Links for 10/11/10

Simon Baker

Too many universities lack a distinctive mission and risk being eaten up in the “bloody” competition that may follow a review of British higher education…

an analysis of every institution’s mission statement shows that about 70 are trying to cover too many bases and are spreading themselves too thinly.

Too many universities simply state a desire to “achieve excellence in teaching and research” and ¬appear unable to carve out a market niche…

Chester E. Finn Jr. & Michael J. Petrilli

the education workforce actually grew 2.3 percent during the Great Recession. That’s right: While the private sector slashed jobs, trimmed benefits, renegotiated contracts, cut pay, and sometimes declared bankruptcy, the education part of the public sector actually fattened. It’s as if the Democrats have created a privileged class of Americans — akin to the old Soviet nomenklatura — consisting of public employees who are insulated from the normal perils and pains to which ordinary citizens are exposed…

Even as Republicans murmur about getting Uncle Sam out of K–12 education — and thus out of the education-reform business — altogether, Democrats are torn between featherbedding their union pals and micromanaging the nation’ s schools from thousands of miles away. Not a very appealing choice…

what the Obama administration has proposed in its Elementary and Secondary Education Act blueprint… Certainly better than what either party on Capitol Hill is offering

Tom Vander Ark

Most students pay too much, get too little, and half drop out…