NPR Education News
Ivy League Janitor: 'I'm Still Wearing The Gown'
Gac Filipaj graduated this week with honors from Columbia University. The 52-year-old Albanian refugee not only fled civil war to come to the U.S., but worked as a janitor at Columbia for nearly 20 years while taking English classes and earning his bachelor's degree. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Filipaj about finally achieving his goal.
The Politics Of Catholic Schools' Graduation Speakers
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is up in arms over Georgetown University's invitation to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to speak during commencement weekend. Church officials are upset about Sebelius' role in the creation of the contraception mandate in the federal health reform law. It's one of several controversies surrounding graduation speakers that have cropped up this spring.
After Devastating Tornado, Joplin High Bounces Back
One year after a tornado ripped through Joplin, Mo., life for the city's residents is beginning to return to normal. President Obama will deliver Joplin High School's commencement speech.
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Fla. Students Crash After State Raises Bar On Test
The Florida Board of Education has voted to temporarily lower the passing grade for its state writing test after a dramatic drop in scores on this year's exam. The state had made the test more difficult and raised the passing grade in an attempt to upgrade standards. But education officials were stunned when preliminary results showed the passing rate for 4th graders this year had plummeted from 80 percent to less than 30 percent.
Why So Many Ph.D.s Are On Food Stamps
The number of people with graduate degrees — master's degrees and Ph.D.s — applying for food stamps or other assistance more than tripled between 2007 and 2010. One reason: Cost-cutting universities are using nontenured faculty more and paying them far less.
Paying For College: More Tough Decisions
From your late 40s through early 60s, you're supposed to squirrel away cash to cope with health care costs in your old age. But for millions of Americans, middle age also is the time when children are seeking help with higher-education bills, and elderly parents may be needing assistance with daily care.
Third Grade A Pivotal Time In Students' Lives
In a growing number of states a single reading test determines which third-grade students advance to fourth grade. Proponents of the rule say that kids learn to read until third grade, and then read to learn. But critics argue that holding students back does more harm than good in the long run.
Budget Woes Could Close Philly's Problem Schools
Philadelphia's school district plans to close a quarter of its school buildings in coming years to eliminate a huge budget hole. But parents and activists don't trust the decision-makers. Many of them suspect the plan is a ruse to force charter schools and privatization on the district.
In L.A. Pregnancy 'Hot Spot,' An On-Campus Clinic
Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles has the only Planned Parenthood-funded family planning clinic in the Los Angeles Unified School District. The program has its opponents, but the school's chief nurse says "90 percent of the time, abstinence just isn't working for them."
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College Grads Struggle To Gain Financial Footing
A new Rutgers University survey finds just half of those who graduated from college between 2006 and 2011 are working full time. Burdened by student loan debt, and with wages depressed even for those with jobs, many say they no longer believe that education and hard work will necessarily lead to success.
Education Is Priceless But The Pricetag Is Hefty
A study indicates just half of college graduates, from 2009 to 2011, are finding work within a year. In the meantime, most grads have student loans to replay. Tim Maurer, a financial adviser in Hunt Valley, Md., talks to David Greene about the high cost of getting a college degree.
Fla. Court To Rule: Can A Lawyer Be Undocumented?
The Florida Board Bar of Examiners requires all applicants to have valid citizenship or immigration papers. Jose Godinez-Samperio, who has no such papers, was granted a waiver to sit for the bar exam in 2011. He passed, but now the bar says it will admit him only with approval from the state Supreme Court.
Students To Congress: Don't Let Interest Rate Double
If lawmakers can't come to an agreement, the federal Stafford loan interest rate will jump from 3.4 to 6.8 percent on July 1, adding an average of $1,000 to the cost of a year of college. Students from across the country visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday to ask Congress to keep that from happening.
Tornado Recovery Offers Joplin Students New Lessons
It's been nearly a year since a tornado tore through Joplin, Mo., destroying several school buildings. As the city rebuilds, some students have been attending a makeshift facility at the mall. Students, teachers and administrators reflect on a tumultuous year that has brought healing and hope.
Hazing Hard To Prosecute In Fla. Despite Tough Laws
The culture of hazing is back in the national spotlight after charges were filed against 13 people in connection with the hazing death of a Florida A&M University student. Florida has one of the toughest anti-hazing laws in the country, but legal experts say prosecuting the crime is tricky.
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13 Charged In Florida A&M Hazing Case
Prosecutors have filed charges against 13 people allegedly involved in the hazing death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion. The band was suspended immediately after Champion's death in November.
For College Seniors, One Last Lap Before Graduation
Requiring students to pass a swimming test to graduate was once a widespread tradition. Today, only a handful of colleges still require the exams. Some schools are trying to persuade procrastinators to put the test behind them long before their last college semester.
