We have some material for a debate here today, and a chance to see what has changed (if anything) in about a decade.
First, compare the chapter, The College Dropout Boom, and the report America's College Drop-out Epidemic. These were written almost 10 years apart. What has changed, and what hasn't changed? Is this problem solvable? What do you think.
Second, in the recent "State of the Union" Address, President Obama proposed two years of free Community College education be made available to everyone. The video above presents the proposal. (Following the short video you will find links to videos on the same subject, including views of those very much opposed to this proposal. President Farish wrote about his views of the proposals in his blog. Read it, and understand what he means by "unintended consequences". What is his perspective on this proposal, and do you agree with him?
Click on each picture to view the narrarated slide show from the online supplement to Class Matters
My grandparents emigrated from Sweden just before the turn of the last century. They were uneducated: they were laborers. My grandpa Hagman worked his way up to be foreman of a grain elevator in Minneapolis. My grandpa Swanson was a gentlemen's tailor. He started as an apprentice, and eventually owned his own business. He made good money at the job, but he was never considered the "equal" of the men for whom he sewed suits, vests, sports coats, and the like.
Today, our topic is immigrants and immigration. As the title suggests, in our era, immigration has not led to a climb idnto the middle class as fast as it did in the time of my grandparents' journeys. Immigration, especially from "south of the border" has become a very controversial topic. Those opposed to it have taken to calling them "illegals," while those less opposed have called them "Undocumented Workers". President Obama issued an executive "Action" last fall, which attempted to solve at least part of the issue--the separation of families through deportation. You'll find the action by clicking here. Be sure to click the "details" for each section of the action. Very recently, a Federal Judge in Texas blocked it through a temporary court order. Here's a video to watch.
Click on the image to the left to see the narrated slideshow
Chapter 6. The College Dropout Boom
