- Shades Of Red
From time to time, I would like to write about colleges and universities from the perspective of studying Rutgers University, my alma mater and school I know best I have earned two degrees from Rutgers and formed successful professional relationships with university administrators - Shades Of Red, Part 2
Still curious about Rutgers-Nebraska comparisons, I stumbled on a short biography of former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne in a book I just finished called 100 Heroes: People in Sports Who Make This a Better World
It led me to collect a little more information about this Hall of Fame coach, which I’d like to share with the online audience - One Look At Excellent Colleges
This fall, as numerous college rankings hit the bookstores, I was curious to find an answer to the question: “What is an ‘excellent school’” after a parent, prospective student or college recruiter sifted through all of this material - SAT Optional Schools Not Always Easy Schools
It has been 30 years since I was a high school senior, but I had to take the SATs just as 11th and 12th graders do now I did okay, but not good enough to get into my two first choice schools - Romney Can’t Take His Mitts Off Human Relations Education
Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has fired two salvos on sex education since July, attacking Democratic candidate Barack Obama for his support of age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education for elementary school children, then going after the broader Democratic field for not rejecting the inclusion of gay-related issues in sex education for second-graders - The Abstinence Teacher Gets An 'A' In My Grade Book
Tom Perrotta and I have two things in common: New Jersey roots and novels about sex education; his latest work, The Abstinence Teacher is the only other novel, besides my own, The Sex Ed Chronicles, that I have read which covers a subject that is still considered taboo in some social circles
The Abstinence Teacher has two main characters: Ruth Ramsey, a divorcee' and high school sex educator who makes one inappropriate comment too many, drawing the ire of the evangelical Tabernacle church and its hell for leather Pastor Dennis, and Tim Mason, a former stoner and rock n' roller, also divorced, turned born-again Christian and doting soccer dad - College Or Pros, What Pays For Young Baseball Players?
If your son is a professional baseball prospect, you might want to know what makes more sense for him: continue playing at the collegiate level, or turn pro right away The price where it pays to go pro might surprise you - Human Relations Education Once Considered 'Communist Plot'
Going back to 1980 to write The Sex Ed Chronicles required me to return to the 60's and 70's to get the political setting just right Until I started my research, I did not know that sex education had been considered part of a 'Communist plot - Colleges Make Web-Based Response To College Rankings
Americans love rankings; educated consumers want to know what's the best on the market for autos, electronics, airline services, and hotels among other things Educated businesspeople take high rankings seriously, loudly shouting independent praises through their advertising - Tales Of Two Harvards
Journalist Hanna Rosin has written God's Harvard, a wonderful book about Patrick Henry College, a Christian school that its chancellor calls "a Harvard for the home-schooled"
Rosin, who has covered religion and politics for the Washington Post, has crafted an insightful — some of more moderate or liberal political persuasions might find scary — story of a relatively new institution, one that has a mission of preparing an "evangelical elite" for political leadership - Back To Back: Two Good Reads On Entry Level Leadership And Culture
This month, I read two books back to back: Soldier's Heart by Elizabeth Samet and Punching In by Alex Frankel Both of these works are an excellent introduction into entry-level corporate culture and leadership development - An Honor Roll, Not A Watch List, For Colleges
Members of Congress on the House committee on education have come up with an absolute bonehead idea: to publish a "watch list" of schools that have increased tuition at rates higher than inflation
I am surprised when members of the House speak of reigning in college costs with measures such as this, when they fail to do the same for health care - Rutgers To Reorganize Alumni Association For The Better
From time to time, I write about Rutgers, the state university I know best Rutgers is a very good school; U - 18 In ’08 Gets My Vote
On October 1, I had the privilege to come to Rutgers to see a screening of 18 in '08, a documentary produced by David Burstein, a Haverford College freshman The documentary's purpose: to get out the youth (18 to 24 year-old) vote and tell politicians how to make it happen - The Rutgers 1000 Is Baaaack!
I have lived in New Jersey practically all of my life
The Garden State has been in fiscal crisis practically all of my academic life and my working life - What Happens When There’s No Public School Choice?
I marveled at the size of Trenton Central High School when I toured the facility on a public tour
It is 380,000 square feet; to put that in perspective, imagine three anchor stores in a suburban shopping center stacked one atop the other - Should TV Bring Back Room 222?
Every profession could use a good TV show to help it flourish in tough times With No Child Left Behind, maybe teachers need one more than ever - Juno And The Restless Virgins
Since I wrote a novel based around sex education, I've tried to pay attention to other books and movies that do the same I reviewed Tom Perrotta's The Abstinence Teacher, which I thoroughly enjoyed - Eleanor And Ike: Historical Fiction Parallels Today's Presidential Politics
My first attempt at fiction, The Sex Ed Chronicles, was based on historical events in my hometown and state, but it was a story of fictional characters However, there are brilliant works of historical fiction that stay truer to history, when they use well-known historical figures in alternate scenarios - A Federal Match Makes College More Affordable For Scholarship Students
As 2007 drew to a close, four of the nation's most selective colleges: Harvard, Duke, Swarthmore and Pomona, all announced plans to revamp their financial aid policies by replacing loans with grants Other institutions, most notably Princeton and Columbia, had already implemented similar plans - A Call For A "Do Not Call" Policy For Military Recruiting
While my first novel, The Sex Ed Chronicles, was reviewed by my publishers, I started a second story that revolves around another controversial subject in high schools and colleges: Army recruiting on campus
The change in subjects has not been a big jump - A U.S. Public Service Academy Is Unnecessary
As the new year begins, I read of a proposal for a US - Reading Is Fundamental Does Not Deserve A Reduction In Force
On February 12, the true Lincoln's Birthday, I read in USA Today that the Bush Administration proposes to eliminate Federal funding for Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), a non-profit program that has distributed 325 million new books to more than 30 million children over the past 42 years
RIF has been a popular program on both sides of the political aisle - Freedom Of Religion Sells The Abstinence Message
This week, the first of the New Year, the Austin American Statesmen comes an opinion by Ken Lambrecht, president of Texas Planned Parenthood, which cites these statistics:
• Texas is No 1 in the nation for repeat teen births
• More than 80,000 teenagers in Texas become pregnant every year
• In a 2004 poll, ninety percent of Texans agreed that public schools should educate students with age-appropriate, medically accurate sex education
These statistics come from the state that brought us George W - Summit On Faith Based Schools More Powerful Than Money
During his final State of the Union Address, President Bush announced two proposals for faith-based schools; one, a grants program for low-income students similar to Pell Grants for college students, and the other a national Presidential summit on faith-based education
The summit is more important than the grants program - Want To Teach Intelligent Design? Put It In A History Class
In 1980, the Reagan Revolution meant not only a reconsideration of sex education, but also a reconsideration of the theory of evolution Back then, the alternative theory was called creationism or scientific creationism; today it's called intelligent design - The Cristo Rey Model Is More Than A Dream
Shortly after I heard about President Bush's proposal for Pell Grants for low-income children to attend parochial schools, I finished reading More than a Dream: The Christo Rey Story, a inspirational book about the founding of the first Christo Rey Jesuit high school in Chicago's Pilsen/Little Village neighborhood - Can A College Gossip Site Be Forced To Turn Off The Juice?
When I became a writer, I started and then I stopped working a story on bullying I felt that readers would not be sympathetic with a male main character who was the butt of abuse, practical jokes and malicious innuendos - On Moral And Charismatic Politicians
The media has passed enough judgment on former New York governor Elliott Spitzer and I agree with the pundits on all sides; there's no possible defense for his extracurricular behavior and he is not above the law
But these past events show that we must consider the behavior that we expect from our elected officials in their public, and sometimes private, lives - A McCain-Giuliani Ticket? It's Not So Far Fetched
I am not on the inside of any presidential campaign, but I consider myself to be a good student of politics And as a writer, I have the luxury of going against the grain on campaigns and issues
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