By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International This week saw the passing of a giant in the teaching field—Jaime Escalante. Escalante was made famous, in part, by Washington Post writer Jay Mathews in the book Escalante: The Best Teacher in America. But more famous through the movie version of the book, Stand and Deliver, in 1988 featuring Edward James Olmos … Continue reading Stand and Deliver
By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International The conduct of public discourse in the United States worries me. Over the last few months, we’ve seen ugly, staged scenes of aggression and partisanship at health care public meetings; brutal disregard at the President’s speech to Congress; and the total politicization of the President’s Education Address to students. If those instances aren’t … Continue reading When Politics and Education Run Afoul
By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International This past week I was in San Francisco for the Annual GEAR UP Conference, held by my friends at the National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships, or NCCEP. This year marked the 10th anniversary of both GEAR UP and NCCEP, the latter started by my friend Hector Garza, who has created the … Continue reading GEARing UP for Success
By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International Next week is a big week for EPI, as we stage the Fourth Annual International Conference on Student Retention, or RETENTION 2009, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This sounds like a marketing lead to our conference, starting May 27th in New Orleans, Louisiana, with CNN Hero of the Year Liz McCartney and former Philadelphia … Continue reading Retention as a Budget Saver
By Watson Scott Swail, President and CEO of Educational Policy Institute and EPI International Every two years, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education releases its biennial report, “Measuring Up,” which documents the progress (or lack thereof) of states and the nation on an assortment of indicators, including college preparation, high school completion, college access, affordability, college completion, and ROI (returns on investment). The Center … Continue reading Time to Measure Up
The Swail Letter on Higher Education 