Five links that made us think this week:
Remember being sent to the principal's office? It was never a good thing! Little did we know that a principal can have a massively positive impact. A study recently released by Education Next shows that "the impact of a principal who is statistically more effective than average can translate to seven additional months of learning in a single academic year." So next time you’re sent to the principal’s office, have no fear! It simply means your school principal wants you to thrive rather than struggle (unless, of course, you actually did something bad).
Photo by Tom Parker via WikiCommons
In other news, the American Association of University Women is releasing a study that found that on average, women still earn about 82 cents for every dollar a man earns. Even with the same degree in the same field, women are still prone to earn less than their male colleagues. This has been going on long enough, if you ask me. I wonder if President Obama and Governor Romney are listening?
If you thought going to college couldn’t get any more expensive, think again. Costs are increasing, as is the gap between students who are able to pay full price and those who rely on financial aid. This New York Times article discusses a College Board study which found that "many prospective students from low-income families, who would actually pay little or nothing, are scared off by the big numbers, unaware of how much aid is available." Not only are low-income students affected by the college price disparity, but women are more likely to struggle paying back their loans due to the wage gap.
Remember when you comforted yourself about your lack of popularity by saying that the cool kids in school probably wouldn't make it very far in life and that you would have the last laugh? Well, unfortunately that might not be the case! The National Bureau of Economic Research found that "popularity pays because those who learn to play the game in high school are figuring out what they need to know to succeed when they enter the workplace." Do not despair, however, because no matter how popular or unpopular you are in school, it's “pursuing the white space” that will help you succeed throughout life.
And for the science lovers, it's the ultimate showdown: advanced man versus his ancestor. On one side of the ring we have the homo sapien, standing upright and with hundreds of thousands of years of evolution on his side. On the other side we have the Neanderthal man, stockier and shorter (which might help him sneak up behind the taller homo sapien and score a good hook). Who would win in a fight between modern human and our ancestor? May the best man win!
That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend, everyone! Pura Vida.
Want to share your thoughts with me? Email me at carolina.cromeyer@teachforamerica.org.
