Education

Today’s robbing of the NYC employees’ health insurance fund as a “realistic” means to pay to avoid layoffs will become tomorrow’s hysterically anti-union “health benefits costs are out of control” rallying cry. City officials — neither the “education” mayor, nor the backbone-free City Council — are just not prepared to pay for vital services.

Today’s robbing of the NYC employees’ health insurance fund as a “realistic” means to pay to avoid layoffs will become tomorrow’s hysterically anti-union “health benefits costs are out of control” rallying cry.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has painted his decision to fire more than 4,000 teachers as the only budgetary course open to him, but it turns out that an increase of less than one-half of one percent on the income tax rate paid by wealthier New Yorkers would raise more revenue than the Mayor's budget saves by firing the teachers.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has painted his decision to fire more than 4,000 teachers as the only budgetary course open to him, but it turns out that an increase of less than one-half of one percent on the income tax rate paid by wealthier New Yorkers would raise more revenue than the Mayor's budget saves by firing the teachers.

U.S. colleges and universities continue to be world leaders. Annual surveys of higher education consistently rank a disproportionate number of American institutions in the top 100. Yet U.S. primary and secondary schools do poorly compared to top-performing systems worldwide. It is time to reexamine the categorical separation of K-12 and postsecondary education.

In the wake of a high-profile Harvard report, vocational education — or as it is now generally known, career and technical education — is back on the policy agenda. But much of the debate about “the new vo-tech” assumes that American students can’t be prepared to start careers at the age of 18. What’s behind the idea that post-secondary education is essential for today’s workplace? And what might a model that didn’t depend on it look like?

Peter G. Peterson's concerns about budget deficits now lie at the heart of a “fiscal responsibility” high school curriculum being developed by Teachers College thanks to Peterson Foundation funding.