Considering that we’re in the midst of a major financial crisis, some in the media are looking at Obama’s domestic agenda in education and health care and wondering: is the president doing too much too soon?

Shouldn’t he just concentrate on the economy? they ask.

To me, it’s obvious that reforming education and health care is about fixing the economy.

Quick facts about education and the economy:

*There is a correlation between higher levels of education and higher earnings for all racial/ethnic
groups and for both men and women.

*The income gap between high school graduates and college graduates has increased significantly over time.

*Higher levels of education correspond to lower levels of unemployment and poverty, so in addition to contributing more to tax revenues than others do, adults with higher levels of education are less likely to depend on social safety-net programs, generating decreased demand on public budgets.

Quick facts about health care and the economy:

*50 percent of all bankruptcy fillings are partially attributed to health care costs even though 68 percent of those who file for bankruptcy have health insurance.

*About 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable medical costs.

*Retiring elderly couples will need $250,000 in savings just to pay for the most basic medical coverage. Many experts believe that this figure is conservative and that $300,000 may be a more realistic number.

It’s just shortsighted thinking to miss these important connections. So next time someone tells you that Obama is doing too much for health care and schools and too little for the economy, set ‘em straight.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman

Some clues:

It can be bought and sold. It can save and ruin your life. People pay a lot of money to hide it and even more money to share it. It can break and mend hearts, markets and governments. Some governments try to control it more than others. It can be true and false, believed and ignored. It can be viral but has no physical structure. If you have the right kind of it, you can win a Pulitzer, a World War, an election or a poker game. It is often associated with technology and systems and superhighways. We are living in its age.

That’s right, I’m talking about…

INFORMATION

If you haven’t heard about the latest Facebook brouhaha (not the 25 random things thing–though you can listen to our very own Scott Lamb’s insightful NPR commentary on this topic here), Facebookers were outraged when the website announced that it would retain users’ content even after they terminate their accounts.

Or put another way by the blog Consumerist:
“Anything you upload to Facebook can be used by Facebook in any way they deem fit, forever”

According to today’s New York Times, however, Facebook has just done an about-face in response to user protest and plans to reevaluate their policy. Updates to follow, I guess.

ANYWAY, the big Facebook fight of ’09 got me thinking about who really owns our information? And for that matter, is information something that can be owned? Information isn’t a thing. It’s more like a force. And no one can really own a force. You can try to control it Yoda-style but a) control is illusive; and b) controlling and owning are two different things.

Can Facebook users really claim to own information about where we went to college, political affiliation, residence, marriage status etc.? These things are all in the public record–and have been since before the information age.

A good archivist can probably find out where your grandfather went to high school, whether or not your kooky great-aunt was ever married, the address of your great-great-great grandmother’s first tenement, if your ancestors owned slaves or were themselves owned (or both), the actual year that your cousin who always lies about her age was born etc.

In a way, Facebook is just a mega-public record. The good news is that users have some degree of control over how much you want to share. You don’t have to tell the world that you broke up with your boyfriend or that you’re going to a raging party tonight. But once it’s out there, it’s out there.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman

So now I am really confused. I just don’t get is why the Senate version of the bill–which was compromise enough for only three Republicans!–hacked off $16 billion for school construction of all things.

Curious about the other educational expenditures that the Senate cut out of the stimulus bill? (hint: it’s not tax cuts)

From Ed Week:

Reductions in Education Spending from the House to the Senate

Education Technology
House: $1 billion
Senate: $1 billion

Title 1 Programs for Disadvantaged Students
House:$13 billion
Senate: $12.4 billion

Educational “Incentive Grants” to States (money for districts, colleges and nonprofits)
House: $15 billion + $25 billion in flexible aid to states that could be used for education
Senate: $7.5 billion (this figure also covers “flexible aid to states”)

Head Start (pre-school education)
House:$2.1 billion
Senate: $1.05 billion

Teacher-Quality State Grants
House: $100 million
Senate: $50 million

Teacher Incentive Fund
House:$200 million
Senate: 0

School Data Systems
House:$250 million
Senate: 0

Charter School Facilities
House:$25 million
Senate: 0

Do these cuts represent your priorities? What do you think of the “compromise?”
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman.

If you were ordering me as a drink in a bar, you’d ask for confused straight up with a twist of happiness.

These are metaphors, of course.
“Winning the World Series” = $150 BILLION in education spending in Obama’s new stimulus plan

“Dire Hard Pre-2004 Red Sox Fan” = grad student specializing in issues of educational equity

“Confused Straight Up w/a Twist of Happiness” = my state of mind

Just as the recession was threatening to limit spending on education–especially on financial aid for college students–the Obama administration goes ahead and announces that it will MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CURRENT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BUDGET.

Schools, from pre-K through college, are getting everything but the kitchen sink!

Here are some details of the proposed stimulus according to the NYT:

*The federal government will increase education spending from $60 billion in 2008 to $135 billion in 2009 to $146 billion in 2010

*Not only that, but other federal agencies will administer about $20 billion in additional spending on related projects

*Some of this money will go to Pell Grants (grants for low-income college students, which experts have been citing as chronically under-funded for at least 3 decades). Pell Grants are getting a huge boost from $19 billion to $27 billion annually

*$20 billion for school renovation

*massive increases in per-pupil student expenditures (the amounts vary depending on where you live). According to calculations by the New America Foundation, students in D.C. stand to gain a whopping $1,289 each (in expenditures, not handouts) and each kid in NY will get an additional $760 worth of spending on their education.

The American Council of Education also notes proposed increases in government-funded university research, like $3 billion to the National Science Foundation, $1.9 billion to the Department of Energy (for research), and $2 billion to the National Institutes of Health.

So what’s the problem?

Well, for one thing, this money is proposed as a short-term stimulus. What happens in two years when it runs out?

Like other institutions, schools get very used to spending money when they have it. I’m not suggesting that principles are going to start million-dollar office renovations or order new 12-person corporate jets like those creeps at Citibank and Meryl Lynch. However, educators will open new research labs, hire new teachers, buy computers, cut class size etc.

So what happens when the money runs out? Do we raise class size, shut down research centers, make kids share books?

I know this money is part of a “stimulus package”–and in cases with one-time expenditures like school construction, it will definitely work as such. In other cases, however, it might not be such a good idea to throw money at schools or research and then take it away.

Another important question:
Where’s the oversight? How do we ensure that the funds will actually increase student achievement?

As Terry Hartle said to the New York Times, “A lot of things will go through, and only later will we know exactly what happened.”

To return to my earlier metaphor, I guess that’s why, if I were a drink, I’d be confused straight up with a twist of happiness.

Spending money on education is a good–no great!–idea. But without checks and balances, how can we make sure that this is what we’re spending it on?
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman.

George “axis of evil” Bush gave us villains like Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Dick Cheney. It was only a matter or time before a (feminist) superhero like President Obama would come and save us.

Even so, he can’t do it alone. The greatest man ever seems to recognize greatness in someone else–Marian Robinson, aka the “first granny,” who will be bunking in the White House with Sasha, Malia and the gang. As someone who spent a lot of time with grandparents growing up, I really admire the Obamas’ ability to recognize granny greatness.

It’s no secret that families have become more mobile and fractured over the years. Most of us have moved away from the idea of having three generations under one roof. Under this paradigm, the elderly are often segregated to assisted living centers or retirement communities.

In fact, the divide between youth and old age has become so substantial that educators are introducing aging simulation exercises.

Aging simulation activities are designed to help students empathize with the elderly and understand the process of aging. They wear swimming goggles to experience “fuzzy eyesight” and cover their ears with headphones to feel partial hearing loss. There are also activities to simulate difficulties with feeling and touch, loss of color vision and loss of agility and flexibility.

If we are lucky, we will all get old, so it’s probably useful to get a sense of what it is like to age.

Aging simulation activities are also designed to teach children that our elderly family members, friends and neighbors need some help in navigating a world that is not designed with them in mind.

But, as the Obamas understand, it goes both ways. We need our grandparents and grand-friends just as much as they need us. We have older generations to thank for the opportunities and freedoms we enjoy. They are our role models and our teachers, passing on wisdom and values that are worth preserving.

I have so many fond memories of growing up with my grandparents. And I know that when I have children, I definitely want them to have the same advantages and be close to their grandparents.

Hey, if it’s good enough for Sasha and Malia…
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman.

OK, I guess I am technically wearing a rose colored terrycloth jumper in this picture but I promise I wore other colors as well. And, believe it or not, I actually remember having negative associations with the word “princess” when I was growing up. Trust me, when my parents used to call someone a “princess,” it wasn’t a compliment.

But living in strollerville Brooklyn today, it’s not uncommon to see girls in princess costumes strolling around on a summer day. In the winter, these little ladies are almost always swathed in pink–pink hat, pink gloves, pink shoes. And it’s no big deal for a 2-year-old to sport pink nail polish from what I can tell.

Apparently, the feminization of female tots is not just happening in Brooklyn. British mums are concerned about the pink plague in the U.K. as well.

From mumsnet:
“You can’t find girls past the age of three who aren’t obsessed with the colour.”

“You can’t seem to get anything that’s not pink for girls, whether it’s clothes, books or toys.”

“It’s just so insidious and it shows how commercial forces can get under their skin even by that age.”

“They have managed to infiltrate playground culture where peer pressure is so strong.”

I bring up the Brits because, according to an article in the U.K. Telegraph, some scientists believe that little girls are “hard-wired” to be attracted to colors in the red family and point their cross-cultural affinity for pink. Others chalk it up to social conditioning via pink baby blankets and nurseries.

I’m inclined towards the latter explanation, judging from my own childhood. I think my favorite color was purple, in fact, which is a little girly–unless you’re Chuck Bass or the Joker.

In any event, it’s kind of sad that we seem to be reverting when it comes to promoting certain gender stereotypes. If we can bring back 90210, the recession and grunge, I think it’s time for a little FREE TO BE YOU AND ME!

Check out this video to make you feel good about growing up in the 70s and 80s!
Free to Be…You and Me on You Tube

P.S. If you’ve been laid off, invested with Madoff, or simply read the newspaper today, it still helps to sing along to this: It’s Alright to Cry on You Tube

It gets the sad out and no one has to know.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman

The problem is that we don’t educate all students.

You’ve all heard of the term “achievement gap” but what does it actually look like? Why should you care about it?

The Education Trust summarizes the gap as such:

“By the time [minority students] reach grade 12, if they do so at all, minority students are about four years behind other young people. Indeed, 17 year-old African American and Latino students have skills in English, mathematics and science similar to those of 13-year-old white students.”

From a purely pragmatic point of view, consider the fact that students of color are growing as a percentage of school-age children and the percentage of white students is shrinking. Then realize how the nature of our global economy makes education absolutely essential for American workers to remain competitive (in fact, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, American test scores in science and math are near the bottom of the list of 26 countries measured and have been steadily declining since 2000).

Now think about how important it is for us to do a better job of educating all students.

So, you’re probably wondering about Arnie Ducan’s record in closing the achievement gap in Chicago Public Schools. I know I was.

Eduwonkette did some NAEP number crunching (NAEP=the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also called “the Nation’s Report Card”) for white/black and white/Hispanic students in Chicago. She says:

There are no statistically significant declines in these gaps in 4th or 8th grade reading or math. In many cases – for example, 4th and 8th grade math and 8th grade reading – it’s not that the black-white achievement gap is declining, but not by enough to be statistically significant. These gaps are actually growing. Sigh.

Who else is sick of the streamline of bad news out of Chicago these days?

Besides the Blagojevich debacle, let’s not forget about the city’s nauseating youth murder rate.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman

In these tough times, it seems like everyone is looking for ways to save money during the holiday season. So, I’m here to present you with a tip for a great DYI gift that keeps on giving. After all, nothing says “good long-term investment” like a college education.

How do you give the gift of college? I’m so glad you asked. The following is a step-by-step guide to giving the “it” gift of the 2008 holiday season.

Step 1: Go higher up than Santa

Start by sending a message to your elected officials (click here to write to Barack Obama and here to write to your Congressman and here to get a list of senators’ email addresses) alerting them to the fact that the future of our national economy hinges on our ability to provide quality higher education to students today.

Step 2: Know the facts

In your letter or email, you can mention this alarming report released on Tuesday by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, which details how other counties are soaring ahead of the U.S. in terms of college graduates.

Unlike our competitors, the educational strength of the American workforce now lies with adults ages 35 to 64 instead of with younger employees. And the gap in educational attainment will make it very difficult for us to compete in the global economy, which leads me to…

Step 3: Make reasonable predictions about the future

That our national progress in providing college access to students of modest means may be eroding is not news to public college administrators in cash-strapped states where proposals for double-digit tuition increases are already on the table, according to the American Council on Education. To make matters worse, two of the country’s largest public college systems, California and Florida, will cap enrollment for next year, effectively closing the doors to tens of thousands of qualified four-year college students. Those who do manage to enroll may have to spend more time getting their degrees because of overcrowded classes and fewer course options.

Step 4: Reap the Rewards

By contacting your legislators to give the gift of college, you’ll also be giving the gift of higher wages and lower unemployment, as you can see from this graph.

Furthermore, college-educated citizens are more likely to live longer and avoid divorce.

In fact, a college education is so fabulous that you’ll want to give one to every student in America. Your family and friends will thank you.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman

Well, for one thing, it seems that they are not getting enough playtime. In fact, kidz today get 8-12 fewer hours of weekly playtime on average than they did in the 1980s, according to USA Today. This trend has caused considerable alarm among developmental psychologists who note the importance of playtime for healthy child development.

Some experts assert that lack of playtime is producing “a generation of socially inept young people” and can lead to “high rates of youth obesity, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder and depression.”

To combat recess restrictions, the National Parent Teacher Association launched the Rescue Recess campaign in 2006 along with advocates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Education Association (believe it or not, the campaign is also co-sponsored by the Cartoon Network without a hint of irony).

But why do we need to rescue recess in the first place? Why is recess at risk?

Here’s a quick list of reasons:

• Parents’ fears of abduction or injury have made them reluctant to let their kidz play outside on their own; at the same time, scheduled lessons, supervised sports and other structured activities are gaining in popularity and eating up the hours in a day.

• Kidz are watching more TV, playing video games, using the Internet and chatting on cellphones.

• Preschools have become more focused on formal learning and elementary school students have more homework than in the past.

• Due to school budget cuts and an increased emphasis on academics, nearly 40 percent of American elementary schools have either eliminated or are considering eliminating recess*.

Sadly, this lack of playtime may be undermining other efforts to improve student learning. In addition to improving their health and social skills, free playtime helps children develop their ability to think in the abstract and encourages them to develop their own, original ideas.

Apparently, all work and no play makes Jack unimaginative, close-minded, socially awkward, fat, anxious, inattentive and depressed.

*You can view the source for this stat here.
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Kidz Today is a column about youth and education by Joie Jager-Hyman.