Tennessee’s experience offers some optimistic signs

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The Report
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Liz Willen Hi all!

Education isn’t a major theme of this highly contested presidential election, but expanding free community college has been a staple of the Biden administration, and Vice President Kamala Harris continues to promote that effort.

Tennessee was the first to make free community college a statewide policy, inspiring 36 states to follow suit. This week, Jill Barshay takes a closer look ([link removed]) at recent research on the Tennessee Promise scholarship program, which now costs about $29 million a year in tuition subsidies and other services. Turns out, the program has helped many more students go to college and earn two-year associate degrees – and there are many other lessons as well.

As the fall campaign enters its final weeks, The Hechinger Report has drilled down ([link removed]) into what the presidential candidates have said about education in their platforms. We’ve also taken a look at the increase in voter registration ([link removed]) among college students. If you want to hear more about education policy and the presidential elections, tune in virtually on October 23 ([link removed]) as I moderate a panel for Teachers College, Columbia University. (The Hechinger Report is an independent unit of Teachers College.) Bring your questions!

Finally, do not miss Jackie Mader’s extraordinary story this week, published in partnership with the Christian Science Monitor, on Norway’s efforts ([link removed]) to provide an early childhood education that is joyful, secure and inclusive. We’d love your thoughts! Just hit reply to this email, and remember we have an array of education newsletters — spread the word. ([link removed])

Liz Willen, Editor

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Main Idea


** What one state learned after a decade of free community college ([link removed])
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36 states have since followed Tennessee’s lead and offer some version of free tuition to residents

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Over 120,000 Leaders Trust This Global Affairs Newsletter. With a dedication to clarity over clickbait, International Intrigue ([link removed]) gives you only the most essential stories, helping you stay informed in under 5 minutes. Join government decision-makers, non-profit leaders, global citizens, and changemakers. Sign up for free here ([link removed]) .
Reading List


** Norway law decrees: Let childhood be childhood ([link removed])
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In the Scandinavian country, early childhood education is a national priority, enshrined in law



** Some schools cut paths to calculus in the name of equity. One group takes the opposite approach ([link removed])
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While some states and districts rethink advanced math classes, the Calculus Project sees that coursework as critical to the success of Black, Hispanic and low-income students



** VIDEO: Kindergarten math that goes beyond the basics ([link removed])
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Kindergarten may be math’s most important year, but too often teachers spend that crucial year reinforcing basic information students may already know

⭐ Extra credit! You are allowed to repost or reprint our stories as long as you follow these guidelines ([link removed]) . Questions? Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
Listen Up


** College Uncovered: DEI Backlash ([link removed])
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College campuses have become battlegrounds in America’s culture wars, with diversity, equity and inclusion programs at the center of the debate. In at least 20 states, Republican lawmakers are pushing to limit or even ban DEI initiatives at public universities.



** College Uncovered: The Rural Higher Education Blues ([link removed])
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Rural young people who aspire to a higher education have long had fewer choices than their urban and suburban counterparts, contributing to far lower rates of college-going. Now many of the universities that serve them are eliminating large numbers of programs and majors.
In a world focused on getting in, do you know what you’re getting into? College Uncovered, from Kirk Carapezza of GBH News and Jon Marcus of The Hechinger Report, pulls back the ivy on American higher education, exposing the problems, pitfalls and risks — and helping you navigate them. If you wonder how college really works, subscribe now. Because it’s a real education. Listen on Apple Podcasts ([link removed]) or Spotify ([link removed]) .

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