The (Bad) News from Outside of California (Chronicle, 7/27)
According to this CHE article, the news for public education outside of California isn't very encouraging. Colorado public colleges are looking at a 10% cut, while the Democratic governor of Maryland has cut $37 million from public higher education.
This is terrible news, but maybe it clear away some of the parochialism that has been part of some (only some, but a distinctly audible part) of the discussion on UC campuses about the cuts to the UC system, especially the salary cuts for faculty.
Yes, the State of California is in a political crisis as well as an economic crisis, and also an educational crisis. Yes, California leads the way in much of this. But it is a national crisis in the end, not because California matters so much to the nation, but because education and State services generally are in crisis throughout much of the country.
The less parochial our cause seems, the more support we stand to attract.
Thank you, Anonymous -- I obviously agree very much that the conversation we are having in CA is one that should not cite some kind of Californian (or UC) exceptionalism. As any reader of Chris' book knows, this is, or should be, part of a broader discussion of public education in the U.S.
This is terrible news, but maybe it clear away some of the parochialism that has been part of some (only some, but a distinctly audible part) of the discussion on UC campuses about the cuts to the UC system, especially the salary cuts for faculty.
ReplyDeleteYes, the State of California is in a political crisis as well as an economic crisis, and also an educational crisis. Yes, California leads the way in much of this. But it is a national crisis in the end, not because California matters so much to the nation, but because education and State services generally are in crisis throughout much of the country.
The less parochial our cause seems, the more support we stand to attract.
Thank you, Anonymous -- I obviously agree very much that the conversation we are having in CA is one that should not cite some kind of Californian (or UC) exceptionalism. As any reader of Chris' book knows, this is, or should be, part of a broader discussion of public education in the U.S.
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