We Don’t Need No Education

Jim Rogers: Higher Education And Finance Are Getting The Ax

"We finally caught up with Jim Rogers to discuss his new book Street Smarts. In it he discusses not only the shift of wealth from West to East, but also the complete restructuring of society. Higher education will be totally revamped. Ivy league schools will be revised and will be a shadow of their former selves. Same thing with Wall Street. That’s why younger people need to quickly re-evaluate their options and seek training in the right specialties, such as mining, petroleum and other scientific and agricultural specialties." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJim Rogers: Higher Education And Finance Are Getting The Ax

Even when jobs return, Detroit’s workers fall short on skills

"Detroit emergency manager Kevyn Orr has a long list of things to fix in the city and among them is one that may sound surprising: there are not enough skilled workers to fill job openings as they become available. Seismic shifts in the local labor market have left many unskilled workers behind. Public-sector efforts at job training have shown scant results. After then-governor Jennifer Granholm established a $500 million job training program in 2007, roughly $100 million was spent in Detroit through 2010, but few got jobs because so few positions were available, said Jose Reyes, chief operating officer of the DESC job training agency." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEven when jobs return, Detroit’s workers fall short on skills

Khan Academy now accepts bitcoin donations

"Khan Academy is a non-profit aimed at providing a free, world-class education for people everywhere. They offer free online educational materials (e.g., instructional videos, practice exercises, dashboard analytics, teacher tools) that support personalized education for users of all ages. They have lessons on topics including math, science, finance, history, and even bitcoin. When you donate, you’ll even earn a special badge on your Khan Academy profile." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKhan Academy now accepts bitcoin donations

Obama set to sign bill to lower student loan interest rates

"The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed a bill that would reverse a recent hike in federal student loan interest rates, lowering them to 3.86 percent for undergraduates in the new school year. The bill pegs interest rates on student loans to the 10-year Treasury note plus 2.05 percentage points for undergraduates, and plus 3.6 percentage points for graduate loans. The bill, a result of extensive negotiations in mid-July among a coalition of U.S. senators composed of Democrats, Republicans and an independent, now waits to be signed into law by President Barack Obama." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingObama set to sign bill to lower student loan interest rates

Indiana education commissioner made sure GOP donor’s charter school got top marks

"The new grading system had initially given Christel House a 'C' grade, because of the school’s poor test scores in algebra. 'This will be a HUGE problem for us,' Bennett wrote in a Sept. 12, 2012 email. At the urging of Bennett, the grading system was quickly altered so that Christel House ended up with an 'A' grade. Bennett told the Associated Press that he wasn’t trying to tilt the system in favor of Christel House because of DeHaan’s contributions. He said Christel House was a top-performing school and its 'C' grade indicated the grading system was flawed. Bennett is currently serving as Florida’s education commissioner." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIndiana education commissioner made sure GOP donor’s charter school got top marks

John Whitehead: Turning public schools into forts

"As surveillance cameras, metal detectors, police patrols, zero-tolerance policies, lockdowns, drug-sniffing dogs and strip searches become the norm in elementary, middle and high schools across the nation, America is on a fast track to raising up an Orwellian generation — one populated by compliant citizens accustomed to living in a police state and who march in lockstep to the dictates of the government. With every school police raid and overzealous punishment that is carried out in the name of school safety, the lesson being imparted is that Americans — especially young people — have no rights at all against the state or the police." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJohn Whitehead: Turning public schools into forts

America’s best educated kids don’t go to school

"Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, compared home schoolers and public school students on the results of three standardized tests for the 2007-2008 academic year. With public school students at the 50th percentile, home schoolers were at the 89th percentile in reading, the 86th percentile in science, the 84th percentile in language, math, and social studies. Socio-economic factors may have a lot to do with why home schoolers do so much better. Virtually all have a mother and a father who are living together. Nearly two thirds of fathers and 62 percent of mothers have a bachelor’s degree or higher." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAmerica’s best educated kids don’t go to school

Wisconsin town to charge parents $114 fine if child accused of bullying

"Parents in Madison, Wisconsin suburb of Monona will soon face fines if their kids are the subject of repeat complaints about schoolyard bullying. The local ordinance, passed by Monona officials on May 20, provides for a $114 fine within 90 days after a written notice about their child’s behavior. The fine increases to $177 for each repeat instance within one year of the first violation. Officials told the paper that the ordinance was not taken up in response to any specific problem children. The ordinance appears to be the first of its kind anywhere in the nation. It also covers cyber bullying through social media and text messaging." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWisconsin town to charge parents $114 fine if child accused of bullying