Martin Luther King: A Champion for Education

Today, and every third Monday of January since 1986, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  While Dr. King’s life was tragically cut short by his assassination on April 4, 1968, his passionate work around race, equity, and peace still serves as the inspiration for many today. While Dr. King

Higher Ed: Do Better or Pay a Price

There’s a rumor in D.C., and it’s one that could pose a challenge for Democrats. The buzz in Washington is that President Trump, concerned about a populist challenge from the Warren – Sanders left on student debt, may choose to tackle the rising price of college. Unnamed administration officials have floated a series of trial balloons,

New Decade, New Federal Investments in Education

In the final days of 2019, Congress eked out a bipartisan spending bill that provides a less than 2 percent overall increase in U.S. Department of Education funding for the coming 2020-2021 school year. Most of the modest increase is due to the efforts of a House of Representatives’ Democratic majority that prioritized education funding.

ERN: Year in Review

As 2019 comes to a close, we are grateful to all of you who have joined us in our work to increase educational equity.  With your support, we achieved over 50 policy wins across the country to improve public education for our nation’s students. We were the driving force behind the recent bipartisan “Fast Track

Slices & Loaves

By: Michael Dannenberg Tomorrow, the U.S. House Education & Labor Committee will consider a comprehensive rewrite of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Among longtime student advocacy groups there’s support for the bill, but a palpable lack of enthusiasm. Mark Huelsman of the liberal group Demos, for example in commenting on the bill, has said  “House

Blame Wisconsin’s Scott Walker . . . and Everyone Before Him

By: Katlyn Riggins Reactions are coming in to our recently released report detailing key failings of Wisconsin’s main higher education institutions. Reminder: We found the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) to be one of the least accessible public universities in the country. (Congratulations University of Virginia, you’re finally out of the bottom spot.) Turns out that UW-Madison

When We Talk About the Obama Legacy, What Do We Really Mean?

When We Talk About the Obama Legacy, What Do We Really Mean?  The Battle Over Barack Obama’s Legacy at the Democratic Debates. The Fiercest Democratic Debate in 2020 Is About Barack Obama. Barack Obama, silent in Democratic nominating contest, omnipresent in debate. After the first two Democratic Presidential Debates, one thing is clear: President Obama’s

Ideas to Make College “Fairer”

By Michael Dannenberg  In wake of the on-going national college admissions scandal, every candidate for state or national office should be asked a simple question: “How do you plan to make college cheaper, fairer, and better?” Not just cheaper, but fairer and better because we’ve got serious equity and quality challenges in higher education. A

Ideas to Make College “Cheaper”

by Michael Dannenberg Over the next several weeks, we’re regularly going to identify an education goal and put forth in brief at least one new idea and a short, pro-con analysis. Most of the time, we’ll put forth a series of ideas to consider. Batter up. Make College “Cheaper” for Families, Debtors, and Taxpayers. Almost

Top 5 Things to Listen for in the Primary Debates

This week, the qualifying Democratic Candidates will converge for a night of debate as they work to differentiate themselves among a crowded primary pool. While there will be many important issues discussed, one way the candidates can stand out is through strong education policy that will help move educational equity forward across our country. Below