The Shrinking American Middle Class, Part 3

The American middle class is shrinking in comparison to nations around the world. Yesterday, I proffered the view that those Americans wishing to sustain or aspiring to achieve a middle class standard of living may not be obtaining the academic preparation necessary, especially as indicated by their average performance on international educational assessments. Yet, their…

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The Shrinking American Middle Class, Part 2

Like I posited a few days ago, “Why is the American middle class shrinking?” Firstly, it can be argued that personal success, whether economic or humanistic, requires the acquisition of knowledge and the application of such knowledge. However, rote memorization and regurgitation on cue, skills necessary to compete in the modern American academic meritocracy, yet…

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Put Down Your #2 Pencils: The University of California Eliminate SAT/ACT Scores, Comprehensive Review: Part 7

In the seventh post in the series, Put Down Your #2 Pencils: The University of California Eliminates SAT/ACT Scores, Comprehensive Review, where each of the 14 Comprehensive Review points which UC admissions officers use as a guide for their application evaluations are analyzed, high school students can understand how they’ll be assessed during the admissions…

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Examining Subjectivity in the Fall 2021 College Admissions Process

The COVID-induced disruption of the educational system, has also upended the Fall 2021 college admissions process. From suspended admissions requirements, like submitting SAT and ACT scores to the implementation of Pass/No Pass style marks for Spring 2020, instead of academic letter grades, effectively reducing students’ cumulative Grade Point Averages (GPA), students and parents are questioning…

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AP Exam Scores Challenged

After students received their May 2020 Advanced Placement (AP) scores in mid-July 2020, many were distressed to earn scores less than expected, and now, with their parents’ support, are appealing their scores. Student’s disappointment about their scores simply compounds an existing dismay, after enduring the multitude of technical issues during the administration of the May…

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How to Speak Gen Z

Teenagers throughout the generations have created their own iteration of the English language. Gen X’ers’ “rads”, “gag me with a spoon”s, and “psyche!”s, have given way to Gen Z’ers’ “lit”, “we love that”, and “nunya”. Ya feel me? Well, thankfully, Massachusetts teacher, Mr. James Callahan created a Gen Z dictionary for those of us challenged…

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Uneven Pavement Ahead

The Best Laid Plans are Those that Survive Unplanned Predicaments

In response to the COVID-induced disruption of education, the college admissions process is changing. Many parents and students are now questioning how applicants will be evaluated for Fall 2021 admissions and in years beyond.  Traditional metrics for evaluating admissions, like GPA, are less reliable, given many high schools implemented Pass/No Pass-style marks in spring 2020,…

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Normal Interrupted

Until mid-March 2020, parents and students each had defined roles and processes when working together to manage a student’s education. Yet, the COVID-induced closure of school campuses and the subsequent implementation of distance learning, upended a well-worn family dynamic. During a typical Pre-COVID school day, all students had a ready-made structure to manage their academic…

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Life is a journey not the destination

Reason #1,345,765 that applying to college is complicated by competing interests, in reference to the meme above, a parent’s intellect vs. a parent’s heart. The possible fear and excitement of the unknown, a new chapter separating parents’ and children’s lives by beginning college in the next twelve months, may be a bittersweet reward for decades…

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