Growing up in northern New Jersey in the 1960s and 1970s, everyone knew about Bell Laboratories. A major employer and a company with well-publicized inventions, Bell Labs was talked about as a good employer and a place where things happened. There was always a kid who had a parent who worked at Bell Labs or…
Author: David Potash
Does Failing Mean Failure?
What does a failing school look like? Ron Berler’s latest book, Raising the Curve: A Year Inside One of American’s 45,000 Failing Public Schools is an in-depth attempt to answer that deceptively simply question. Berler, a seasoned journalist who has written on youth issues for The Chicago Tribune and many magazines, embedded himself in the Brookside Elementary…
University Presidents – Padilla’s Portraits in Leadership
Recently the Ohio State University’s president, Gordon Gee, announced his retirement in the face of criticism over some embarrassing statements he made. Rutgers University’s president, Robert Barchi, is facing a barrage of criticism over a number of issues, most saliently his handling of problems with Rutgers’ athletics programs. Gee and Barchi are both smart and…
Commencements & Graduations
Last weekend I had the privilege and responsibility of participating in the 2013 graduation ceremonies at Curry College. It was a beautiful day and by all accounts, an extremely successful ceremony. The featured speaker was Kenneth Feinberg, the attorney who distributed the 9-11 fund and is currently overseeing the One Boston fund. More than 800…
Place Really Matter$
We are in the midst of a massive economic, political, and cultural transformation in the United States. Some analysts see the difference as the growing split between red states and blue states. Others identify “haves” and “have-nots” and think that rising income inequality is the cause. Berkeley economist Enrico Moretti makes a compelling argument, grounded…
Conspicuous Consumption and the Myth of the Classless College
Costs in higher education continue to rise to the dismay of all. One cause may stem from our desire to create open, meritocratic learning environments in which wealth does not matter. A “traditional” college – young men and women living in dormitories and studying full-time – is not how most Americans experience higher education. The…
Access, Affordability, Accountability – Stasis or Progress?
For many years the same key issues – accessibility, accountability, and affordability – have been at the center of American higher education. A trend or crisis may distract us, and the media may tell us that this technology spells a sea change or paradigm shift. All true enough. But if you look closely, the driver of…