Education reformer E.D. Hirsch may have discovered the cure for our current political divisions—but it won’t be easy. His prescription is a total overhaul of the K-12 education system as well as our schools of education. Hirsch lays out his plan in a new book, How to Educate a Citizen: The Power of Shared Knowledge … Continue reading “Unifying the Country Starts with the Education System”
Academia is a troubled institution plagued by financial problems, falling academic standards, and poor educational outcomes. Especially concerning is its politicization; it increasingly sows racial discord, advocates for anti-American and anti-Western perspectives, and promotes socialism. At times, it even rejects its most important value—the pursuit of truth—for a distorted vision of social justice. How has … Continue reading “Can Higher Education Be Saved? The Hope for Governance Reform”
America’s system of education has failed in one of its most important goals: forming future generations of American citizens. This is particularly true in higher education, where students are encouraged to become “global citizens” instead of Americans. At many of our institutions of higher learning, character education has been replaced by moral relativism at the … Continue reading “The Breakdown of American Education and the Hopes for Change”
For years, college-for-all was the dominant narrative of pundits, parents, and high school guidance counselors. And most people interpreted that directive to mean that everyone should attend a four-year university. That’s starting to change. I hear more every day about apprenticeships, community colleges, certificate programs, and coding academies. But students still need guidance when making … Continue reading “How Young People Make Decisions in Choosing College”
The UNC Board of Governors’ Committee on Budget and Finance voted on Wednesday to freeze tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic downturn that’s affecting many North Carolina families. The full board will approve the decision at its May meeting. Prior to the pandemic, the … Continue reading “Did You Know? UNC Schools Will (Likely) Not Raise Tuition This Year”
Before COVID-19, universities were already beginning to experience an enrollment decline, mostly fueled by demographic changes. The current crisis will raise existential questions for small and mid-tier institutions. Only universities with massive endowments and highly competitive admissions will escape the effects of the coming enrollment cliff. Special coronavirus relief funding from state and federal governments … Continue reading “Higher Education After COVID-19”
Most of the wealthiest universities in the country have accepted money from the CARES Act, meant to help university students weather the economic consequences of COVID-19 and state shut-downs. The money is part of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund. Education reformer Micah Merrick has been tracking CARES Act money that was allocated to universities … Continue reading “UPDATED: Did You Know? Few Rich Colleges Turning Down COVID-19 Relief Money”
Here at the Martin Center, we often criticize university research. Rightly so. We have noted that academic journals are too expensive. We’ve argued that the publishing process itself is incoherent and slow. And that the peer review process fails to adequately vet new research. We’ve shown that the funding process for scientific research often leads … Continue reading “University Researchers Search for Solutions to Coronavirus Pandemic”
Too many North Carolina students leave their universities with too much debt and a degree that won’t pay off. A new tool released in January by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) reveals which programs give students the most (and least) return on their investment. The tool uses data from the College Scorecard as well … Continue reading “Did You Know? The UNC Degrees That Don’t Pay Off”
On March 31, the Martin Center filed an amicus brief urging the Arizona Supreme Court to hold that the Constitution’s mandate that “the instruction furnished shall be as nearly free as possible” is a justiciable question. The Martin Center argued that sustained increases are incompatible with the provision in Arizona’s Constitution that “the instruction furnished … Continue reading “State of Arizona v. Arizona Board of Regents Amicus Curiae Brief”