Obama Urges More Investments In Infrastructure & Education (Weekly Address Video)

Weekly Address: Pushing Congress to Create Jobs, Keep College in Reach for Middle Class

President Obama discusses legislation he signed on Friday that does two important things: It keeps thousands of construction workers on the job rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, and it stops interest rates on federal loans from doubling this year for more than seven million students.


Sources: White House.gov, Youtube

#Don'tDoubleMyRate! Obama Urges Congress To Act On Student Loans NOW!

You could owe an extra $1,000 unless Congress takes action soon.

Taking out Stafford Loans to help pay for college?

Interest rates on new subsidized loans are scheduled to double on July 1 and more than 7 million students around the country will rack up an average of $1,000 of extra debt each. Congress has the power to stop that from happening. Unfortunately, so far, Republicans in Congress have voted to let those rates go ahead and double in order to pay for tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires.

President Obama knows that’s not acceptable. Today, higher education isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity that every American family should be able to afford. But it’s also getting more and more expensive.

For the first time ever, Americans owe more in student loans than in credit card debt. That’s why the President is calling on Congress to keep interest rates low so that every hardworking student gets a fair shot at the skills and training needed to get a good job in today's economy.


Sources: White House.gov, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube

Obama Urges Congress To Act NOW On Student Loans & Construction Jobs: Weekly Address

Congress Must Act on Transportation Bill and Student Loans

President Obama discusses the urgent need for Congress to act now on two common sense measures to help middle class families: preventing interest rates on federal student loans from going up and putting hundreds of thousands of construction workers back on the job.


Sources: White House.gov, Youtube

Student Loan Debt Interest Rates Increased By Congress! BLACK College Students In Peril!

NOT WANTED!!! BLACK HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ATTEND COLLEGE!

Congress' Failure to Stop the Interest Rates on Current Student Loan Debt from rising to 6.8% in July, appears to be some kind of Political Strategy to Further Discourage BLACK Students from Attending College.

This includes BOTH Political Parties NOT just the GOP!

I could be Wrong but I believe Congress is attempting to Save that Federal Student Loan Money to Attract More Foreign College Students.

AKA Asian Students, Middle Eastern Students & Hispanic Students!

In other words BLACK People are being REPLACED!

Its Ok if BLACK People go to Prison but NOT to College because Prison is FREE Labor.

Is Ok for BLACK People to accept Low Wage Jobs but Don't Attend College and if you Do Attend College Don't Expect to find a High Wage paying Job.

This is what Congress & some 21st Century BLACK Leaders are attempting to make BLACK People Accept as their NEW Reality.

Politicians Don't Care If BLACK Students Attend College Because They
(Including Many BLACK Politicians) Only See Us As Dispensable, Low Wage, Stupid SLAVES Who Will Do As We Are Told.

Congress & some 21st Century BLACK Leaders wants the BLACK Community to believe there are NOT more BLACK in Jail than in College. They're LYING!

There ARE in FACT More BLACK Men in Jail then in College, I don't care how they try & cook the Numbers to dispel this FACT.

I've Been Warning Ya'll This Negative Stuff About The BLACK Community Was Coming, However Many Of You Have Labeled Me As Some Bitter, Angry Conspiracy Theorist.

Thus Many Of You Keep Ignoring The Obvious Handwriting On The Political Wall!

I am NOT an Angry, Bitter Conspiracy Theorist. I am just really Passionate about the Well Being of the American BLACK Community.

MOST Politicians Just Want The BLACK Vote But Plan To Do NOTHING For Us Other Than REPLACE Us!

They Don't Care About BLACK Voters!

They Just Want Our VOTES!

If BLACK People Attempt To Speak Up, Speak Out Or March Against Systemic Injustice, The Federal Gov't Will Send In The NAACP To Control Us Or Just Shut Us Up Like They Did Mayor Cory Booker.

Like it or not, Accept it or not but BLACK AMERICAN CITIZENS ARE BEING REPLACED.

Its time for the American BLACK Community to recognize that the 21st Century Democrats are NOT the Same Democrats as Bill Clinton & His Crew.

Bill Clinton did a Lot to help & Encourage BLACK Students to Attend Colleges & Universities.

Today's Democrats basically have an Anti-BLACK Agenda.

The Majority of today's current Student Loan Debt did NOT come from BLACK Students.

Instead it was created by WHITE & Foreign Students Studying to become Doctors, Attorneys & Engineers.

Now CONGRESS wants BLACK American College Students To Pay For It!

And if We do NOT Pay for it, the Feds will Confiscate Our Passports, Mess Up Our Credit Reports, Keep Us from Getting Decent JOBS, take our Homes, etc.,

In other Words, another form of FINANCIAL SLAVERY!

The American BLACK Community Must Continue To Pray, STAND & Speak Up About Injustice No Matter WHAT!

THROW THE BUMS OUT!

CONGRESS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A BUNCH OF CORRUPT, MONEY HUNGRY, CROOKS BEING PAID OFF BY LOBBYISTS!

THIS INCLUDES 99% OF BLACK CONGRESSIONAL CAUCUS MEMBERS.

THROW THE BUMS OUT!






Senate fails to agree on student-loan-rate freeze

The Senate held two votes Thursday on measures to ensure that student loan rates for millions of college students do not double in July — and at the conclusion of the legislative action, the issue remained exactly where it began: stuck.

The measures, one offered by Democrats and the other by Republicans, each failed to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to move forward, as the parties remain at loggerheads over how to pay for the $6 billion loan subsidy.

If they cannot resolve the dispute, loan rates will rise from 3.4 to 6.8 percent on July 1, increasing the cost of college for 7 million students.

Leaders in both parties have said they want to freeze rates for another year. President Obama has barnstormed college campuses arguing for lowered rates. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has said he agrees that Congress should extend the lower rates.

But as with many issues in Washington, agreeing on the end goal has so far not been enough to get a bipartisan bill.

Democrats have proposed paying for the additional year of loan subsidies by ending a tax provision that allows executives of some small businesses to collect some of their income as business profits instead of wages, allowing them to avoid paying payroll taxes.

Democrats say the provision is primarily used by professionals such as lawyers and consultants, and they sought to end its use by those making more than $250,000 a year.

Republicans said the Democrats’ proposal amounted to a tax increase on those best positioned create jobs in the sluggish economy. They also argued that payroll taxes are earmarked to fund Medicare, and any new revenue should go to the retiree-health program.

On a 51 to 43 vote, the measure failed to advance.

The Republican proposal would have paid for the loan-rate freeze by eliminating the preventative health-care fund created in the 2010 health-care act.Republicans call it a slush fund and have pointed to what they say are misuses in its spending. Democrats note that it funds HIV/AIDS screenings, obesity prevention and other key programs that could help bring down health-care costs.

The Senate Republican bill mirrored a measure adopted last month by the GOP-controlled House. Republicans called the House action a bipartisan vote and said their Senate colleagues should move forward with the bill. Thirteen House Democrats had joined 202 Republicans in supporting it.

The White House has said Obama would veto that bill if it advanced, but it failed to move ahead in the Senate on a 34 to 62 vote.

There had been no suspense over the outcome of the day’s votes in the Senate — they were staged largely so both sides could point to their own votes in favor of lowering rates while highlighting the opposition’s vote against it.

Democrats say the failure to find a compromise is a sign that Republicans do not actually want to freeze rates. Eliminating the health fund, they argue, is a poison pill that Republicans know Democrats can never support.

“The Republican proposal is paid for by stripping Americans of life-saving preventive health care,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.). “The Democratic proposal is paid for by closing a loophole that allows wealthy Americans to dodge their taxes.”

Republicans countered that Democrats are more interested in finding a popular campaign issue for Obama than working out a solution to the loan issue.

“This problem could have been solved weeks ago,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said. “Democrats weren’t interested. They wanted a scapegoat more than a solution.”

McConnell called on Obama to become more involved in negotiations to find a resolution to the dispute. “As with so many pressing issues, the president has not led on this issue. He has campaigned on it but has not worked to actually fix it,” he said.

The Senate will be on a one-week recess next week for Memorial Day, while the House returns from a one-week break. The two chambers will likely turn their attention to attempting to negotiate a deal on the issue later in June.



Black College Students Will See Interest Rate for Subsidized Stafford Loans Double in July

A dangerous consequence of last year’s federal budget will begin July 1, 2012, and will have a devastating impact on African Americans who need the assistance of loans to attend college. Last year, when congress was trying to find ways to reduce the federal budget during the debt-ceiling debate, they left interest rates poised to increase July 1 for all government student loans.

This means that nearly eight million students nationwide who rely on subsidized loans to cover college costs would see the interest rate double from the current 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent as of July 1, if there is no change made to address this by Congress soon.

Moreover, to make things worse, student borrowing subsidized Stafford loans processed on or after July 1 will no longer receive the six-month grace period in which the government pays the interest.

This rate increase comes as part of a broader piece of legislation known as the Budget Control Act of 2011.

Also, a new problem will arise for graduate students enrolling in a program of study on or after July 1, since now they will no longer be eligible for subsidized Stafford loans. They will remain eligible for unsubsidized loans, which already carry an interest rate of 6.8 percent.

All of this add up to more debt for African American middle-class and low-income students who use the subsidized loans to pay for the ever- increasing price of university tuition and fees that used to be covered by Pell grants and other federal forms of student aid.

Now, students, in order to obtain these loans, must demonstrate financial need and meet income restrictions to receive them.

If the current rate is not stopped by congress, the average subsidized Stafford loan borrower would have an additional $2,800 in college debt over a 10-year repayment term. In addition, borrowers who assume the maximum $23,000 in subsidized loans will see the total of their interest inflate an additional $5,000 over a 10-year repayment period and $11,000 over 20 years.

Over the last 10 years alone, college loan debt has increased from $41 billion to $103 billion, according to a report released by the College Board. It now outpaces credit card debt in the United States, exceeding $1 trillion last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.


Sources: AP, Fox News, Rolling Out, Russia Today, Washington Post, Youtube

Young Voters: Obama & Romney Woo College Crowd Burdened With Debt; Decision 2012

Courting young voters in 2012 election

President Obama is counting on a lift-off in the economy to get re-elected. A poll out this week shows while most Americans have a gloomy view of current conditions, nearly 6 in 10 believe things will improve in the coming year.

These are especially tough times for new college graduates. And as CBS News' Terrell Brown tells us, jobs are sparse and young votes are up for grabs.

As they head home for the summer, the class of 2012 faces an uncertain future. For many, it's one filled with job searches and student loan payments.

"The uncertainty is scary," said Kevin Ward, who graduates from St. Anselm's College in New Hampshire this weekend. "It's the abyss. I'm jumping in the deep end."

He said this uncertainty will affect how he votes in November's presidential election: "The economy will really be on the top of my list, but also social issues are really up there."

Ward is one of the millennials -- 18-29-year-olds -- whose votes in 2008 helped President Obama take the White House.

"There were 2 million more youth voters than there had been in 2004," said Neil Levesque of the New Hampshire Political Institute. " I don't think that's going to happen again. Some of the shine has certainly diminished from the president."

Though a recent poll has President Obama with a sizable lead over Mitt Romney, Levesque thinks he could still be in trouble with the youth vote.

"Right now, he's up about 17 points with youth voters," said Levesque." But he's still only maxing out at a 43 percent rate within that demographic group."

Ward is not totally convinced. "It's different than it was before. I was younger, so I think I was easily influenced."

President Obama knows the youth vote is an important constituency. Mitt Romney's supporters are also pushing for the young vote.

"This time I'll be voting for Mitt Romney," said Justin Colella, who doesn't need a super PAC campaign to convince him to vote for Romney. "Mitt Romney possesses the qualities as well as the experience, both with business as well as politics."

And to emphasize how creating new jobs is the number one issue for young voters: Millennials say it's more important to them than health care or reducing the deficit.



Obama, Romney focus on student debt as campaign issue


President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney battled for the attention of young voters on Monday in hopes of capturing the enthusiasm they displayed four years ago that helped shape the arc of the presidential election.

Both candidates are homing in on concerns about mounting student debt as a key issue that could sway the college vote. Obama is making a full-court press this week to extend low rates on government-subsidized student loans through next year, with stops at universities in North Carolina, Colorado and Iowa over the next several days.

On Monday, Romney announced that he also supported the measure even though some Republican lawmakers have opposed it — marking one of the first significant policies on which the two can agree.

“I think young voters in this country have to vote for me if they’re really thinking of what’s in the best interest of the country and what’s in their personal best interest,” Romney said at a campaign event outside Philadelphia.

Obama won young voters by a wide margin four years ago, and they provided much of the grass-roots legwork that helped propel him to victory. They were more likely than older voters to attend a campaign event, and nearly one in 10 donated to a presidential candidate, according to Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

“We think that he has the right vision and the right answers that are going appeal to those voters. The topic that we’ve been discussing today is a great example of why,” said James Kvaal, policy director for the Obama campaign.

However, a survey released last week by Georgetown University and the Public Religion Research Institute found that fewer than half of young voters say they are certain to show up at the polls this time. They rank jobs and unemployment as their most critical issue, according to the survey, with the federal deficit and education nearly tied for second place.

The debate over what to do about the nation’s $1 trillion in student loan debt speaks directly to all of those concerns. Many graduates have struggled to find jobs in the tight labor market — and have fallen behind on their college loans in the process. Another study by Pew found that those debts have made it harder for many young people to buy a home and have affected their career choices.

That has prompted rallies at college campuses across the country calling for an extension of low interest rates on federally subsidized Stafford loans. The rates were reduced to 3.4 percent in 2007 but will double on July 1 for new loans. According to the White House, about 7 million students would be affected, and the increase could cost them as much as $5,000 over the next decade.

Democratic lawmakers have proposed bills in both chambers that would extend the current rates through next year, but some Republicans have balked at the $6 billion price tag. On Monday, Sen. Tom Harkin
(D-Iowa), chairman of the education committee, said he would introduce new legislation on the issue later this week.

Romney’s support for the issue could help push it through the partisan gridlock on Capitol Hill. However, the candidate cautioned that the extension should be paid for in a way “that doesn’t harm the job prospects of young Americans.”

Still, the Obama campaign accused Romney of switching positions and supporting cuts to popular Pell Grants. And some Democratic lawmakers remained skeptical of Romney’s intentions.

“If they’re just going to say we’re for it, but not for paying for it any way that can pass and not for not paying for it, then it’s a game,” Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. “But if they’re serious, we want to pass this.”

Harkin said that he opposed cutting other areas of education to pay for the extension but he had not yet identified another source of revenue.

Nevertheless, Romney’s comments fueled hope among consumer activists for the bill’s prospects.

“This should send a clear message to Congress that this is a common sense nonpartisan issue,” said Rich Williams, higher education advocate for U.S. PIRG.


Sources: AP, CBS News, PBS News, Russia Today, Washington Post, Youtube

Student Loan Debt Bail Out? Debt Hits $1 Trillion Dollars! Where's The Student Loan Bail Out?

Student Loans: The Next Bailout?

Here’s what we do know about student loan debt: it’s roughly $1 trillion in size, greater than either auto or credit-card debt and second only to mortgage debt in the U.S.

Borrowers in their 30s today owe $28,500, on average. The debt burden has soared just as — and partly because — the recession hit, so younger graduates carrying the highest balances are hit with the double whammy of a weak job market (that still isn’t showing any sign of rapid improvement).

And this all comes as globalization and technological change have upended once-reliable career paths, wiped out many mid-level professional jobs and leave low-paying fields in health, food and beverage services, and retail as among the fastest growing job markets over the next decade.

Oh, and consider that student loan debt remains one of the most difficult types to forgive or discharge in bankruptcy, in part because the federal government (i.e. taxpayers) made or guaranteed 80 percent of all outstanding student loan debt as of last year. And finally, that once loans in deferral or forbearance are excluded, the delinquency rate on student loan debt was an estimated 27 percent as of the third quarter of 2011, according to a study by the New York Fed.

Worried? Americans should be.

Still, acknowledging the problem is perhaps the easiest step. Much more difficult is the question of what to do about it. Not surprisingly, young, heavily indebted grads are calling for forgiveness in full or in part of their student loan burdens. Petitions on advocacy website Change.org include calls for federal student loan interest rates to be capped at 3 percent or eliminated altogether. (Indeed, President Obama is currently among those urging Congress not to allow the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford loans, which are aimed at low — and middle-class borrowers, to double to 6.8 percent on July 1, matching the rate for unsubsidized loans.)

And yet the trouble with those initiatives, or with forgiving student loan debt in whole or part, is threefold. For starters, the straight mathematics: the losses from any such debt reduction scheme will have to be borne by someone, most likely taxpayers, at a time when government finances are already stretched.

Second is the issue of “moral hazard,” that is, rewarding and implicitly encouraging imprudent behavior rather than punishing it. (Of course, it is easier for the public at large to demand that over-leveraged banks be punished for imprudence than 24-year-olds trying to further their education.)

And third is the question of how to keep future graduates from accumulating a mountain of student loan debt just as large, if not larger, than the one just leveled.

It is this third issue which perhaps is most pressing — and most vexing —and which also offers the most opportunity for innovation. Levying an “education tax,” making college free and assigning students to institutions based on a lottery system? Abolishing “college” altogether for more specialized trade institutions instead, while at the same time requiring a “gap year” of liberal arts prior to entry? Offering high-school grads the choice between student loans or business loans to fund new ventures? These all seem ridiculous, but then so too is our current state of affairs.

Our current system, in fact, has so failed that it may now be exacerbating income inequality (by saddling low-income students with high loan balances and shaky job prospects), economic malaise (by keeping would-be homebuyers stuck in costly rentals because of already high debt loans and/or poor credit histories, thereby damaging both the housing market and potential consumer spending), and long-term economic vitality (by hampering household and family unit formations with a higher share of 20- and 30-somethings currently stuck at home with mom and dad).

This, in fact, is why it may be far less costly for taxpayers in the long run to forgive as much of the current student-loan burden as possible. Before doing anything like that, however, there must be systematic reform to ensure debt loads simply won’t start to pile up again. (Not to mention the need for repercussions for those borrowers who most benefit from any such initiative, for the sake of fairness.) That is why the need for innovation or overhaul is so pressing.

One thing is certain: if we do nothing to alter the status quo, we will have no one to blame but ourselves for the bleak outcome.




I'll continue to ask Pres. Obama & Congress, where is the Bail Out for Students Loan Debt? Wall Street was Bailed Out. Why NOT College Students?






How Student Debt Impacts Students of Color

On July 1 the interest rate on federally subsidized Stafford Loans will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent if Congress doesn’t act. Though this rate hike will have devastating consequences on more than 7 million students nationwide who currently hold a Stafford Loan, change will hit students of color especially hard.

The facts below show how students of color depend on financial aid to finance their college education and how they are uniquely impacted by student debt.

1.) Students are having trouble paying back their college loans. Studies show that only 37 percent of students are able to repay their loans on time. Students of color are more likely to depend on financial aid to attend college and have higher trends of student debt.

2.) For the first time, student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt in the United States. Student college loan debt is now higher than all credit card debt in the country put together. Nationwide, student debt is at $867 billion compared to credit card debt at $704 billion.

3.) People of color, particularly African Americans, are graduating with more student debt. African American students in particular are graduating with much more debt than white students. A 2010 study by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center found that student loan debt levels of $30,500 or higher were more common among 27 percent of black bachelor's degree recipients compared to 16 percent of their white counterparts.

4.) Youth unemployment (ages 16 to 24) is higher for people of color, making student debt a significant financial burden. Youth unemployment is highest among youth of color, with rates for African American youth at 30 percent and Latino youth at 20 percent, compared to the white youth unemployment rate of 16 percent.

5.) Students of color rely on other forms of financial aid, such as Pell Grants, which are also facing significant cuts. Students who will lose eligibility or be cut from the Pell Grant program—a means of access to higher education and social opportunity for low-income families—will likely turn to loans to make up the difference. At a majority of historically black colleges and universities in particular, two-thirds or more of all enrolled students receive Pell Grants, with more than 90 percent of students receiving these grants at eight such institutions of higher learning.

6.) While educational attainment increases among Latinos, the achievement gap continues. From 2001 to 2011 the number of Latinos with a bachelor’s degree or higher education increased 80 percent from 2.1 million to 3.8 million. But there’s still an achievement gap: By 2012 only 14 percent of all U.S. Latinos over the age of 25 had bachelor’s degrees, compared to 34 percent of whites. A 2009 Pew Hispanic Center survey found the most common reason for the gap was pressure to support their families financially, forcing them to choose between college and their families. This means that low-interest-rate loans are that much more important to Latino youth in completing their college careers.

7.) More students of color are taking out private loans, exposing them to more financial risk. There was an approximate 16 percent increase and 12 percent increase among black and Hispanic students, respectively, that took out private loans, from the 2003­–04 to 2007­–08 school years. While federal loans have lower interest rates than private loans, doubling the rate will bring the two closer together, making students of color more vulnerable to defaulting on their loans.

8.) Students of color are more likely to enroll in for-profit schools, which currently account for nearly half of student loan defaults. For-profit colleges and universities tend to have higher tuition, increased dropout rates, and insurmountable debt for students. This puts economic and academic barriers on students of color, making it more difficult for them to graduate.

9.) Students of color with higher student debt are left with fewer options. Deferments and forbearances often provide short-term debt relief, but the interest on the loans may accrue and capitalize during the forbearance or deferment period, making the loans more expensive in the long term.

10.) Student debt hinders students of color from homeownership. Past-due payments hinder borrowers due to lower credit scores and having their wages used for loan repayment. According to the Federal Reserve, fewer young people are getting mortgages—just 9 percent of 29-to-34-year-olds got a first-time mortgage from 2009 to 2011, compared to 17 percent in 2001.

Allowing Stafford Loan interest rates to double would make the cost of college skyrocket—the cost of college for those relying on Stafford Loans would increase by 20 percent. Given that students of color are more likely to rely on financial aid to finance their college education and graduate with higher student debt, increasing these interest rates would disproportionately impact them. We need to focus on making college more affordable, particularly at a time when students need a good education to be competitive in the international economy.


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Sources: American Progress, NBC News, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps

Occupy Education Reform! 22 Steps To 21st Century Education Reform

Dr. Michelle Rhee was FIRED for standing up to Teachers' Unions & her strong opinions on 21st Century Education Reform.

While I do still support Labor Unions & Teachers' Unions, I have to side with Michelle Rhee.

She was Right & should NOT have been Fired.

Bad, Ineffective Teachers should NOT be placed on pedestals or lauded as Heroes!

They should be FIRED Quickly!

Especially if they don't want to Change or Improve in their Profession.

Dr. Rhee was NOT afraid to send those Bad, Ineffective Teachers within the District of Columbia Public School System along their lazy way.

Dr. Rhee should have been lauded for her Courage & Vision instead she was Fired from her job as Chancellor, after she Terminated Bad, Ineffective, Lazy Teachers.

Big Mistake!

Since leaving DC's Public School System Dr. Rhee founded "Students First", a Non-Profit organization promoting Teacher Effectiveness & High Student Achievement.

Thus Michelle Rhee's Termination is Washington, DC's Educational Loss.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

OCCUPY EDUCATION!!!

Time is running out for REAL Education Reform in America or Europe & China will leave Our students in the dust!
EFFECTIVE EDUCATION REFORM IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT THE COOPERATION OF TEACHER UNIONS.


22 Steps to 21st Century Education Reform:


1) REPEAL No Child Left Behind! Please!

2) Enact REAL Educational Reform within the U.S. Dept of Education & the National Public School System. This includes the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Dept of Education.

3) Link the Montessori Pre-School Experience (4 year-olds) to Direct Student Achievement via Hiring Montessori Certified Teachers to teach in Pre-Schools housed on Public School & Charter School Campuses.

4) Eliminate the current Student Testing System & Focus on Subject Matter Content & Student Creativity to Enhance Critical Thinking Skills.

5) Increase Teacher Pay based on a combination of Qualifications, Job Performance, Merit & Student Achievement NOT just Student Test Scores.

6) Require Parents & Guardians to Partner with Teachers and Schools.

7) Bail Out the Federal Student Loan Program just like Congress Bailed Out Wall Street & STOP Funding For-Profit Schools & Colleges which are Nothing more than Student Loan Mills!

8) Allow More Charter Schools to Operate & Provide More Funding those Schools.

9) Ensure that EVERY Public School & Charter School is Asbestos-Free, Up to Date, has a 21st Century Technology Lab & a Community Garden. Especially Schools in Urban Communities. Offer FREE Technology lessons for Parents at School Technology Labs.

10) HIRE & Train Qualified People from Corporate America to Work as Teachers, using the "Teach For America" Business Model.

11) Focus More on Reading, Science, Math, Art and...... Music.

I completely agree with Professor Melissa Harris-Perry. Funding for Art & Music Programs in Public Schools Must remain an important part of Student Achievement because the Arts enhance Creativity which helps Children to thrive Academically.

12) Don't Allow Teachers to Teach the SAME Grade Level past 3 Years as to prevent Stagnation & Complacency.
Don't Allow Principals to remain at the SAME Schools past 5 Years.

13) Allow BAD, Poor Performing, Complacent Teachers to be FIRED!

Recruit & HIRE More Part - time & Full -time Instructional Teacher Assistants for Grades: Kindergarten - 8th.

14) Encourage Local & Global Businesses to Form Partnerships with or Adopt EACH Public & Charter School in Every City & Community. Especially those located in Urban & Rural Communities.

15) Bail Out Student Loan Debt which has now reached $1 Trillion Dollars, just like the Bail Out Wall Street received.

16) Integrate Student Appropriate Entrepreneurship & Tech Start Up Programs into Student Curriculum beginning in the Kindergarten.

17) Make Student Attendance Mandatory. Hold Parents & Legal Guardians Accountable!

18) Focus on High School Graduation for EVERY Student! Start in Pre-School & Kindergarten.

19) Offer the Federal "Breakfast in the Classroom" Program in ALL Pre-School & Elementary Classrooms. Also Open Food Banks in ALL Public & Charter Schools.

20) "It Takes A Village!" Allow NO Student to FAIL! Drill Student Achievement into Every Teacher, Student, Principal, Parent & Legal Guardian.

21) Open Student Career/ Workforce Programs in ALL High Schools.

22) Help Students who want to enter the Teaching & Medical Profession to obtain College Scholarships & REAL Financial Aid prior to High School Graduation.
OCCUPY EDUCATION!!




Condoleezza Rice on Education: American Dream on Verge of Collapse


America's national security and the upward mobility the country was built upon could collapse if the education system isn't rapidly improved, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Tuesday.

"If you look at why [Americans] are here or why their parents are here or their grandparents are here, someone believed that in the United States of America, if you worked hard, you could have a better life. That's what set us apart," she told a group at the Council on Foreign Relations. "It's fragile, and we have to make sure that's [still] true. If it ever becomes not true because the education system can't deliver it, then there's no hope of rebuilding it."

Rice and former New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein co-chaired a task force that looked into the relationship between education reform and America's national security. American students have fallen into the second tier of achievement when compared to international competitors such as China, South Korea, and many European countries. That failure threatens America's economic future, its physical safety, ability to protect cyber assets, awareness of other cultures, and the country's sense of unity, the report warns.

The task force said America should throw its support behind and expand the Common Core State Standards—benchmarks in English and math that have been adopted by all but five states—to other subjects; provide more school choice to students, so they are not stuck in "dropout factories" that graduate a low percentage of students; and launch a "National Security Readiness Audit" that would determine whether students are learning national security skills such as foreign languages and computer programming.

According to the report, America's educational system is "not adequately preparing its citizens to protect America or its national interests." The Department of Defense estimates that 75 percent of young Americans are not eligible to serve in the military because they didn't graduate from high school, are obese, or have criminal records. "Among recent high school graduates who are eligible to apply, 30 percent score too low on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery to be recruited."

At the Council on Foreign Relations event, Klein said that the country's fading education system is threatening America's identity. If the education system fails, there's no Plan B, he said.

"If people don't believe they can get a fair shake with education, then I think the [national] cohesion erodes," he added.


Sources: MSNBC, NY Daily News, PBS News, TIME, US News, Washington Post, Youtube

Obama & Jimmy Fallon "Slow Jam" To Voters About Student Loan Debt

Sources: NBC, VH-1

Mitt Romney Loves For-Profit Colleges/ Student Loan Mill Scams! (Video)

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Sources: Youtube, Google Maps

Obama's 2013 Budget Boosts Higher Education; Shuts Out For-Profits/ Student Loan Mill Schools

5 Things President Obama's 2013 Budget Does For Higher Education


1) Rein In Higher Education Costs. Tuition & Fees, Student Loan Mills (For-Profit Schools)

President Obama's FY 2013 budget would create a $1 billion "Race to the Top" fund for colleges. In addition, Obama is seeking a $55 million to fund the "First in the World" program for colleges that "encourage productivity and efficiency."

Obama is also proposing to increase federally funded research at universities in certain areas. The National Institutes of Health would see no funding increase, for instance, but new policies would increase the money available for grants by 7 percent.

Other research areas would see between 1 percent and as much as a 110 percent increase in funding grant spending.


2) Boost Quality Of Education Spending At Community Colleges.

Obama's budget offers an $8 billion proposal to encourage colleges and businesses to work together to train 2 million workers in high-growth industries.

Obama would include financial incentives to ensure that students find permanent jobs. Inside Higher Ed reports the money would also support paid internships for low-income college students.


3) Restrict Spending At & Shut Out Most For-Profit Colleges Which Are Nothing More Than Student Loan Mills.

Some of the president's budget initiatives would shut out for-profit colleges. Obama would enact stricter rules on for-profit colleges. For-profits would not be eligible for money from the "Race to the Top" or "First in the World" programs, nor would they get any research grants.

During Obama's tenure, for-profits have increasingly come under scrutiny by the administration and been subject to investigations by Congress.


4) Increase Pell Grant Funds For Middle Class & Low Income Students Seeking Bachelors & Associate Degrees From REAL Schools NOT For-Profits!

The maximum Pell grant award would be bumped up by a hair to $5,635, an increase of $85. Pell grants have not been adjusted to the cost of college over the past 30 years, but were spared during 2011 budget negotiations.


5) Increase College Student Work Study Grants By 15% To Allow Additional Eligibility For More Middle Class & Low Income Students.

Obama's budget would increase spending on the federal work study program by 15 percent. The president is also calling for suspending a student loan interest rate scheduled to double this summer.

Inside Higher Ed reports the funding formula for the Perkins federal student loan program would be "revamped" to push colleges to keep net tuition low and provide "good value." That value would be based on the ability of graduating students to get jobs and pay off their loans, as well as a school serving a higher proportion of low-income students.

Obama is also requesting a 390 percent increase in teacher education assistance, upping the allocation from $41 to $201 million. This is particularly tailored to train more science and math teachers.


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Sources: AOL, Associated Press, Huffington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

College Affordability Linked To Federal Student Loan Reform? YES! Eliminating Student Loan Mills!

Mixed Reviews of Obama Plan to Keep Down College Costs

In a Campus visit Friday morning, President Obama outlined his plans to keep college tuition costs in check, getting a wildly enthusiastic response at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Students cheered his oratory on the importance of a college degree, expanded student aid, affordable college costs — and, of course, his many references to Michigan, a key swing state.

But out in the world, the reaction to the president’s proposals — tying colleges’ eligibility for certain federal aid programs to their affordability and outcomes — was far more tempered.

Most people stressed that they, too, wanted to make college education more affordable. But when it came to the particulars of the plan — and paying for it — there was no consensus.

“The idea of helping students and families pay for college is very popular,” said Terry W. Hartle, vice president of the American Council on Education. “On the other hand, nobody would bet on Congress passing much of anything this year, given the poisonous political atmosphere we are living in.

The problem is, many of the president’s ideas are fairly pricey.”

Briefing reporters on Friday afternoon, Department of Education officials said they would release information next month on how the plan could be financed, as part of the budget process.

Generally, in academia, there was strong support for the President’s plan to double work-study jobs and to expand the pool of money available for Perkins loans.

And some leaders, like Bill Powers, president of the University of Texas, liked the administration’s idea of tying aid to results.

“He’s proposing a form of performance funding for a portion of federal spending, and my view is that, whatever level of funding we’re talking about, that’s the approach we ought to take,” he said.

But others said they felt public higher education would suffer from tuition increases that were an inevitable result of state budget cuts. And while they appreciated the president’s advocacy for affordable higher education, many were wary of his plan.

“The answer is not going to come from more federal controls on colleges or states, or by telling families to judge the value of an education by the amount young graduates earn in the first few years after they graduate,” said David L. Warren, president of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.

He warned of unintended consequences: If colleges are forced to cut corners, educational quality could decline.

In Congress, reaction to the plan seemed to divide along party lines.

“The president is saying that people can’t afford to go to college anymore, and that just simply is not true,” said Representative Virginia Foxx, the North Carolina Republican who is chairwoman of the House Higher Education subcommittee. “Tuition is too high at most schools, but it isn’t the job of the federal government to punish those schools. It’s very arbitrary, and the president sounds like a dictator.”

Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, a Republican and a former federal secretary of education, offered his own ideas of improving academic efficiency: “I’ve suggested that they could offer three-year degrees to some students. Colleges could also operate more in the summertime, which would make more efficient use of campuses and reduce their costs.”

Many Democrats offered only the blandest of statements praising the president for tackling the affordability issue. “The president’s higher education proposal rightly calls on colleges, universities and states to maintain a commitment to keep college costs low making it easier for American families and their children to afford a college education,” Representative George Miller, Democrat of California, said in a statement.

Past efforts to rein in college costs have not fared well on Capitol Hill. Nine years ago, Representative Howard P. McKeon, a California Republican, proposed to cap colleges’ tuition increases at twice the rate of inflation, with sanctions including the loss of federal aid, but colleges protested, and the bill died in committee.

At the American Council on Education, there are concerns that Mr. Obama’s proposal to track outcomes by collecting information on graduates’ debt and earnings would harm institutions that train Head Start teachers and other important but low-paid professionals, while rewarding business schools.

Molly Corbett Broad, the council’s president, said many complex questions remained to be answered, among them, how affordability should be judged, and what the effect would be on public institutions that had had to raise tuition because of deep state funding cuts.

Furthermore, she said, even if the administration’s Race to the Top grant competition may have worked in leveraging change in K-12 schools, higher education is so different that it is not clear that the president’s proposal for a similar competition to spur state higher-education reform would be a good tool.

“The devil’s in the details,” she said. “And we don’t know the details yet.”


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Sources: NY Times, White House, Youtube, Google Maps

BLACK Voters In The 21st Century! What Is Our Vote Worth Now?

How Much Is The BLACK Vote Worth In 2012???
I Am A Registered Independent NOT A Registered Democrat! But I’m Supporting Pres. Obama.

As The 2012 DNC Convention In Charlotte, NC Approaches I Feel It Necessary To Pose This Very Important Question To Democrat Leaders:
What Is The BLACK Vote Worth In 2012??
Why Do I Suddenly Feel That While Campaigning For Re-election This Year Pres. Obama Will Slowly Try To Move Towards The Center (Again)??
I Can Almost Feel It Deep Within My Soul That Once Again Pres. Obama Is Listening To His Team In The White House Instead Of "We The People" (Includes BLACK People Too).
His White House Team Is Advising Him To Move Towards The Center To Attract Upper Middle Class WHITE Voters.
Well What About BLACK Voters Being Disenfranchised Due To GOP Voter ID Laws? What About Former Upper Middle Class BLACK Voters Now Unemployed Due To Bush's Deregulated Wall Street Policies?
What About Low Income BLACK Seniors Now Retired With Little To Live On?
What About BLACK Vets Who After Defending Their Country Are Experiencing Difficulty Finding Good Paying Jobs They're Qualified For?
What About BLACK College Students Riddled With Student Loan Debt? What About BLACK College Grads Experiencing Difficulty Finding Work Due To Employment Discrimination?
What about For-Profit Colleges & Vocational Schools Robbing BLACK, Low Income Students Via Student Loans? (Student Loan Mills!)
What About BLACK Youth Locked Up In Prisons In Every State?
What About Police Brutality Such As In Charlotte, NC Where Even With A BLACK Police Chief We Are Still Being Harassed?
What About BLACK Ex-Cons Who Want To Work But No One Will Hire Them?
What About Qualified BLACK Applicants Who Can't Find Employment Due To Unnecessary Background Checks?
What About BLACK Communities Being Hit Hardest By Foreclosures?
What About BLACK Homeless Families & BLACK Homeless Veterans?
What About VA Hospitals Turning BLACK Vets Into Prescription Pill Addicts (South Carolina)??
What About Housing Discrimination Against BLACK Applicants Seeking To Rent In NYC?
What About BLACK Community Leaders (Including Mayors) Receiving Federal Funds But Doing NOTHING To Help Their BLACK Constituents?
What About BLACK Public School Students Being 30 Years Behind WHITE Students? What About BLACK Entrepreneurs Or Would-Be Entrepreneurs Who Can't Get A Break Due To Lack Of Opportunity?
Especially BLACK Entrepreneurs Desiring To Enter Silicon Valley/ Web 2.0?
What About The BLACK Progressives?
What About Us?
We've Been Patiently Waiting For 3 1/2 Years Pres. Obama While Every Other Group Received Something From Your Administration.
What About Us Pres. Obama? I Know You Need EVERY Vote But Please Don't Move Towards The Center & Abandon The American BLACK Community.
What About Us?


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Sources: Charlotte2012, Youtube, Google Maps

Pres. Obama's 2012 SOTU Speech: Income Inequality & Supporting U.S. Troops (Video)

In State of the Union, Obama warns economic disparity threatens middle class

President Obama warned the nation Tuesday that the decades-old promise of a secure and rising middle class is under threat because of growing disparities between the rich and everyone else in America.

In an election-year State of the Union message that will likely serve as the template for the months of campaigning ahead, Obama outlined a series of steps that he believes will reinforce the tentative economic recovery, including proposals to eliminate tax incentives for companies to move jobs overseas, to make college more affordable and to expand help for credit-worthy homeowners looking to refinance mortgages at historically low interest rates.

None of the proposals constitutes a single bold stroke to revive the economy, but the heart of Obama’s message — one he has underscored in appearances around the country in recent months — was that America’s wealthiest citizens must do more to cement the economic recovery and pull the country from its dire fiscal condition.

The approach was typified by his call for those who make more than $1 million a year to pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent and to forgo a host of deductions he said they do not need.

In detailing what he called a “blueprint for an economy built to last,” Obama struck the populist chords that his Republican presidential rivals have criticized as “class warfare.” But he has seen his approval ratings rise on the strength of that message, particularly among the independent voters who helped elect him in 2008 but had grown disappointed by his leadership in office.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” Obama told a boisterous House chamber and a prime-time television audience, “or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules.

“What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values,” he continued. “We have to reclaim them.”

Obama spoke from a stronger position politically than he has been in for months. His approval rating, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, stands at about 50 percent, and a majority of independent voters now look favorably on his performance in office.

But his advisers are well aware that his pursuit of a second term is imperiled by a still-staggering economy and a perception, even among those in his own party, that he has not effectively challenged Republicans to pass his economic plans.

Nearly all of the roughly hour-long speech Tuesday was devoted to the economy. Obama spent only a brief time on foreign policy.

He underscored that in the past year he has overseen the killing of Osama bin Laden and the end of the Iraq war, an unpopular conflict that he had pledged to end as a candidate. Adm. William McRaven, who oversaw the May raid that killed bin Laden, was invited to sit with first lady Michelle Obama for the address.

In his speech, Obama proposed using half of the “peace dividend” as he ends America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — about $200 billion over the next six years — to pay for the construction of new roads, bridges, rail lines and other infrastructure that he said is critical to the country’s ability to compete in a global economy.


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Sources: MSNBC, Washington Post, White House.gov, Youtube, Google Maps

North Carolina Public Schools Severely Underfunded & Unfair

Report: N.C. At Bottom On Funding Public Schools

a startling headline. The report says the N.C. Education system is one of the worst-funded in the United States. But here's the kicker: This report doesn't even account for the gouges the state took out of education funding over the past two years as the economy sank like a brick.

This report is mostly based on data from 2007 and earlier. Lawmakers have cut education since then. And with an expected budget shortfall of at least $3.5 billion for the next fiscal year, deeper cuts loom. A Republican-controlled legislature is already laying out plans for huge spending cuts to balance the budget.

The N.C. Justice Center report should be a big caution flag to indiscriminate public education cuts. Such cuts could mean fewer high-quality teachers and resources. That would likely hurt students' academic progress, leading to more dropouts and graduates who are less prepared for higher learning or the workforce. That leads to more government spending on people who get involved in crime or who need public assistance. It also reduces the available taxpayers needed to help a community survive and thrive.

The Justice Center report analyzed data from a variety of sources, all of which put North Carolina near the bottom nationally on supporting and funding public schools. Data from the New Jersey-based Education Law Center show North Carolina as one of four states with below average ratings on funding, funding distribution based on poverty and the amount of spending compared with state per-capita Gross Domestic Product (the law center dubs this "effort"). North Carolina got a D for funding distribution and an F for effort.

Additionally, U.S. Census data (for 2007) ranked North Carolina 45th in the nation in per-pupil spending. Education Week magazine ranked the state 46th in adequacy and equity of spending.

Some will disagree with the rankings. After all, recent governors - from Jim Hunt to Bev Perdue - have all vied for the mantle of education governor by pushing for and getting needed reforms, especially in pre-kindergarten and high school.

But this report underscores how much this state still lags others, especially in supporting high-poverty urban districts - that would include Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools - and rural districts.

The report highlights the N.C. teacher allocation formula - a flat grant system that does little to provide districts such as CMS with money for teachers based on the number of students living in poverty. The report also raises questions about whether poor rural districts, which led a lawsuit against the state several years ago, are getting enough money from the fund set up as a result.

Lawmakers and other policymakers should pay attention to these issues. Indiscriminate education cuts could hurt all of us. Wield the budget knife with care.




More Budget Cuts Coming For Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools


Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board members have to look at more budget cuts that could impact programs, positions and even per-pupil spending.

The board members heard the dire budget news from Superintendent Dr. Peter Gorman at a meeting Friday afternoon.

With the state projecting a budget shortfall of at least $3 billion and a loss of federal stimulus money, that could mean a loss of $100 million to CMS. That would come out to about 10 percent of the budget.

Gorman told the board, "The reality is there will be cuts. The cuts will be severe, very severe."

"This storm we have been preparing for is upon us," said board Chairman Eric Davis.

Recent school closings are expected to save $10 million in the first two years and $6 million each year after that. However, more cuts will have to be made.

The cuts could mean slashing the amount spent on each pupil from $1,000. to $500.

Board members will hold several more meetings to discuss what programs to cut. Also at issue will be teacher salaries and even books.

No final decision will be made by the board until after the New Year.




N.C.'s Lowest-Performing Schools Getting Federal Grants


Twenty five of North Carolina's lowest-performing schools are getting more than $65.4 million in federal school improvement grants over the next three years to improve student achievement.

One of those schools, the Durham Performance Learning Center, is getting nearly $2 million. The alternative high school serves students who risk dropping out because they're far behind academically.

“We have a chance to transform the Durham Performance Learning Center school,” said Principal Dan Gilfort.

This year, 55 percent of DPLC students passed end-of-course tests. The school plans to start an academic readiness center for eighth- and ninth-graders, focusing on reading and math.

Gilfort said he is will hire nine more staff members, including English teachers, math teachers, a literacy specialist, a social worker and guidance counselor.

“The small setting where the kids are more well-known by their teachers, where kids get more individualized instruction, is a better thing,” he said. “We’ll have resources in terms of social workers and counselors to make sure that those things going (on) outside of school aren’t such a factor that (it) hinders them going in(to) school.”

Gilfort says there is definitely pressure. The school must show that it's meeting certain goals.

“It’s a challenge I relish and really look forward to it,” he said.

North Carolina's Department of Public Instruction will review the school's progress annually to determine if the grant should be renewed. The federal funds were awarded by formula to states, which then made competitive grants available to school districts.

The expected reforms are large in scale and the money can in no way be used to fill in state revenue holes.

The following districts will receive grant funds. The model the districts will employ in its schools is noted along with the school(s) and the grant total:

* Anson County Schools (Anson Challenge Academy), $2,436,215
* Brunswick County Schools (Brunswick County Academy), $1,996,081
* Buncombe County Schools (Buncombe Community-East School), $2,330,198
* Burke County Schools (Burke Alternative School –West), $980,896
* Cumberland County Schools (Walker-Spivey School), $1,906,662
* Davidson County Schools (Davidson County Extended Day School), $2,069,211
* Durham Public Schools (Durham's Performance Learning Center), $1,996,153
* Winston-Salem/Forsyth Schools (Kennedy Learning Center, Petree Elementary School), $2,084,108/$2,704,108
* Gaston County Schools (Warlick Learning Community Middle/High School), $2,312,198
* Guilford County Schools (Oak Hill Elementary School), $2,864,207
* Halifax County Schools (Enfield Middle School, Southeast Halifax High School), $2,083,148/$2,909,148
* Hickory City Schools (Catawba Valley High School), $2,270,207
* Jackson County Schools (Jackson County School of Alternative Education), $2,036,206
* Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (E.E. Waddell High School, West Mecklenburg High School), $3,666,133/$4,644,698
* Nash-Rocky Mount Schools (W.L. Greene Alternative School), $1,788,099
* Pitt County Schools (Farmville Central High School, North Pitt High School, South Central High School), $2,286,400/$2,614,000/$3,269,200
* Public Schools of Robeson County (Fairmont High School, Lumberton Senior High School), $3,136,117/$6,000,000
* Rowan-Salisbury Schools (Henderson Independent High School), $2,164,198
* Wayne County Schools (Goldsboro High School), $2,886,144


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Sources: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Education Week, McClatchy Newspapers, N.C. Justice Center, WCNC, WRAL, Google Maps