Youth Radio - Topic: College

The Recession Hits Home

rgee — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:34:13 -0600

This story was originally published on L.A. Youth.

By Jennifer Gonzales-Romero

My mom, my brother and I used to go to the movies or eat out almost every weekend. We weren’t rich but I could tell my mom wasn’t struggling because she could always afford to take us out. Things changed in June 2009 when my mom was laid off from her job as an assistant property manager for a property management office.

I never thought she’d lose her job because she’d been working there for eight years. But since she didn’t look worried, I didn’t worry either. My mom had savings and the government gave her unemployment—money you get from the government every two weeks after you’ve been laid off. But she still made sure to budget her money.

We didn’t eat out or go to the movies as often. Out of habit, I’d ask my mom to buy me clothes when we were at the store but she said she couldn’t. So I would mostly ask my dad whenever I went over to his house because he had a job. Many times my junior year I’d come home after band practice and see my mom on her laptop looking for jobs, but she wasn’t having much luck. I didn’t think it would take two years for her to find a job and that she’d struggle to pay her bills.

The summer before senior year, I researched colleges. My dream school was the University of La Verne because I thought its small class sizes would be better for me. Tuition cost $31,300 a year but I thought financial aid would cover everything since my mom was unemployed. By the end of the summer I knew that I couldn’t depend on my parents to buy me new clothes and pay for my senior year expenses so I kept my summer job at Little Caesars.

In late September my mom started dating an old classmate from New Orleans. He and his daughter moved here and my mom and them moved into a three-bedroom home. My brother and I stayed in our apartment and my dad moved in with us so we could continue going to school in South Gate. My mom and her boyfriend got married in December.

My mom started to worry

At the beginning of 2011, I started to notice that my mom was struggling. Her mail was still sent to the apartment where I lived with my dad, so she would call almost every other day asking me whether her unemployment check had arrived. When I would say no she would say “OK” in a worried voice. She had been receiving unemployment for a year and a half and to keep getting it she had to prove she was still looking for a job. She told me she was worried that they wouldn’t believe she was having trouble finding one and that they would cut her off.Her husband wasn’t working either because he was having trouble finding a job in construction. I felt bad.

One day in March, I was doing homework in my mom’s room. She was sitting on her bed going through papers when she told me she was behind with her car payments. She started crying and said that she didn’t know how she was going to pay for her car and for rent. It hurt me to see her cry and I started tearing up too. I wanted to help her but I didn’t know how. I knew that if she couldn’t pay her car loan that they would take her car away, but she needed it. How else would she go to job interviews or pick my brother and me up so we could stay at her house?

In April, my mom scored a temporary job as an assistant property manager. I was hoping that they would keep her permanently. But after five weeks they didn’t need her anymore, so she went back to looking for a job. Around the same time I noticed that my mom’s husband was borrowing her car more often. I asked my mom what happened and she said he sold his car and they used the money to pay for rent. Still, I didn’t think their situation was so bad because they still had their home and money to buy food. But now that I look back, my mom had been worrying about a lot of bills.

In May I decided that I wanted to get my prom dress made so that it would be unique. I asked my mom if she could help pay for it since my dad had offered to pay $100. I think she knew how much it meant to me so without any hesitation she said she could pay $100 too. I was so excited. I didn’t feel bad for asking because if she had said no, I would have understood. I wanted prom to be perfect and I was just thinking about that.

A couple of weeks later my mom picked up my brother and me from my dad’s house, and I gave her three letters from the unemployment office. When she read them, she looked worried. I asked her what was wrong and she said that they were no longer going to give her unemployment. When she started driving she remained quiet and looked like she was thinking. Then she started crying and said that she had a lot of bills to pay and she didn’t know what she was going to do.

I thought about saying, “It will be OK, things will get better” but it didn’t seem right because I didn’t know whether things would get better. My brother and I kept quiet for the rest of the car ride. I wanted to offer her money but the only money I had I was going to use to buy my prom ticket. I didn’t want to be selfish but I didn’t want to miss out on one of my most memorable high school experiences. I couldn’t understand why she couldn’t find a job. She had a college degree, she was outgoing and hardworking, so why wouldn’t anyone hire her? She couldn’t help pay for my prom dress The next day she called and told me that she was having trouble paying rent and that they were going to move into a one-bedroom apartment. She told me she couldn’t give me the $100 anymore. I understood and told her it was OK. But now I didn’t have enough money either so I didn’t know what I was going to do.

My next paycheck wasn’t until the day of prom. I didn’t want to ask my dad for money because he couldn’t afford it and I knew he would get mad that my mom couldn’t contribute since they always split the expenses for me and my brother. My mom suggested I use some of the money I had saved for college from selling pastelitos, a Central American meat pocket, at school. I didn’t want to but it was the only way I could get money fast. I promised myself I would pay back every cent after my next few paychecks. Then my mom asked me if she could borrow $120 from my pastelito money. I was shocked she was asking me for money, but I said yeah. It showed how badly she needed it if she was asking me.

Although it hurt to hear what my mom was going through, it felt nice to finally have a way to help her. I had fun at prom because I was hanging out with my boyfriend and my best friend and her date. I was excited prom was finally happening and graduation was approaching. Around the same time, I found out that the University of La Verne was going to give me about $24,000 in grants and scholarships, which left me with about $11,000 to pay myself or through loans for the rest of the tuition, books, food and personal expenses.

One of the loans had to be taken out by one of my parents, and it was the loan with the most money, $4,000. I asked my parents but they didn’t want to take out the loan because my dad had bad credit and my mom had no income. I understood but it meant that I would be able to take out only $7,000 in loans so I would have to work part-time while going to school. I hoped I would make enough money to pay for my phone, gas and other expenses.

In June my mom went for a second job interview as a payroll clerk. I knew how hard my mom was looking for a job and I was hoping that they would hire her. After the interview she picked me up so we could open a checking account. She said they would call her later in the day to tell her whether she got the job. When we were opening the account with a banker, they called her. She stepped outside the banker’s cubicle while I finished opening my account. When she was done she came in crying with a smile on her face. I knew it was good news. She said they gave her the job and she would start next week. I was happy so I gave her a hug.

Afterward, we picked up my little brother and celebrated her new job by going to a restaurant to eat tacos. Now that my mom has a job, things have gotten better for her. She and her husband moved into a three-bedroom apartment and she’s been paying her bills off. She also has extra money again so she and her husband go out to eat on weekends sometimes. When my mom lost her job I was busy with my own life—just worrying about school, being in band and college applications. But as I watched my mom struggle, I realized how hard it is to make money and how the economy could affect even those who are good at budgeting their money or have a college degree.

Seeing my mom struggle makes me worry about whether I will get a job after I graduate from college. I realize now that it’s hard for a lot of people to get jobs, especially young people because we’re inexperienced. I now know how expensive life is when you’re an adult I’m scared about one day living on my own because I will have to pay for rent, groceries, utilities, the Internet, cable and all this other stuff. My job at Little Caesars is minimum wage and I couldn’t support myself on that.

Looking back, I could have asked my mom if she had enough money to pay all her bills. If I knew that earlier, I could have understood that she was struggling. If I had saved my money from my job instead of spending it on clothes, I think I could have paid for my prom dress myself. Now, I’m more appreciative of what my parents are able to give me. My mom has agreed to pay for my car insurance. I appreciate her help because I know it’s hard for her since she is still trying to pay off her bills.

To thank my dad, I’m helping around the house more and contributing to some house expenses since he is letting me live with him for free while I go to college. I wish my mom didn’t have to go through that financial struggle, but I’m glad I’ve learned from it. Save money for emergencies. Make sure I don’t go into debt. This is the perfect time to realize that before I’m living on my own.

How Can We Lower The Student Drop Out Rate?

rgee — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:49:56 -0600

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In last week’s State of the Union address, President Obama proposed something radical, that dropping out of high school no longer be allowed. But that might be complicated. Every school district has tried numerous solutions to the dropout dilemma without success. The problem prompted Russell Rumberger to write a book called Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can Be Done About It.

Rumberger is director of the California Dropout Research Project, and he currently serves as provost in the Office of the President at the University of California. He recently talked about his theory that high schools need to promote alternatives to college – and that some people might be better served not getting a higher education at all. KALW's Ben Trefny sat down with Youth Radio’s Robyn Gee to discuss this idea of education.

This story was produced by Youth Radio with support from the New Options Project and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

What Now?

rgee — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:17:16 -0600

This story was originally published on L.A. Youth.

Author's name not given to protect their identity.

I’ve always worked hard in school because I want to go to college and be successful. But because I’m not a citizen, my hard work could be for nothing. My parents don’t have the money to pay for college and I can’t get federal financial aid because I don’t have a Social Security number. In October, Governor Jerry Brown signed the California Dream Act, which will allow undocumented students like me to get financial help to attend public colleges in California. This made me feel hopeful for my future. However, the state Dream Act doesn’t provide a path to citizenship. Even if I graduate from college, would I have to work in a low-wage job? Will my status prevent me from obtaining my dream job as a journalist?

I think it’s really unfair that I can’t get the same opportunities as a citizen. I grew up here like any other student. Some people say that undocumented immigrants are criminals because they came here illegally. But I don’t consider myself a criminal because it wasn’t my choice to come here. My parents brought me here because they believed they could provide a better education and a better life for me and my sister.

When I was 2 my parents left my older sister and me with my grandma and came to the United States. They were trying to give us a better life than what they had in Mexico. We were living in a small one-room house and my sister and I were sharing a bed with our parents. Their plan was to live in the United States for a few years and then return to Mexico once they made enough to buy a house in Mexico, pay for our education and open a business. But they stayed because they weren’t able to make enough money. We were brought to the United States right before I turned 3 and my sister was 5 because my mother missed us and she couldn’t bear being apart from us. Three years later my little sister was born here and a few years after that my brother was born.

Once I was here for a few years I forgot about Mexico and the United States became my home. I liked McDonalds for the toys in the Happy Meals. One of my favorite things to do was watch cartoons, like Ren & Stimpy, Looney Toons and Animaniacs. I didn’t know English but the TV shows were helping me learn it.

When we were young my mother would tell us to do well in school so we wouldn’t end up like her and my father. I don’t think they understood that attending college was hard if you’re undocumented. They worked as street vendors. They’d wake up at 3 a.m. to prepare the champurrado, a drink like hot chocolate. They’d leave the house at 6 a.m., carrying the champurrado and heavy pots full of tamales. They’d get home at 10 a.m., rest and then prepare for the next day. They always seemed busy buying ingredients and making the tamales. But they still dedicated time to my sister and me. They’d wake us up and get us ready for school. My mom would take us to school with her cart full of tamales.

My mom pushed us to work hard

After I got home from school I would finish my homework and go outside to play with my friends. When my mother saw me playing she’d tell me to come inside and read a book or do extra math problems.She would tell us that nobody’s born smart and we need to study and that’s how you become successful.

I wasn’t aware that I was illegal until fifth grade. We took a trip to Mexico because my aunt was getting married. Coming back, my younger sister got on the plane with our relatives who were born in the United States. My parents had to cross the border illegally and me and my older sister went through the car line with someone my parents knew. They told us it was because we didn’t have the same papers my sister had. We had to pretend we were sleeping. When the Border Patrol agents stopped us and looked inside the car, I felt my heart beating fast, hoping that they wouldn’t ask us questions. I knew that if we got caught we would be sent back to Mexico and we wouldn’t be with our parents. When we got away from San Diego I felt relieved.

Even though that was a scary experience, I never thought that being undocumented would affect me. I just thought it meant that I couldn’t travel to other countries and go back to the United States. I didn’t understand that not having papers meant you aren’t a legal U.S. citizen. I always thought I was a citizen because I was living here.

I started realizing in middle school that being illegal meant you had to be careful or else you’ll get deported. The news would talk about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids at workplaces and how the undocumented workers were deported back to their home countries.

Also in middle school my mom started talking to us about college. She always said that she would be the happiest mother in the world if she could see her children at a university like UCLA or Harvard, which were the schools she’d heard about. I really wanted to go to college because I knew it was important. My mother would say to my older sister and me, “Hopefully Congress will pass the DREAM Act someday and you’ll be a citizen.” I didn’t understand what the DREAM Act was or that being a citizen helped you pay for college.

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How could my family afford college without financial aid?

When my sister started looking at colleges when I was in 10th grade, I’d overhear her and my parents arguing. They saw that Congress wasn’t going to pass the DREAM Act soon so they were trying to persuade her to go to Mexico for college since they didn’t have the money to pay for college in the United States. My parents said, “You won’t be able to get a loan from the government.” My sister argued that she’d be able to get private scholarships. I realized that she couldn’t get financial aid because she was illegal. It confused me since my parents had always told us to work hard and we’d be able to have a better life in the United States, but now they were telling my sister to go to Mexico to pursue a better life.

My sister wanted to be an environmental scientist, which is why she chose Northland College, a small private school in Wisconsin that focuses on environmental science. They offered her $14,000 in scholarships to help her pay the tuition and housing costs, which were about $32,000 a year. They also offered her a job to work at the college but she didn’t get it. My parents assumed it was because she lacked a Social Security number. It seemed unfair because the school had offered her the job and she was relying on it to help her pay for college. It meant my parents had to pay more but they didn’t have that kind of money.

My parents had to pay $1,000 every month but it was difficult and they had to borrow money from friends and my uncle. At the end of my sister’s first year of school, they owed $7,000 but they didn’t know where to get the money. My sister had to return home without getting her report card since my parents didn’t pay the bill.

My parents gave her a decision to make—to pay for her college herself or go to Mexico. She knew that she couldn’t come up with the money because without a Social Security number, she couldn’t get a job. So she went to Mexico to live with our relatives and study there.

I was sad that my sister had left but I wasn’t worrying about what I would do about college because it still seemed far away.

But in 11th grade, people started talking about their dream colleges. I felt it was unfair that I wouldn’t be able to go to college here. My parents pay taxes when they buy food and clothes. I’ve been here my whole life, so why can’t I continue my education in this country? If I go to Mexico I’d feel sad not being close to my family.

When the DREAM Act was introduced in Congress again my mom talked to me about it. She’d watch the news and saw that there was no support for it in Congress. She’d say, “You see what’s happening? This is why you should go to Mexico.” I wanted to stay in the U.S. but I wouldn’t say anything because she seemed right.

I wanted to find out more about the DREAM Act so I Googled it. I learned that it’s a proposed bill in Congress that would allow undocumented students who have been in the United States for at least five years, who graduated from high school or got a GED (the high school equivelancy exam) and don’t have a criminal record, to become legal U.S. residents. They could apply for federal financial aid and work legally. After completing two years of college or military service they could apply for citizenship.

We won’t be a burden if we’re given a chance to succeed

Even though I knew that most of the people in Congress didn’t support the DREAM Act, it was still disappointing that it didn’t get passed. I don’t think that it will cost the country money. It’ll be a boost to our economy because undocumented students will be able to work. They’ll be able to pay taxes and will not be a burden on the government because they can provide for themselves. I understand the people who say that the DREAM Act is helping someone who has broken the law but I don’t agree because I didn’t have a choice to come here.

I felt like my only option was to go to college in Mexico, until this summer when I attended a science research program at USC. A speaker from a low-income family said he got a full ride from Harvard. I thought that only the government gave you money for college. I realized I could receive private aid from a college and not depend on the government. Later, one of my mentors said I could go to a community college, which wouldn’t cost as much, while I waited for the DREAM Act to pass. I decided I would stay in the United States.

But when I told my mother, she brought up the same arguments as always. She said I won’t be able to get a job when I graduate. She told me she’d be heartbroken if she saw me working illegally like my dad. I felt discouraged and scared that I wouldn’t have any other options than to go to Mexico.

When senior year began, I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to stay here but I felt that going to college in the United States was out of reach. How would I pay for college? What would I do after college? But if I go to Mexico, when will I see my family again? Will I be able to return to the United States and work here? In Mexico I hear it’s really dangerous to be a journalist.

Then one Sunday in October I read that Gov. Brown signed the California Dream Act (which is different from the federal DREAM Act). The state Dream Act allows undocumented students to get financial aid from California public colleges. The news was exciting. I felt like the struggles of undocumented students were finally being heard.

Now that the California Dream Act has passed, I’ve decided I’m going to stay here. I told my parents and they told me about a scholarship they had heard about. I felt like they were supporting my decision to stay in the United States for college. I’ve been researching schools to see which ones offer journalism. And I’m hoping that Congress will pass the federal DREAM Act while I’m in college. If they do, undocumented students won’t have to worry as much about how to pay for college and what they’re going to do once they graduate. They’ll be much more motivated to go to college, knowing that the American dream exists for them.

Need For College Prep

denise — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:00:30 -0600

The following originally aired on KCBS

By: Lanaya Lewis

I applied for early admissions to six colleges and was accepted to all of them. But not many of my classmates are in the same situation.

“Do you know what a Historically Black College is,” my tutor asked. I had never heard that phrase before, but from that day on, I knew exactly what type of school I wanted to go to. I’ll be the first person in my family to go to college, and advice like this from the college prep program Upward Bound has really helped me.

Even my mom has been a great support. Every day when I come home from school she asks: “Did you do your homework, because I don’t want to hear any excuses when report cards come?” But not everyone has parents who push like this.

Many of my friends have been struggling on their path to college. I was lucky that I qualified for Upward Bound, but luck shouldn’t matter in trying to further your education. There should be more programs that reach out to students who want to be helped regardless of grades, GPA, and family background.

College is intimidating enough, and programs with a lot of qualification requirements are an unnecessary hurdle.

Expert Says "College Ready For All" Will Not Solve Dropout Crisis

rgee — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:07:23 -0600

Robyn Gee, Turnstyle News

Russell Rumberger is an expert on high school dropouts. He recently published a book called, Dropping Out: Why Students Drop Out of High School and What Can be Done About It, and he currently serves as provost in the Office of the President at the University of California. Rumberger is also director of the California Dropout Research Project. According to Rumberger, roughly 25 percent of U.S. high school students do not graduate. And he says that our country is only making the problem worse by trying to prepare everyone for college.

Turnstyle spoke with Rumberger about how to re-define success in high school by creating multiple pathways for students to find success inside and outside of school.

Turnstyle: In a nutshell, tell us about your argument that when academia focuses solely on getting kids to college, it can lead to more high school dropouts?

Rumberger: I do believe everybody who wants to go to college, has the inclination to go to college, should be able to. Even if they may not have the initial ability, they should still be encouraged and supported to go. It may be harder for them, it may take them longer to finish, but that’s okay. But for students who don’t want to [go to college], they should have an option as well; the opportunity to develop skills that are valued in the job market and take that pathway. What would serve students better in the long run is if we had a broader definition of success in high school to include more things that people can master that we know are important. Some of those things can be best acquired in the classroom, but many can be acquired outside the classroom.

Underlying my assertion is that we want to try to make every kid successful in something. If we define success narrowly by saying how well can you do on an AP test, or a math test, or some other kind of academic test, and that’s the only way we judge success, then the students that have the ability to work with others, the ones that can design things, the ones that know how to cook or fix cars, none of those skills are valued. But if we say, everyone should have something that they can master, and demonstrate mastery of, then there’s this notion that students will develop a sense of competence.

Turnstyle: Can you explain the tension between college-readiness programs and vocational education programs?

Rumberger: Historically, the academic programs and college preparatory program, were really designed to prepare students for college, and that was seen as a viable path in and of itself. When [high schools] were not very common, [college prep] was the only thing that high schools needed to do because everyone else went straight to work. In the early part of the 1900’s, when high schools became universal, [a tension arose] between selectivity and universality... Once they introduced more people, then not everyone wants to go to college, or has the ability to go to college, and that’s when vocational courses were introduced into the high school curriculum. Then the tension became, which pathway serves which students? … The criticism of this dual system, was that the wealthier smarter kids got to go to college track, the dumber, not wealthy kids went to the lower track, and they got two kinds of education -- one better than the other.

Turnstyle: The Department of Labor Statistics projects that more than one-third of all job openings in the US economy between 2008 and 2018 will not require a college degree. In a country that is often criticized for teaching to the test, do you think high schools should be doing more to teach to the job?

Rumberger: I think there’s value in strengthening the academic curriculum, but we don’t want to do so at the expense of the vocational or career and technical program. In fact, one of the interesting developments we’re supporting at the University of California are integrated courses that can teach both academic and career and technical skills in the same course. They could often be taught by two kinds of instructors, because we have different requirements for instructors in the two areas. We want academic instructors to have academic competence in the subject matter such as math or science, but the state requires that career and technical instructors have industry experience, so they know what work is like in industry. Ideally you have two kinds of teachers with two kinds of backgrounds.

In academic areas you might want to teach someone how to problem-solve to do something -- let’s say, create a robot. But to actually build a robot you have to have other kinds of skills. You have to know how to work with materials. You might have to use a lathe, or use wood-working tools... Why have those skills separate? Why not have them do both, so that students are actually developing practical skills, like how to work with their hands and how to actually make something?

Turnstyle: To what extent should businesses and trade unions be involved in informing what gets taught at schools? Do you think these types of public / private partnerships are important?

Rumberger: [I think businesses and trade unions] should be very involved because they’re the ones that say, ‘These are the things our workers need to have to be successful in the workplace.’ Sometimes they’ll do surveys of employers and ask, what are the skills you really need to have? There’s one survey that I cited from the National Association of Manufacturers, and they talked about punctuality, dependability, and perseverance as being qualities they looked for in employees... You think about some of those skills, and you might develop them very well by being on a football team, or being in a responsible position in a student organization in high school... there are many different ways of acquiring those skills, so the input from industry would help shape that discussion about what it is that is important to be teaching and rewarding in high school.

Turnstyle: The Obama administration is very focused on being academically competitive with the rest of the world, and set a goal to be number one in college graduates by the year 2020. Is that the right focus for our country?

Rumberger: It makes me uncomfortable. [Obama] has a goal of being number one in the world in four-year college graduates by the year 2020 and to do so, we’re roughly 20th in the world in high school graduation rates, I submit that we’ll never be number one in the world in college graduates, without being much higher in high school graduation rates than we are now. I think he would acknowledge that... We still have so many kids that are not graduating, roughly 25 percent of our high school students... It’s related to conditions outside of school. There are some international studies that show how the United States ranks in terms of child well-being and child welfare in terms of health and family conditions. In one survey, we were about 20th. I think it’s correlated, the fact that if we’re 20th in high school graduation rates and 20th in the sense of child welfare -- those are related phenomena.

Proposed D.C. Law Could Make College Applications Mandatory

squevedo — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:19:53 -0600

Sayre Quevedo, Turnstyle News

Kwame Brown, Chairman of Washington DC’s City Council, is the youngest chairman in the history of the city. As a result, Brown says he’s constantly surrounded by young people. And it shows. Brown has spearheaded the development of multiple vocational high schools in D.C. and even leads college tours for young people. But this last week, Brown proposed a law that has the power to make him either wildly popular or unpopular among that same crowd. The College Preparatory Plan Act would require public high school seniors in Wash., D.C. to take the SAT or ACT and apply to at least one post-secondary school.

Turnstyle: Could you please explain the law you’re proposing for D.C. students regarding applying to college?

Kwame Brown: The College Preparatory Plan Act requires D.C. public school seniors to apply to one post-secondary school. It is one of a series of bills that I have introduced. When you’re in high school, the question is to ensure that every child has an opportunity to go to college; that's what this law does. You can’t go to college unless you take the SAT or the ACT, as well actually apply.

Turnstyle: What was the inspiration for the law? Brown: The inspiration is to increase the graduation rate and to increase the number of students going to post-secondary [schools]. Clearly when you’re focused on SATs, when you’re focused on looking at colleges, then you’re more focused on graduating high school, because you have to get out of high school to get into a college. We all know that a college degree, or some college education or post-secondary education, is important. There have been statistics by The Fiscal Policy Institute that show that those that went on to get some sort of post-secondary [education] over the last 20 years earned 37% percent more money. Those that did not, and only had a high school diploma, [their] income rose by 1%. So that shows that most jobs now require some post-secondary education and we need to prepare our students for that, making sure they exposure and the opportunity to succeed.

Turnstyle: Something I’m sure many critics will ask is, how many of these students are prepared enough to succeed at the college level? Are you just setting kids up to fail?

Brown: So many adults will give you every reason why kids can’t learn as opposed to saying why they can. Here in D.C. we have a school called Thurgood Marshall Academy, located in Ward 8, which is a low-income area [and] has an unemployment [rate] somewhere between 30 to 40 percent. It is still one of the top public high schools in the city. They graduate 100 percent [of their students] and 100 percent of their students go to college...they require you to fill out five applications. And these students are from the [low-income] neighborhood, which shows that students can learn. It’s time for adults to raise the bar and raise the standards.

Turnstyle: Many school districts are expanding the academy model, where students receive career-specific training early on…sort of acknowledging that not every student will or should progress towards college. What do you think of that model?

Brown: I love it. I have been the champion of vocational education here in the District of Columbia. I spearheaded the most modernized vocational school in the country, Phelps Architect, Engineering and Construction High School. We have Hospitality High, which deals to the hospitality area. We also have Carlos Rosario High School, which deals with health care, vocational training, and culinary arts. And then we have Cardoza Construction Academy, which deals with green construction for green jobs.

Turnstyle: Have you spoken to any young people regarding the law? If so, what have their responses been?

Brown: They loved it, though some obviously don’t like it. They say, “I don’t want to take that test because nobody has ever told me to take that test.” And it’s sad because some of them don’t have anyone in their family that has ever been to college, so they don’t know how to fill out a college application. Some think it’s too expensive to go to college and don’t even know that financial aid is available for them. Some wish that someone would take time to help them understand how to go through the process. Frankly, those who have graduated from school probably wish someone had made them take [the SAT or ACT.]

Turnstyle: What are the consequences for students if they don’t apply to college?

Brown: At this point, it would be a graduation requirement.

Turnstyle: So they would risk not getting a diploma if they didn’t apply to college?

Brown: We want to phase it in over time, but the idea is that every ninth grader will understand that this is a requirement for their graduation, and that they should put emphasis on understanding how to apply to, and the benefits of getting, their post-secondary education.

Turnstyle: If the consequence is revocation of a diploma, wouldn’t that hurt students more than help them? Are there any safety nets set up for students who don’t follow through?

Brown: In the top five schools [in the District of Columbia], two of which are in the top 100 [schools] in the country, they require [students to apply to college]. At the worst schools, they don’t require anything. So when you say, “Is it required? Is it going to work? Is it not going to work?” It’s working.

Turnstyle: When applying to colleges there are various financial restraints, such as application fees, and the costs of tests and official transcripts. The D.C. public school district currently has 11,618 students enrolled in high school and had one-third low-income residents in 2010. What sort of support system is set up for those struggling financially?

Brown: First of all, the D.C. school system also spends a billion dollars more than any other school district on the number of children. And out of a billion dollars... maybe $100,000 dollars can be set aside to assure that young folks have every option to apply [to college] and increase their educational level through post-secondary education. We have enough money. The real question is, do adults want to get out of the way and set high expectations for our students? I believe that when you set those high expectations for students, students will achieve them. Unfortunately, we need more adults to believe that.

Teen Plots His Own Course Away From College For Now

denise — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:51:49 -0600

The following originally aired on KQED-FM.

By: Sayre Quevedo

Around this time last year I was busy applying to college. Clicking that ‘submit’ button on my online applications, I imagined myself in New York City, going to poetry readings and cramming for various exams. I listened to Patti Smith and Lou Reed over and over in anticipation of receiving acceptance letters. But my acceptance letters were followed by even more important pieces of mail, my federal financial aid statements, or FAFSA.

The minute I saw the amount of financial aid I qualified for, I knew that the price tag of my dream was way out of my budget. My mom is still paying off her college loans, and I had already spent more than I could afford paying for official transcripts, applications, and the ACT test. Tuition at my top school was 30,000 dollars a year and I was going to be on the hook for 2/3 of it.

I think I went through the seven stages of grief after that. I was sad, I was angry, I blamed myself and then the college system. I even blamed my mother. It was short lived but the resentment I felt about deferring my dreams was powerful. After months of telling people my college plans, I was going to have to re-explain everything. I felt phony, like I had lied to everyone I knew.

So when my friends left for college, it was bittersweet. Sure, I was going to miss them, but I wasn’t going to miss the question “So, what are you doing now?” Honestly, I didn’t have an answer.

A lot of things have changed for me since then. I’ve realized that while my friends may be learning in university classrooms, I’m gaining knowledge as well. I’m enrolled in community college, I have a great job, and I’ve moved out of my mother’s house, to give myself the sort of independence I had hoped to get by moving away to college.

I’m not walking the same path as my friends nor the one my teachers prepared me for, but I’ve come to realize that my path is my own. I haven’t given up on my dreams of going away to school. It’s just going to be a longer journey than expected.

My Path Is My Own

denise — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:40:26 -0600

The following originally aired on KCBS

By: Sayre Quevedo

The fact that I didn’t go away to college used to make me feel like an underachieving, ugly duckling among my friends.

When my friends left for college, it was bittersweet. It meant they’d disappeared for a bit, but so had the question, “So what are you doing now?” Those words were practically the soundtrack of my summer. No, I’d say, I’m not going to a university. No, I’m not moving away. No, I haven’t chosen a major. I’m just working and going to community college.

Honestly, I felt insecure. I was missing out on a milestone simply because I couldn’t afford to pay for it. But one morning as I sat on the bus going to work from my new place I realized: I’m doing plenty. Moving out and working to take care of myself are milestones too; ones my friends at school might not reach until after they graduate.

So if my friends’ college migration has taught me one thing, it’s this: I may not be walking the same path as everyone else but that doesn’t mean I’m not on one.

A Normal Life

rgee — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 14:15:42 -0600

This story originally aired on 12/31/12, WABE-FM, Atlanta.

By Alexander Mead

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Most students get nervous before taking a big test. But my jitters are for a different reason than you might think: I have Cerebral Palsy.

It’s hard for me to use my hands to do tasks that require fine motor skills – like tying a shoelace. So I was afraid of taking the SAT, worried I would have to handwrite my essay or fill in the answer bubbles.

Luckily, since I was born after the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, the College Board allowed me to type my essay and to simply mark my answers in the test booklet. I took the same test as everyone else – I just took it in a different way. Without those accommodations, I'm sure my score on the SAT would have been too low to get into college. I frequently hear in political debates: get government out of our lives. But while some people might criticize the ADA as “big government” interference, I am very grateful that the act passed because it helps me to lead a normal life.

Previously on WABE:

* Figuring Out the Job Market Without A College Degree
* Advice From A Baseball Fan

* Occupy Election Booths, Not Streets

Figuring Out The Job Market Without A College Degree

rgee — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:18:09 -0600

This story originally aired on 12/17/11, on WABE-FM, Atlanta.

By Barbara Dougherty

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In a few months, most of my friends will be graduating from college - without me. I dropped out last fall, half way through my junior year. But I still hope to finish my degree someday. I’ve heard the statistics that people with college diplomas will earn more money than those who don’t have degrees.

I also know the unemployment rate isn't good for people who don't finish college. On top of all that, the thought of so many people my age soon entering the job market, competing with me, is intimidating. But my mother has helped me calm my feelings of inadequacy. She always reminds me that I have been successful at getting jobs: from busing tables to managing a frozen yogurt shop.

And now, I have a totally awesome position at a successful startup business - making all natural bath and body products by hand! I sell them at weekend festivals and markets. It’s an intensely fun outlet for my creativity and I’m getting some really great retail experience.

Though I'm disappointed that I didn’t finish college, I’m proud of myself for effectively selling myself to employers in this tight market. When my friends begin looking for jobs next summer, I’ll be able to give them advice on resumes, impressing potential employers, and being a responsible employee.

Previously on WABE:

* Advice From A Baseball Fan

* Occupy Election Booths, Not Streets

* Why Make Impossible Beauty Goals?