Student Loan Debt Exceeds One Trillion Dollars

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303812904577295930047604846.html

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/151305380/student-loan-debt-exceeds-one-trillion-dollars


I have been worried about this growing debt for over 10 years. No one really seems to care or listen and most importantly understand what this is going to do to the common taxpayer.This is going to make the housing market debacle look like a joke.

Both of my children have been paying on student loans for years. The monthly amounts are staggering and exceed many house payments. Yet no one cares and no one SPEAKS!!.

We are two week away from the presidential election and the student debt topic barely gets 2 minutes of debate and no headlines. WHY?

That's easy, it's not a republican or democrat problem. No one can blame the other because it is so out of control no one knows what to do or what to expect. The solution - pass it on to the taxpayers.

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2007/07/why-are-college-costs-to-high.html

Garnishing wages from students who do not have high paying jobs or even a job will not work. Going after parents who co-signed will not work.

The part that I am most worried about is the government is going to attack the results and after the fact problems instead of NOW putting in laws and measures to stop the bleeding and close the flood gates of over priced education at many of our colleges and schools (for profit and non-profit).

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2012/04/i-would-like-to-see-our-educational.html

Generally, non-profit schools include state universities and community colleges. They receive a significant portion of their funding from the government. Most private universities are also non-profit institutions. - WELL THAT EXPLAINS IT!!

I have wiritten on this before it is time for education to be state funded for K-16.

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2012/07/k-12-should-be-k-16-is-assembly-line.html

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2012/06/state-of-michigan-continues-to-sub.html

If our graduates are not finding jobs then colleges must give money back for a lousy education (Non-Value Added). If I was starting a new university I would build a sound system where every graduate is guaranteed a job as long as they want one in their chosen field of study. If I can not do this then I don't offer that degree or program. Colleges do what they want. As with most in education they do not see parents and students as customers. The Education SYSTEM feels they are doing us a favor.

http://qualityg.blogspot.com/2005/08/education-state-colleges-your-dogma-is.html

Knowledge + Wisdom = Prediction

Data + Information + Application = Knowledge (D + I + A = K)

Knowledge + Listening + Observing = Wisdom (K + L+ O = W).

 Knowldege + Wisdom = Prediction (K + W = P)

Heads up education and business leaders (research does not equal knowledge). Example - I can go on the Internet and read (research) a number of books on how to remodel my bathroom. I can even conduct a conversation that sounds like I know what I'm doing, I can even spout off all the research about the modern bathroom that I gather from the Mr. Handyman shows on TV and radio. However, I can predict to you in confidence that I wouldn't know the first step (well maybe, beat down the walls) in "actually" doing the job myself. It is only through trial and error, listening and experience - "theory") that I gain the knowledge and wisdom to be able to do the job myself and then pass on my knowledge to others.

Do not confuse the fact the following are not knowledge:

• Dictionary
• Encyclopedia
• Newspapers/Books/Magazines
• Internet
• Television
• Radio
• Movies

The ability to "Predict" by far is the most important skill a leader or manager can posses. Knowing when to enhance the positive and prevent the negative is the only way to implement continual improvement within our lives and professions.

The true Pathfinders in history all had the ability to predict based on knowledge and wisdom.

21st Century Students Need "21st Century Leaders running 21st Century Schools"

I would like to see our educational system go to K through 16 based on the following diagram:

The new structure must be done selectively by identifying schools based on known performance (Method of Excellence) for producing college and career ready students.

Colleges would now be for Vocational (Partner with K-12) and Graduate Studies.

This would reduce the strangle hold colleges have over students and parents (their so-called customers) in terms of value added service and costs that are driving our college grads to be in debt that will eventually be the next huge debt crisis that alters our country economies of scale from top to bottom.

I'm willing to bet around early 1900s there was a bold forward thinking leader who challenged the status quo when he/she challenged the current system of education by saying our children must go beyond elementary school and go to high school. The out-cry by traditionailst self absord thinkers must have cried out in range stating "It will destroy the make-up of our society" if kids are in school for 12 years. Wake-up it is time to move forward again and we all must be part of the movement.

CDMP = Campbell Dream Mentor Program - http://www.dreammentorprogram.com/Default.aspx

We are losing the skill to interact with each other

There is a very serious disease spreading across the United States and it is the loss of open communication between people. No longer do people ask each other how things are going in a face to face situation. People no longer talk in the grocery line and know the cashier because now most go through the self-checkout.

Do you miss talking to people? Swiping cards through machines, talking to computers and phones rather than faces and shopping online has removed the personal touches of communication.

I have not gone in the gas station store in months because I just sweep the card at the pump. 90% of my communications using my cell phone are text messages.

I first saw this phenomenon start in the 1980s when Email became the favorite mode of communicating information. It amazed me how many people would not leave their offices or cubes and walk 20 feet to talk to their co-workers. It was safer and easier to push a button. Many hid (still going on today) under the disguise that it was more productive and faster to use Email than to talk on the phone or get up and go talk to a person.

I'm thinking this all is evolutionary. Pictures of Aliens for years that we assume are beings of greater intelligence use Telepathy.

I once read in the future we will no longer have a little (pinky) toe because there has been no use for it for a thousand years. I think the vocal cords will be next.

Common Core Standards - By What Method?

I have attended three conferences on the new educational Common Core Standards to be implemented in at the last count 44 states.

 The CCSS Mission Statement is:

The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

As far as Mission Statement's go this is very good. Very concise and to the point as to "WHAT" we can expect from the standards. However, as usual the standards do not explain the "HOW" or what I refer to as "By What Method" will they be accomplished.

The presenter in both conferences made it very clear the method will be left up to the school/teacher to decide what is the best method. Just like in business world the education systems Do Not Know HOW to develop methods and processes from an end-to-end perspective.

What bothered me the most was the proclamation made by both presenters that most of the teachers were already complying to the new standards. HOW can that be? Most of them don't have any idea of what the new standards are and don't plan to conform to the standards when someone already tells them they are doing just fine.

I will tell you now that Teachers (who need to make this happen) will not be given the support or training to make this initiative happen. Why? Simple, because the leadership does not have a method or aim to make it happen. They have not done for past initiatives and they still don't know how to do it now.

The CCSS are what we need to move the educational learning's to a new level in the United States. I am encouraged that 44 states have signed on to conform to the standards. I am not pleased there are TWO assessment companies. The two comprehensive Consortia Companies are – Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).

Proponents of having two assessment companies will say "It is good for competition." Again, we have missed the point that in order to compete you must first have cooperation. So we get 46 states to cooperate and in the same breadth we want competition to tear it apart.

This is not good and will defeat the purpose of standardization, alignment and overall process improvement - what a shame we continue to take the easy road and develop plans with no long lasting merit to the original thought process. CCSS is at its core trying to set consistent standards. What I like is the fact the standards do not attempt to change curriculum's which always meets resistance from teachers.

I fear politics between parties and well as state versus federal power struggles will derail this effort on the short-run.

The best way for continual improvement to take hold is through standardization. You must have standardization at the beginning and end of each process/system improvement efforts. The problem is I do not believe standardization is being done. For example; The CCS only covers English Language and Mathematics. The the Common Core State Standards do not cover science and social studies content standards, the Next Generation Science Standards are in the process of being developed. They are not directly related to the Common Core, but their content can be cross-connected to the mathematical and English Language Arts standards within the Common Core. So another governing group and perhaps another testing agency - RIDICULOUS!!

Think of the Educational System (as well as the Common Core Standard effort) as a manufacturing line to build a car. K-12 is the car and in order to build a Quality product at the end of the line that can be delivered ready to go to the dealership must have Quality designed in from the start with process and efficiency measures through-out the process to ensure the car will be delivered as ordered and expected from the customer perspective.

Likewise, The Common Core process must bring the teachers, administrators and other stakeholders together to ensure the student is College and Career Ready at the end of 12th grade. The Standards will help with the Standardization as long as the Process Owners (Leaders) drive the effort and make sure all involved have the methodologies, tools and techniques required to do their jobs correctly.

Methodology -http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=11874839#editor/target=post;postID=2360867080598912945;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=16;src=postname

I wonder where AdvanceEd will fit in all this STUFF?  Their site says  "AdvancED is the premier accreditation organization in the world, our passion is school improvement and knowledge leadership in education."

http://www.advanc-ed.org/what-we-do

Perhaps I should say "By WHICH Method"