New Mexico's Free Tuition Plan: IHE article

[polly_mer]

In the long term it will be useful to make sure our students graduate with the knowledge of what one can expect from a high-functioning civil society and have some of the tools to engage with civil society to improve its function. It will be their responsibility to make that happen.

Again, I go back to what rural New Mexicans (and all our colleagues in similar situations) tend to want from their post-high-school experience and wonder how this vision aligns with getting a good enough job that an individual only has to work one job at a time and can spend evenings and weekends enjoying life with friends and family.

One contributing factor to why we keep getting cronies in chief is those folks tend to have the networks and interest in running for high levels of office because that's what their friends do and their entire education has prepared them to do.

[Cheerful]

I don't know. Free K-12 public schools haven't hurt the non-prestigious private high schools in any of the towns I've ever lived in. Indeed, it's the reason for their existence! I expect that free public college will have a similar effect.

Also, I hope the people who work at those "free" colleges like even more ridiculous and heavy-handed political oversight, because they're about to get it.

Interesting.  The quality of my public "R1" has been declining for some time.  There is increasingly heavy-handed oversight, but it's from "admin" within, not external.

However, in our era where any increased funding at all for Higher Education is a good thing....

Disagree.  Some universities don't merit any increased funding. They should eliminate many "administrative" positions and reallocate existing plentiful resources.

[Hibush]

In the long term it will be useful to make sure our students graduate with the knowledge of what one can expect from a high-functioning civil society and have some of the tools to engage with civil society to improve its function. It will be their responsibility to make that happen.

Again, I go back to what rural New Mexicans (and all our colleagues in similar situations) tend to want from their post-high-school experience and wonder how this vision aligns with getting a good enough job that an individual only has to work one job at a time and can spend evenings and weekends enjoying life with friends and family.

One contributing factor to why we keep getting cronies in chief is those folks tend to have the networks and interest in running for high levels of office because that's what their friends do and their entire education has prepared them to do.

I'm thinking of community engagement positions like school board or ascequia majordomo, or local  civic jobs like county clerk or director of social services. Having thoughtful and skilled people in positions like that makes a big difference.

One good example is Alaska Pacific University, which was started at the time of statehood by a native Alaskan for the purpose of training "indigenous leadership reared, educated and trained in Alaska for Alaska."  They still offer a degree in "Alaska Native Governance".

[polly_mer]

In the long term it will be useful to make sure our students graduate with the knowledge of what one can expect from a high-functioning civil society and have some of the tools to engage with civil society to improve its function. It will be their responsibility to make that happen.

Again, I go back to what rural New Mexicans (and all our colleagues in similar situations) tend to want from their post-high-school experience and wonder how this vision aligns with getting a good enough job that an individual only has to work one job at a time and can spend evenings and weekends enjoying life with friends and family.

One contributing factor to why we keep getting cronies in chief is those folks tend to have the networks and interest in running for high levels of office because that's what their friends do and their entire education has prepared them to do.

I'm thinking of community engagement positions like school board or ascequia majordomo, or local  civic jobs like county clerk or director of social services. Having thoughtful and skilled people in positions like that makes a big difference.

I agree, but having spent enough time in rural enough areas, one does not need a college degree to be good at those positions (well, I'll give you an MSW as a standard credential for director of social services).  What often works out better is to ensure high school internships in the relevant areas, hire those folks entry level right after high school, and then let them come up in experience, possibly acquiring a targeted degree after a few years of experience.

Sending all the bright, motivated people to college right out of high school tends to result in those people not coming back because there's nothing for them in the small town, unless they become K-12 teachers.  The key to keeping bright, motivated people in the community tends to be ensuring they already have a place in the community and a stake in continuing to help keep the community running.  That's one reason I am glad every time I see a story with someone in their late teens/early twenties as city councilor or even mayor.