Five links that made us think this week:
Think you have what it takes to be America’s next big YouTube celeb? YouTube’s Next EDU Gurus program is looking for the next education superstar, and they want YOU! (video)
Although our country is becoming increasingly diverse, new data from the Department of Education shows that black and Latino students are isolated in classrooms, while white students overwhelmingly study alongside other white students. Not surprisingly, this classroom segregation affects students and society as a whole.
The government is taking steps to stop the brain drain from some of the nation's top universities. For example, this article reports that more than 20% of graduate students at Duke University are from other countries. Here’s more on the status of the bill that proposes potential changes to visa requirement to keep highly skilled foreign students in the U.S.
Photo by Jean-Pierre via Wikicommons
The New York Times’ Economix blog published a post by Berkeley professor Laura D’Andrea Tyson about the critical link between income inequality and education. “The United States is caught in a vicious cycle largely of its own making,” D’Andrea Tyson writes. “Rising income inequality is breeding more inequality in educational opportunity, which results in greater inequality in educational attainment. That, in turn, undermines the intergenerational mobility upon which Americans have always prided themselves and perpetuates income inequality from generation to generation.”
Wondering how President Obama’s education policies, such as No Child Left Behind waivers and Race to the Top, have been adopted around the country? Check out this Washington Post infographic. The section that caught my attention shows how U.S. students compare internationally in math, science, and reading. When it comes to science and reading, our standing is mostly similar, but in math, we rank lower. How’s your math? I must admit, I’m an example of the trend: My math talents are well below my science and reading skills.
Have a great weekend, everyone! Pura vida.
Want to share your thoughts? Email me at carolina.cromeyer@teachforamerica.org.
