Student Loan Debt: What you need to know

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     As a student in the United States, the question of college comes up constantly, especially now that I'm in high school. This idea of going to college is an important choice for me in determining what path I am going take in life. About 65.9% of students choose this path of college and pursue a degree. Besides worrying about which college they're going to or how they will get accepted, many students are worried about how they are going to pay for the next few years of their education. A lot of people have no idea how to approach this and some people just don't understand the significance of debt. Student debt is a leading issue in the United States and you're about to learn about it through some mind-blowing graphs and statistics.
     First off, what is student loan debt?! When people can't afford to pay for college immediately they will have to borrow money. Whether it be from a private(bank) or public(government) institution they have to pay it back eventually. Many people don't actually have to start paying off the loans until after college and often the payments plan lasts 10 years or more. This allows people to go to college but they are often stuck paying for it often until about the time they retire.
     How much student debt is there actually? The total stands at a whopping $1.5 Trillion with 44.7 million people borrowing, which is $500 Billion more than the total credit card debt. To put that in perspective that's 450 billion fresh pairs of yeezys, 12 million Tesla Model Xs, or about 77 Ford-Class Aircraft Carriers. That is more than double the U.S Military budget which is really saying something. 
     We know what student loan debt is and that we have a lot of it. Why should you care? Well, take a look at this graph below.

Graph by Ticas.org

   Although varying by ethnicity, on average about 16% of all people who have taken out loans have defaulted on them. That means they couldn't afford payments and are having to pay more due to fees and additional interest in addition to not even paying off the debt. 63% of people who took out loans still haven't paid them off either. That's a huge percentage of people that are still dealing with college debt even though they may have graduated 30-40 years ago. The amount of people getting into debt is rising. Many more people are pursuing a bachelors degree than ever seen before meaning that this epidemic will only get bigger. 

    What effect does student loan debt have on someone? Well, the median monthly payment for people paying off student loan debt is $222 or $2664 a year. On average people with a bachelor's degree make $35,615. The means that people are making $33,000 when you subtract student loans. That's not mentioning, car loans, house mortgages, car insurance, health insurance, and groceries. Which yearly on average(based on a 1-2 person budget) costs $31,000. That means your extremely average Joe has $2000 left for whatever non-essential spending needs he has. Some people can work with that, others splurge and then go into more debt by overcharging their credit cards. 

     Besides having a monetary effect on your life, being in debt can wreak emotional havoc on you. According to an APA study, 72% of Americans felt stressed over being in debt and 22% felt extreme stress. Some more emotional effects are that overall production and functionality of someone's brain goes down when they're worried about paying a bill. This problem can be so bad that it ruins relationships, leads people to depression, and overall causes earlier deaths due to their health being affected by stress.

      Alright, you've heard the facts! Student debt is an issue in the United States and the number of people getting into debt is only increasing. Remember: avoid student debt as much as possible. If you're interested in figuring out strategies and want to learn tips on how to avoid debt in the first place check this article out.

What are Charter Schools?

   A lot of people hear about Charter Schools through the media, politicians, and in general conversation about education. However, to most people, it's not really clear what exactly charter schools are. Some people believe they're private schools much like colleges or believe they are only for the rich to send their kids off to. While there may be some truth in those statements, there is a lot more to Charter schools and that is what I hope to explain here.

Michael Buckner/Getty Images

   Getting the big picture of something helps give context to the finer details and makeups of the schools themselves. This definition from the  Merriam Webster Dictionary should help give some context.

"a tax-supported school established by a charter between a granting body...and an outside group...which operates the school without most local and state educational regulations so as to achieve set goals"

Let us take this definition apart so each part is understandable. These charter schools are tax-support, meaning the government funds them, more often than not on a per-pupil basis or like a TPS(traditional public school). If you're interested in how your state's charter schools are funded check out this Link.
The school is also established by a charter(contract) between a granting body(more often than not a school board) and an outside group. To put it simply, charter schools are not run by the state/federal government, they are run by a 3rd party(parents, teachers, philanthropist, etc). However, they do fall under the jurisdiction of the state and are required to follow certain laws and requirement mandated for them to follow. A lot of times charter schools don't have to follow all the regulations a TPS has to follow. More information on each individual state here.
An issue that pops up in many debates on whether or not charter schools should be allowed is that the charters don't have to follow many laws a TPS does, how does the state make sure students are getting the education they need? Well, in the contract formulated between the granting body and the leaders of the school has to state the academic standards the school has to meet. If not met, the school can be closed down and its funding cut.
What makes charter schools different? Well, they are by nature supposed to available for anyone to attend much like TPS are. By law, these schools don't have entrance requirements and must take anyone that wishes to attend. However, some schools much like these ones in California have had illegal entrance exams or are bias against certain traits of applicants.
Now that there is some context to what charter schools are, what's so good or bad about them? Why have so many people in recent years(check out the graph below) flocked to charter schools?

Source

TPS vs Charter Schools

It is hard to compare each type on a larger scale so they will be split down into smaller subcategories.

TPS

-Urban and Rural/Suburban

Charter Schools

-Non-profit and For-profit

-Online and In a campus/building

-Urban and Rural/Suburban

Urban Schools

-Studies have found that charter schools perform better on average than their urban TPS counterparts

-The average is even higher for minority/low-income groups attending these charter schools.

Rural Schools

-On average TPS schools scored higher on average than Charter schools

Non-Profit Vs For-Profit Charter Schools

-For-profit schools on average do worse academically compared to TPS schools. Source

-Non-Profit Schools fell around the average of TPS and depending on location and type performed better than TPS.

Virtual Vs Building

-Virtual charter schools were found to perform much worse compared to Charter schools in buildings and TPS schools in general. Source

In General

  Charter schools can perform better academically but fall just about on par with TPS. However, when you look outside academics some more interesting statistics start to pop up. For example, even though charter schools scoreless on average on standardized tests, the average salary for those who attended charter schools is $2000+ higher than TPS.

Finally, the larger issue with charter schools is the amount of them that actually stay open. It has been found the 25% of charter schools did not open(10%) or closed due to mismanagement, bad facilities, bad academics, or financial issues(15%). The problem is that since charter schools are funded by the government, any schools that close is wasted money(so far $1B cumulatively)

Source

In summary, charter schools are much like public schools but adhere to different policies and can perform better or worse than public schools depending on location and type of school.

Written by Ryan Longo

Betsy DeVos Education Conference: expanding technical education in student curriculum

Secretary Betsy DeVos answers questions posed by South Carolina Super Intendant Molly Spearman regarding technical education and the department of education's new policies

On April 8th Betsy DeVos with Super Intendant Molly Spearman explained how the department of education's new policies included in the planned 2020 Federal Budget would help schools.

Betsy DeVos(Left) and Molly Spearman(Right)

   DeVos and Spearman both discussed at the Conference new flexible policies for schools and how technical education was going to be implemented in them. Many of the new policies DeVos planned to include funding for in the 2020 Federal Budget addressed these issues directly. Spearman took a more positive outlook on the new changes being implemented compared to the House Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing in March. The main question explored in the conference was: how will these new(or better funded) policies benefit students and schools?

   Spearman goes straight into the main topic of the conversation by bringing up that in February, DeVos visited Brockington Elementry in South Carolina. The interesting thing about this specific school was that 92% of the students were in poverty and previously the school had been the lowest scoring in the state. DeVos and Spearman both noted how far the school had come recently in light of new South Carolina policies. More specifically, DeVos said that she enjoyed the high energy atmosphere and admired the school's leadership and its ability to acknowledge problems and solve them effectively. DeVos went on to explain that these are the things she likes to see and aims to help introduce similar environments in schools country-wide.

Taken by Bristow Merchan - Betsy DeVos working on robotics with students from Brockington Elementry in SC

   The other school DeVos visited was one of South Carolina's career and tech centers. DeVos said that she thought centers like this were very important because they encouraged more learning outside of traditional K-12 schools and opened up multiple paths for students to take with their education. These paths and opportunities included apprenticeships and partnerships with employers so teachers and students could get more experience in other industries and workplaces. This is an important step towards expanding away from the norm of going to a college and getting a degree which Spearman said that many teachers and parents presently believe is the best route.

   On the note of more technical education, Spearman brought up the re-implementation of Perkins 5. DeVos explained that instituting it would mean more flexibility and a more heavy expansion of technical education in regular schools. DeVos then brought up that states could take up to $5 million in federal tax credit to put towards 501c organizations. This means more sponsorships from 501c organizations for schools. Students would get more access to transportation between centers and would get more learning opportunities like a rural Mississippi school that got access to an AP Physics program taught by an astrophysicist that was previously unavailable due to school's size and location.

   Finally, teacher development became the main focus of the conversation. DeVos brought up that many teachers she talked to believed that a lot of the teacher training and workshops they received were irrelevant and useless. She then went into how new proposals under the 2020 Budget would allow teachers to focus more on their own personal professional development. This included new mentorship programs for senior teachers and paths other than administration. This is important for students because these new programs could attract more people to the teaching industry helping close the desperate need for more teachers in the workforce and promoting higher quality in teachers.

    Spearman near the end of the conference brought up a very important point: "It takes a while. It is not something you can change overnight. It really takes awhile..." It is important to know that there isn't a one size fits all solution to this, DeVos wants states to have more freedom and flexibility to solve problems unique to their state. Whether you agree with either of them or not, DeVos puts a very important message out: states should be trying new things because the old system isn't working well enough.

What are 501c organizations?

Organizations, usually charitable or partakes in sponsoring other programs, that receive federal tax exemptions and occasionally state ones based on the discretion of the state.

What is Career and Technical Education(CTE)?

Education focused on a career path based around applied sciences, skilled trades, and modern technology. Usually involves job shadowing and opportunities for people to get better versed in industries and available apprenticeships. Is often offered in middle schools, high schools, and community colleges.

The Federal 2020 budget: How will it affect students?

DeVos testifies before the House Appropriations Sub Committee

On March 26, 2019, DeVos answered questions about budget changes regarding federal fund in U.S. Education

(Photo: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images)

    For the first time in decades, the U.S. Department of Education DeVos proposes one of the largest cuts in its history with 12%($7.1 billion) of its total budget being cut. This cut in the department has been unparalleled anything proposed since the department's establishment in 1979. DeVos came under major fire for this seemingly colossal reduction in funds. A few Representatives, mostly Republican, had good things to say about new changes. They were glad that the new supported programs in the budget promoted freedom for people to choose which school he or she attended and pro-state control of education. However, many other representatives were angered by the lack of direct answers to their questions and the massive cuts to important programs. 
    In the future, students in the U.S. are likely to see reduced federal spending on student and after schools programs, increased funding in Charter School vouchers, and a more intense focus on the privatization of U.S schools if the 2020 federal budget in its current state is passed.

    Reflecting many government officials astonishment, Rep. Rosa DeLauro states, "I believe the budget is cruel, I believe it is reckless." She directly brought up that all federal funding for the Special Olympics would be cut, which would be taking away programs for special needs kids. DeLauro also brought up how these cuts would negatively affect low-income families and that many after schools programs that have been proven to be beneficial to them and many others would also receive serious cuts. Rep. Tom Cole and Rep. Barbara Lee added that the new budget did not help minorities or African Americans who make up a large percentage of low-income families. Overall, it appears that minority groups and low-income families would lose a lot of academically if they are not included in federal voucher programs.

     This brings up the issue, what would these cuts actually do to help low-income families and what does this mean for them? Starting out with the benefits, many students could see a large increase in charter school vouchers and scholarships which would, in the opinion of Secretary. DeVos, benefit their education and help drive innovation in the educational field. Many of the representatives on the subcommittee agree with DeVos that today's US Public Education is outdated. DeVos also went on to explain that giving families the freedom to go to a charter school made sure they weren't limited to a bad public school due to location or income disparity. Based on DeVos' insight on the benefits of the voucher program, families would no longer be limited in schooling based on where they live if the voucher program was intensely implemented.

      However, these new cuts were quick to be attacked by other members of the subcommittee who were not as convinced. Rep. Barbara Lee brought up how the department in 2016 cut the U.S. Public School disciplinary guide that served to prevent discrimination against people of different race or income when it came to suspensions or expulsions. DeVos shot back that she was against discrimination but it makes you wonder why the department got rid of it in the first place. Lee continued to bring up that this could cause civil rights issues even citing the Brown VS Board ruling. The eradication of this important policy in 2016 could mean discrimination could be more prominent in schools with little to stop it.

    DeVos is very dead set on increasing funding for charter schools at the expense of a dozen other programs. Rep. Nita Lowey took a major stab at the Trump administration, in general, saying that the cuts were to, "fund the wall, with money from our children." citing that this was Trump's main message and DeVos wasn't doing anything to stop it. Rep. Rosa DeLauro was surprised that DeVos included a $60 Million increase in charter school funding while The Washington Post found that over $1 Billion cumulatively was wasted due to charter schools closing because of mismanagement or not even opening at all. Adding on to it, Rep. Mark Pocan stated that 1/4 of all charter schools have failed. DeLauro is concerned that since 90% of the kids in the U.S Education System are in public schools, why is DeVos so focused on schools that seem to be failing and only educate 10% of our youth? Pocan then asked DeVos how the department was planning on making up that $1 Billion lost in failed schools, he continued to press the issue but was frustrated with DeVos' continued attempts to dodge questions. 

    Pocan also brought up how DeVos could justify a %15 executive salary increase while the department was losing 12% of its funds. Additionally, DeVos could not give an accurate or confident answer when asked how many kids this cut would affect. The answer? 272,000 children. With dozens of programs being cut or sized down and major downsizing within the department, one has to wonder what exactly are DeVos' motives as Secretary of Education and how dedicated she is to helping students.

   The U.S. Education System is ranked 24th in reading, 25th in science, and 40th in reading globally, these statistics reflect that the question is not if the education system needs reform or not. The real question is how that reform will be implemented and how the department plans to put the U.S. back on the top as a major competitor globally. While "thinking outside the box" is very important to change and innovation, is investing in charter schools the way to go?

Q&A

As a Student how does this affect me?

You may see increased opportunities for attending charter schools for free or at a reduced price, whether or not this is a good thing is based on how successful and helpful such schools are. You may also see a reduction in after-school academic programs such as school-sponsored homework help or writing/reading centers. It is likely that if this budget passes you will have more freedom in choosing schools of your liking instead of being limited by school districts.

How does this Effect my Curriculum?

Since the ability to establish schools is a right granted under the constitution to states, the budget cuts may not mean much. Unless your state in reaction to these cuts changes the curriculum, it's unlikely you will see any major changes. If you're interested in why Federal policy is a lot less effective than state policy on local schools check this link out for more information

https://education.findlaw.com/curriculum-standards-school-funding/the-roles-of-federal-and-state-governments-in-education.html

What the heck are private schools?

They are publicly funded institutions for education that operate outside the state public education system. They are privately run schools funded by government money. For a more serious and in-depth analysis of what they exactly are, check out this resource   https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/charter-schools/index.html

Feel free leave comments or questions below

Article Written by Ryan Longo