Dear reader,
The Hechinger Report has been reporting on and talking a lot about waning interest in college, and as fall nears we bring you a story (co-published with the Washington Post) about the latest threat to enrollment: so-called “summer melt.” Too often, students who enroll in college fail to show up in classrooms and on campuses when school starts. Counselors are working hard to reverse the trend with odds that can be daunting: In one city in Pennsylvania, 43 percent of students who said they’d go to college didn’t show up last fall.
We know that fear of debt can be part of the equation, so I also hope you’ll read our story (co-published with Wired) about the declining number of schools offering income-share agreements, or ISAs, which help students pay for college in exchange for a share of their future earnings. Also, take a look at the latest research on the worth of a college degree, along with opinions on improving the teacher profession, investing in community schools and understanding mastery-based learning.
A new school year looms, and we count on readers like you to tell us what is on your mind. We love to hear from you and hope you are telling others to sign up for our weekly newsletters.
Liz Willen, Editor
|
Main Idea
