Tell Us What You Think

Bellwether’s third fiscal year is coming to a close soon and we’re doing some strategic planning as we look toward the future and think about our growth.  In addition to a survey we’ve sent to many people in the field we’re hoping for a shorter – just a few minutes – response from blog readers about your take on the needs of the sector.  You can fill out the survey here, it’s anonymous, and we’re grateful in advance for your time and thoughts.  The survey will be open for one week.

4 Replies to “Tell Us What You Think”

  1. Edu-reform can leverage the talents and bio’s of their talking heads to reap a windfall of billions in taxpayer funds from unsuspecting school districts.

    Continue to attack government unions and force them to adapt the professional practices of the AMA or the CNA.

    Continue to deny the existence of an adverse selection problem in education and a pay system that has no precedent in the private sector.

    Continue to focus on a few exceptions and then apply those local problems to a nationwide issue.

    Continue policies that are devoid of any rational application in math or science.

    Continue to publish your mile long biographies and continue to publish your “I love myself” blogs.

    Fact: The battle lines have been drawn: Unions stink, teachers are lazy vs. Incentives matter and math and science really matter.

    The debate is frozen and no amount of fine tuning will change it.

    We need an IQ injection into the ranks of the edu-reformers. They have no new or good ideas.

  2. Thanks for the invite to comment…

    Higher education is going through a sea change as other segments of the economy are likewise experiencing. The employment pattern in the business sector, for example, is very different in this cycle than in the past. When the cycle began unemployment grew and when the cycle continues to mature, the employment pattern is returning much slower that the past. The adoption of technology is the major source of such since it is the substitute for adding many additional workers.
    This new 21st century era is suggesting the classical economic principle, economy of scale, is being countered by the economy of agility that notes how quick change can occur to become the competitive edge.
    What does this trend suggest for higher education? Will technology continue to provide greater support for modifying the Lecture Socratic Method in classrooms? Will faculty employment have contracts rather that tenure? Will the two year general education segment of a bachelor degree become a European model where such coverage is in what we term as high schools? Does all this change mean that more for-profit-universities will continue to become a reality?
    Globalization of the economy will also pressure higher education. Interactive technology is now emerging not just as the customer relationship with a firm but as a “classroom” where the physical facilities and professor could become nowhere near the student yet the quality of a presentation and interactive classroom online will be of value. Two year colleges are already under pressure to offer student necessary skills for a job, not two years of general education.
    Having noted several of the issues for this century there are also, perhaps, graver risks associated with technology based education and the social nature of democracy. Shared governance of outstanding campuses regarding the faculty and students is critical to democracy. Thus the modifications to education in the coming era must be framed with foresight of education changes and the impact on the role of citizens in this century and centuries to come.

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