Harvard has refused to accept the orders of a Trump administration commission concerning its chronic problems with anti-Semitism, campus violence, and racial tribalism, bias, and segregation.
Yet, unlike some conservative campuses that distrust an overbearing Washington, Harvard and most elite schools like it want it both ways. They do as they please on their own turf and yet still demand that the taxpayers send them multibillion-dollar checks in addition to their multibillion-dollar private incomes.
Aside from the issues of autonomy and free expression, there are lots of campus practices that higher education would prefer were not widely known to the public.
But soon they will be, and thus will become sources of public anger. Perhaps envision elite private colleges as mossy rocks, which seem outwardly picturesque—until you turn them over and see what crawls beneath.
So, if there are protracted standoffs, our elite campuses will be hard-pressed to defend the indefensible. This effort will be difficult because public confidence in higher education has already plummeted to historic lows in the most recent polls.
Kayla Huynh:
Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them,” he said, citing federal test scores that show K-12 students behind in math and reading. “The federal education bureaucracy is not working.”
Wisconsin joined 20 other states last month in suing to block plans to close the department. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, a former state superintendent of public instruction, called Trump’s efforts “ridiculous.” Evers placed blame on Congress, though, for “doing absolutely nothing.”
Some members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation, including Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, have hailed the changes as giving states more control and limiting the federal government’s role in education.
“I’m with President Trump,” Johnson posted on social media last month. “Shut it down.”
Wisconsin education officials and education policy researchers say the changes could affect students and families in Madison through funding, financial aid, civil rights protectionsand other areas.
However, schools would still fall under state education regulations and might be able tomaintain their largest sources of funding, such as local taxes, state aid and student tuition.
…..
The Office for Civil Rights has also opened investigations at UW-Madison and 44 other universities “for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in … graduate programs.” The office says it is examining ties to an organization called The Ph.D. Project, which aims to help students from historically underrepresented backgrounds earn advanced degrees in business.
While UW-Madison is no longer affiliated with the Ph.D. Project, according to campus spokesperson John Lucas, the federal investigation remains ongoing.
……
Bell said a majority of the grants the Wisconsin Center for Education Research receives come from federal funds, which are used to support projects and pay researchers’ salaries. (it is useful to have a look at the WCER’s substantial taxpayer funded budget)
———
The taxpayer funded Madison School District long used Reading Recovery…
The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”
My Question to Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers on Teacher Mulligans and our Disastrous Reading Results
2017: West High Reading Interventionist Teacher’s Remarks to the School Board on Madison’s Disastrous Reading Results
Madison’s taxpayer supported K-12 school district, despite spending far more than most, has long tolerated disastrous reading results.
“An emphasis on adult employment”
Wisconsin Public Policy Forum Madison School District Report[PDF]
WEAC: $1.57 million for Four Wisconsin Senators
Friday Afternoon Veto: Governor Evers Rejects AB446/SB454; an effort to address our long term, disastrous reading results
Booked, but can’t read (Madison): functional literacy, National citizenship and the new face of Dred Scott in the age of mass incarceration.
When A Stands for Average: Students at the UW-Madison School of Education Receive Sky-High Grades. How Smart is That?
