Blogs

One of the topics I teach in my Quantitative Reasoning class is the calculation of a retirement savings goal. It is always shocking to my students how much money they will need to save in order to live comfortably in their retirement. However, as daunting as the goal may seem, I emphasize that it is important to begin to put some of what we earn away into a safe fund so we can draw on it in the future, when we need it. I found myself thinking of this concept recently when I attended a track meet in which my daughter and her young friends competed. I had to laugh when she asked me after her meet "did you like to run when you were a kid, too, mom?"

Right now I am in the midst of the I-haven't-washed-my-hair-in-a-week, merciful-heavens-when-will-it-be-over, end-of-semester rush: a state to which I suspect a few Gradhacker readers can relate.

What the current round of the Mommy Wars could mean for higher education.

I've never really thought of Phoenix AZ as a sustainable city, for a whole lot of reasons like lack of water, phenomenal sprawl, constant need for air conditioning. If America is addicted to energy, Phoenix has traditionally had the biggest Jones of all. But things may be changing, perhaps in reaction to Andrew Ross's recent book Bird on Fire.

We had another great discussion in the Strategy and Competition in Higher Education class last night, along with a very special guest speaker.

The day before the "Pineapple-gate" story broke -- that is, the nonsensical questions on the New York state eighth grade reading assessment -- The New York Times' David Brooks called for more standardized testing in colleges. Some thoughts on a future of pineapples and robot-graders.

As the school year winds to an end, many parents of high school seniors are making final decisions with their budding college freshman about where to attend college. Not so in my family. We are waiting with bated breath to see if my son Nick actually graduates. He’s developed an extensive case of high school burnout, and if it were not for the talents of his AP history teacher, Adam Gadnis, and Nick's ability to take some classes online, I don’t know if my son would be walking down the aisle and throwing up a cap in June.

This story in IHE generated quite the firestorm yesterday, and for good reason. Apparently, the Education School at the University of Southern California has decided to ban certain adjuncts from teaching at any other college or university as a condition of employment.