Then student bookstore on the campus of UCLA, October 2017. (Photo: Michael Gordon)OPINION: My childhood dream was to be a teacher. But because of my dyslexia and difficulty with math, I thought the only jobs I’d ever be qualified for were jobs that don’t require a college degree. It wasn’t until the recession hit and I lost my job waiting tables that I decided try community college.
Students gather in the school library for a study session. (Photo: rawpixel.com, via Shutterstock)It will take awhile before Californians can enjoy the much-heralded free community college offer recently approved by Gov. Jerry Brown. The earliest the free tuition could go into effect is fall 2018 and that’s only if the Legislature agrees to budget the $31.1 million needed to pay for the expected 19,000 students who would take advantage of the waiver.
On the campus of Cuyamaca Community College. (College photo)OPINION: Cuyamaca College no longer relies on a standardized test to place students in math classes. Instead, placement is determined by a student’s test score OR high school grades, whichever is higher. We have also changed how we support under-prepared students.
Illustration by Tasha Tuvango, via ShutterstockRecent cases of meningitis B on the campus of Santa Clara University have reinforced the threat of vaccine preventable illnesses and the importance of education and vaccination in the fight against meningitis B. Meningitis is a dangerous bacterial infection that can cause neurological injury, loss of limbs and even death.
Students attending class at Glendale Community College. (Photo: Wayne Thom)The leaders of California’s vast community college system this week unanimously adopted a reform agenda with amazing ease – given how fundamentally hard the decision was to engineer. The Board of Governors decided to endorse comprehensive recommendations to better align career technical education (CTE) programs with the workforce needs of California’s employers. It could be the linchpin in a more strategic statewide effort to reduce poverty and reverse the growing opportunity and income gaps.
An image from the stage of the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival.Review: For five weeks this summer, the normally flat and barren stage by the Land Park duck pond has been transformed into a three-dimensional Veronese Plaza with twin balconies, two ground-level doorways, and a center ramp and staircase. With the backdrop of the evening sky, the park’s expansive greenery, and flocks of flying geese, the magic of Shakespeare takes place.
The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street, New York. (Photo: Wikipedia)The way our government accounts for public employee pension promises is nothing short of fraud, yet no public official has gone to jail or paid a price for what surely ranks among the largest muggings of citizens in US history. Let me explain. As the stock market reaches record levels, little is heard anymore from public officials who used to blame market declines for rising pension costs.
Californians’ reliance on TV for their political news is declining, while an increasing number of people are using the Internet for political coverage, according to a report from the Public Policy Institute of California.
Some thirsty, underage students in California soon may be able to sip on a nice chardonnay or a robust porter — legally. The reason is newly introduced legislation that would allow students enrolled in accredited wine- and beer-making programs to take a nip. It’s called “sip-and-spit.” (Photo: Wine barrels in a cave near Santa Rosa. George Rose/Getty Images)
Across California, some six dozen community college districts – locally administering 112 schools, the largest higher education institution in the country – were scrambling for $90 million.