone. No worries, David. On the 4th John Beggiato was the guy doing all of the transcribing, deleting, adding in, and trying to deal with everyone that kept trying to get him to change things for them at the last minute. He wrote an email to all of us about a week ago saying he realized he had made some mistakes on the 23 page document that Regina sent out to us all. He is double-checking everything with the fella that was running the screens and voting and is supposed to be sending out the final result to us sometime today or tomorrow. Once we get that, the style committee will match it with what we already have and finish our work. I have sent out some requests to people on the veteran, education, jobs, and student loans for info but other than that -- once we hear fom John we should have everything we need. Kjl
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