Tag: Politics

2025, Politics

Is this the end of the US Department of Education?

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist There has been a lot of hub-bub about the cuts to the US Department of Education, and, as of yesterday, we can call it the complete annihilation of the Department (or, as AFT’s Randi Weingarten says: “We’ll see you in court”). Understand that these issues are completely politically driven, and no one could envision these … Continue reading Is this the end of the US Department of Education?

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2025, Politics, Research/Policy

The Fall and Rise of the US Department of Education

The proverbial axe fell yesterday in DC with a cut of approximately 1,900 US Department of Education staff, equivalent to almost half the entire staff of the department. Officially, around 1,300 were fired; 600 had already taken buyouts. The Administration promised that cuts won’t impact Pell Grants, student loans, and other sensitive program operations. But there is plenty of damage that is being done. Continue reading The Fall and Rise of the US Department of Education

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2025, Politics, Research/Policy

A Time for Action

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist I preface this piece by acknowledging that I am an equal-opportunity political critic. While I lean left and am a registered Democrat, I have also taken on the Biden Administration in recent years as well as both Dems and GOP members. Politics is a contact sport. Here is the deal. Every four years, voters have the … Continue reading A Time for Action

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2018, College Affordability, ROI/College Outcomes

The Only Thing We Have to Fear…

By Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scholar, Educational Policy Institute Please listen to our podcast version of The Swail Letter. It’s fun.   Fear seems to be ruling the world right now, especially within the United States. The population has bought into fear-mongering, 85 years after Franklin Delano Roosevelt uttered this phrase: “So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the … Continue reading The Only Thing We Have to Fear…

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2016, Financial Aid, Research/Policy, ROI/College Outcomes

When Money Trumps Education: A Story of Wealth and Educational Legacy

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute Higher education is about legacy. If a parent goes to a certain university, it is likely that their children will go to college. If the parent graduated from an Ivy-League or very selective institution, it is more likely that their kids will attend that institution. A 2005 study of 180,000 students who attended selective … Continue reading When Money Trumps Education: A Story of Wealth and Educational Legacy

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