With the cost of higher education rising and the quality of primary education falling, important policy reform issues face independent-minded voters. These issues include the size and power of the Department of Education, local control over curriculum, federal student loan programs, and the role of religion and the sciences in the classroom. This section will explore the issues and solutions concerning all levels of education in America.
The U.S. Department of Education recently announced new rules regarding the Free Application for Student Aid form for 2014-2015 to encompass students from unrepresented families. No longer will dependent students classify their parents as “mother” or “father.”
House Republicans released a bill last week to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling by permanently setting them according to the markets, an idea initially put out by President Obama’s 2014 budget proposal.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), there are over 38 million student borrowers accumulating $1.1 trillion of student loan debt. While most student borrowers are turning to federal loans, a significant portion still turn to private loans.
It is by law that California administers a form of statewide academic assessment. Standardized testing is criticized for futility, but Assembly Bill 484 attempts to put meaning into testing. By the 2014 school year, testing aligned with Common Core standards would be implemented.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) hosted a discussion with University of California (UC) President Mark Yudof on Tuesday. Yudof reflected on his five years leading the UC system and the state of California education.
California Senate Bill 594 is set to incentivize private partnerships with public schools through bonds. The state would create the “California Career Pathways Investment” which would issue workforce development bonds to expand career technical education opportunities.
To see how sequestration will directly hurt American families, look no further than public schools. At 17 percent of the federal non-discretionary funding budget, according to Congressional Budget Office figures, education will be hit with deep cuts to key programs.
