Article Links - Nebraska Community College Study (LB340)

New college council would be overkill - LJS 12/16/2009
Report urges more oversight of Nebraska community colleges - LJS 12/10/2009
Foley weighs in on colleges' spat - OWH 12/10/2009
State auditor: Nebraska Legislature should settle community college controversy - LJS 12/10/2009
Metro College files suit - OWH 11/21/2009
Omaha community college sues over state aid - NTV 11/20/2009
Senators need to end college feud - LJS 11/02/2009
Metro will sue other com. colleges - OWH 10/28/2009
Schools turn tables on Metro - OWH 09/22/2009
Metro tax hike blamed on new law - OWH 09/16/2009
Metro board to OK president - OWH 08/25/2009
Community colleges at odds over funding - G.I.Ind. 06/13/2009
Hearings set for community college study - McCook Daily 05/26/2009
Community College May Lose Millions Over Dispute - KETV 02/24/2009
Metro Comm. College Refuses To Pay Dues, Gets Expelled - KETV 02/23/2009

Funding Nebraska Community Colleges (LB340) - An idea

The best part of this model, however, is that the state's responsibility is also made clear.

The State of Nebraska need to provide its citizen a financial vision of the future and layout steps needed to get there including the projected needs for workforces and how these workforces can be developed by the state's educational systems.

As we think about legislation in general, a lot of laws are formed as reactions to issues that occurred. And a lot of them are, therefore, created in a form of responding to the events rather than a form that will address broader and more profound question.

Funding for community colleges in Nebraska is of no exceptions. As the community college evolved from vocational training school to adding academic training, the funding issue is to keep community colleges operational by allowing state aid and local property tax support. But the accountability part of the funding is never tied directly to each funding sources. And because of this, it is becoming difficult in deciding on how much fund should be coming from which funding source and what level of state fund is adequate and, in the center of the issue, who entitled how much of the state fund?

One idea I have is to have state provides the basic infrastructure and oversight, but let institutions run their own business. The principle behind this idea is that state of Nebraska does have interest in providing reasonable resources in educating its residents. However, this investment must be a calculated move - how the state plan to recover these investments? (This should quite the argument of providing education entitlement to citizens who insisted to live in a remote area.)

Based on the population by age data, state can allocate supports for a reasonable amount of classroom and office space and a reasonable number of staff and instructors. The fund can be adjusted based on the local price index. These funds will provide the basic supports for institutions to provide courses to their local communities. Institutions are then required to make sure these facilities are used in an efficient manners.

Institutions are then allowed to use local tax and private funds to extend their operation and should be held responsible to each fund source. For example, courses supported by the local tax need to address the general education needs of the local community. For a manufacture-heavy community, the community may decided to support general machinery courses with the tax fund while the specialized mechanic training may have to be supported by private funds from local companies in a co-operational manner.

In addition to these funding, state can provides strategic funding to encourage institutions to provide special courses that will benefit the state. For example, if a state is planed to attract motor companies and to become a heavy industry state, it makes sense for the state to provide extra fund for automobile related courses.

By tying a institution's operation to individual funding sources, the responsibility of an institution become clear and, therefore, the accountability. The best part of this model, however, is that the state's responsibility is also made clear.

The State of Nebraska need to provide its citizen a financial vision of the future and layout steps needed to get there including the projected needs for workforces and how these workforces can be developed by the state's educational systems.

White House Pushes Science and Math Education

Original Article

The basic of education is the down-to-the-earth sincere. The mind is in a solid pursue of knowledge but the glories.

I think all of these are good additions. But, let's face it. To achieve a science-respected society, it takes much more than that.

We all know that it take a very high level of efforts to learn math and science. The mind is spend in tedious, boring and low rewarding tasks. With a society that adores pop stars, I see difficulties in convincing our kids. The glories of the stars is not necessary their faults, but the media's attention of the superficial of success is a misleading attention.

The basic of education is the down-to-the-earth sincere. The mind is in a solid pursue of knowledge but the glories.

The innovation!

Original Article

Before we are carried away by the idea of innovation, let's work on building the basics.

It's a day at the work place. We were dealing with analyzing data. The feeling I had, at the time, is that most people seems to feel that statistics is such a mystery theory that common sense does not apply.

I am a slow thinker but I do think and it's been part of my training to to create something if it haven't been invented. If we apply our common sense to the statistics, we know that it is simply a way of looking into data. There are all kinds of formula in the fields of statistics. But to derive anyone of them, the first thing you have to have is a mathematics model of the data. To be precise, you should always verify your data against the mathematics model you are going to use. After you have verified the model, the general idea of statistics/probability can be derived to explain and check the data.

I would not go into the detail of what we were doing at the time. But this instance made me to think about the ability to innovation that a lot of educators tout about. My favorites is what Edison said about genius. The way I think about this is that if you have learned/stored enough things in your brain, these knowledge will interfered or be checked while you are searching for solution to problems. The better you understand things, the better you can avoid the unlikely solutions and more focused on the good possible solutions. The point I try to make is that before we are carried away by the idea of innovation, let's work on building the basics.

The Power of Race

Original Article

My opinion is that this issue should be addressed at K12 and the approach should be to provide access to study material for all kids.

Another article about race.


=== My post at InsideHigherEd.com ===

Personally, I know the discrimination exist because I am a victim of it.

Does my experience prevent me to success? Yes. But not to the point that I can't find any White that is gracious and understanding.

Look at the fact that Obama received a great portion of White vote, I have to say this is a great county and that White is, in general, quite open minded.

For Black, Hispanic and Native American to make the case, I think the Asian should be included in the theory.

In an ideal world where all K12 kids are given equal opportunities to access the study material, the Higher Education debate can be simplified.

For family with Internet access, the disadvantage claim can hardly stand.

Probe of Extra Help for Men

Original Article

Summary goes here!

Q: Is this what we really like to do? Adjust our standard and help any groups that seems to fall behind regardless of the causes even at the cost of sending the wrong message about the responsibility?

Do Professors Matter?

Original Article

Professors should engage in high productive activities that others is not capable of and qualify for it and it is administrators' job to provide quality instructors that matches students need at a reasonable price.

Well. I believe the comments to this article said a lot.

Personally, I am very sure that professors matter. However, we should also consider the students or the consumer side of the story. I understand that this article is more about the community colleges, but the general idea is the same for four year schools.

Of cause the professors or even the research professors know a lot than, say, most of the high school teachers. But can they really be a better teacher, defined as raising students knowledge level in average? As described in the comments, the answer may not be a firm 'yes'. Is this the problem with the professor? Probably not. It simply the mis-match of professors and students. But. Does it make sense to have professors teach high school courses? In general, no! Why? Think about it!

I have no doubt that professors know a lot and that they are great resources if students is ready for it. But if students are not, it is simply a waste of professors and students' time and resources. What this implies is that professors should engage in high productive activities that others is not capable of and qualify for it and it is administrators' job to provide quality instructors that matches students need at a reasonable price.

The New Untouchables

Original Article

We need get back to the basics. Build our future from the ground up.

I agreed that our K12 education need improvement. But I have to say that the way I look at education is quite different from the author.

The basic difference lay in the principle. Personally, I came to realize the the main point of education is to teach everyone to be responsible. The knowledge will come with it. The pure emphasis on knowledge is not going to achieve the revolution we need.

The indication of the fall of American is there for a long time. Let's just go back in time to when the immigration debate started. How many times you heard the arguments that immigrants steal the job from American? But do we ever questioning ourselves that for what reason, should we be paid more to do the same tasks? Back then, did anyone listen to the voice that we need to improve our education system so that we are producing workforces that can do others can't? Do you see what we are missing in our soul? Our arguments is all about them but not about us. Not about what the heavy lifting we need to do?

Even now, in the middle of a economic down turn, we are cried for more and more resources so we can improve our education. Aren't we follow the same path? Take a look at the world, which countries that spend more on education than we do. How much the best educated country spent on their education? Can you argue that we did not spend enough? Or maybe the real reason is that we do not know what the culprits are? We simply think that we have done nothing wrong. The reason we are not good is that Government did not provide us enough money.

Don't get me wrong, resource is helpful and it very likely will produce result. But does this guide us to the right direction? Sure! We can spend enough money so that there is a guardian for every student and most likely the test results will be better. But is this the right way to do it? Will our students ready to take the responsibility when guardians are gone? Are we sure this is the right way to do it if other countries can do it cheaper? Is this sustainable economically?

There are times I think we are looking at the wrong things. These days, politics are tauting more graduates and more higher education. But did anyone think about that maybe, just maybe, if we can improve our K12, we may not need send all the kids to higher education since they already posses the ability to meet the workforce requirement. It's the quality that counts. Not that piece of paper!

The other thing I like to point out is that from time to time, we, the American, are not very realistic. For example, in the higher ed, people are talking about critical thinking without being able to define it or measure it. Let along on how to teach it. There are also people that simply reject the standardized test without bothering to propose objective alternatives. There are also people that taut entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity while forgetting what Edison's idea of a genius.

Let me say this. We need get back to the basics. Build our future from the ground up.