Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Feb 8, 2012, 5:29 pm
It is often said that access/diversity and affordability in higher education can only come at the expense of quality. Thus, it is all-too-common for critics to cast those in favor of broadening college access as socialists who simply want to destroy high-quality educational institutions. They promo...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Feb 8, 2012, 1:23 pm
A recent exchange between Chris Rickert and Mike Knetter provides a useful example of what happens when we engage in policy discussions without being insufficiently clear about our intended goals. Chris's column from Thursday was titled "Big donors don't make a big impact on tuition at UW-Madison." ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Feb 6, 2012, 2:02 pm
This Wednesday the Wisconsin Special Task Force on UW Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities will hear from the chancellors of Madison and Milwaukee on several issues, including flexibility for tuition-setting. I'm on the record as having numerous concerns about the unintended consequences of g...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Feb 5, 2012, 4:07 pm
                                                                                                  On Friday my son turned five.  And so it was that on Thursday night I found myself elbow deep in dark chocolate cake batter and made-from-scratch cocon...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Feb 1, 2012, 9:50 pm
In a recent blog Kevin Carey took on Claire Potter’s critique of Obama’s higher education proposal by chastising her for using the term neoliberalism, and calling her a college professor so out of touch with the real world that she isn’t invited to the policymaking tables where he hangs out. D...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jan 30, 2012, 1:27 pm
Today's New York Times features an article on a new study on residential segregation by Edward Glaeser of Harvard, and Jacob Vigdor of Duke University.  I'd like to draw your attention to what the study actually finds, and how it's being pitched to the national audience. The study is produced by t...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jan 30, 2012, 9:26 am
The following is a guest post from Robert Kelchen, doctoral candidate in Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Washington Post’s Campus Overload blog recently featured a guest post, “Getting Rejected from Your Dream School(s) isn’t a Bad Thing” by Eric Harri...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jan 27, 2012, 2:44 pm
Today President Obama unveiled his latest blueprint for the reform of higher education at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, a public institution with relatively high tuition and relatively advantaged students, and a place in the midst of a dispute over graduate student labor practices. It's jus...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jan 20, 2012, 10:44 pm
The following is a guest post by Bob Samuels, President of the University Council - AFT and a lecturer at UCLA. It is cross-posted from his blog, where you should go to find all of the original hyperlinks. I highly recommend also reading his November entry in the Huffington Post on why public higher...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jan 19, 2012, 9:54 am
Among my son's favorite books are the ones in Richard Scarry's Busytown series. In What Do People Do All Day?, Able Baker Charlie puts too much yeast in the dough, resulting in a gigantic, explosive loaf of bread that the bakers (and Lowly Worm) need to eat their way out of. The opposite problem -- ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 26, 2011, 9:50 pm
There has been so much bad news in Wisconsin (and the nation) this week, I haven't had two seconds to catch my breath. Each time I get a moment to think about what is happening here, and how powerless we seem to be in response, something else happens and my temperature rises. Governor Scott Walke...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 19, 2011, 9:55 pm
This week we witnessed Steve Nass's Wisconsin Legislature hearing on the Center for Equal Opportunity's report on UW-Madison admissions, and the Walker administration's announcement that-- SURPRISE!--the state is cutting UW System's funding by an additional $65.7 million. A common theme runs throu...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 16, 2011, 10:15 pm
Tomorrow's hearing on equal opportunity practices at UW-Madison is but one such action being taken by organizations and individuals around the country seeking to erode access to higher education. Writes Adam Liptak in today's New York Times, "diversity is the last man standing, the sole remaining le...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 16, 2011, 10:46 am
This was posted on WisPolitics on Friday. The students are clearly being thoughtful about what this hearing on Monday aims to accomplish, and the degree to which it is a diversion from the real issues facing students. And they are not blind to the fact that the CEO and Nass want this to turn into a...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 13, 2011, 9:50 am
The chatter among the education cognescenti this week is about what is and what isn't in the bipartisan ESEA draft released by Senate education chair Tom Harkin (D-IA) and ranking member Mike Enzi (R-WY). Let me repeat my prior contention that, politically, ESEA reauthorization is an issue for 2013 ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 12, 2011, 11:47 pm
The publication of a set of papers critiquing a widely-utilized national survey of college students, and the subsequent cancellation of an academic conference session aimed at discussing those papers, has caused quite a stir in the higher education research community. Many of the details can be f...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 6, 2011, 11:07 am
On this, Republicans and Democrats throughout Wisconsin can agree: the state's economy is in the tank. We need to find ways to create more jobs and grow our paychecks, and fast. An overwhelming body of evidence shows that state and local economies are greatly enhanced by educating its workforce. E...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Oct 3, 2011, 11:46 am
The following folks will be rethinking UW System, courtesy of the Fitzgerald Brothers who got to choose 12 of the 17 task force members. Their choices include: Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater Rep. Pat Strachota, R-West Bend UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shield...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 27, 2011, 1:56 pm
Last spring I blogged several times about the importance of rethinking how we deliver education at the postsecondary level. At the time, I was focused on the question of how to deliver a high-quality education in a more cost-effective manner. At this moment, I think that focus remains important, bu...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 27, 2011, 1:16 pm

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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 23, 2011, 2:34 pm
There is a robust debate on campus over whether last Tuesday's event at the Doubletree constituted a "protest" (which most seem to agree is appropriate) or a "disruption" of a press conference (which most seem to agree is inappropriate). Even those who disagree with the depiction of students as "th...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 22, 2011, 2:05 pm
Heard this before? "The average test scores of minority students admitted to UW-Madison are lower than those of nonminority students admitted to UW-Madison. This is simply not fair, and is evidence of discrimination." In other words, if minorities and nonminorities were treated equally in the admi...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 20, 2011, 3:09 pm
Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com When someone lies about your alma mater this way, will you simply stand by? Or will you use your substantial resources to act?
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 20, 2011, 10:22 am
The following is a guest post by Elizabeth Wrigley-Field, doctoral candidate in Sociology at UW-Madison and member of the Teaching Assistants' Association. The post originally appeared in the Socialist Worker and is reprinted here at my request. Please refer to the original post for sources for all...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 17, 2011, 4:06 pm
When my son was a baby, we used to visit storytime at the public library together. He loved it, crawling around the floor, mouthing the toys, nibbling on books. And I enjoyed it as well, particularly because of the social time I spent with other moms. While this was a period in which I was on unpai...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 16, 2011, 9:39 pm
In response to recent student demand, I have decided to offer my higher education policy course this spring. Here's some info. EPS 518: Introduction to Debates in Higher Education Policy Spring 2012 Tuesdays, 225-5:25 pm Open to Undergraduates and Graduate Students In this course students will lear...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 16, 2011, 12:45 pm
In the last 24 hours we heard from at least two UW Madison deans, weighing in on the COE debacle. I share their words with you here. Thursday, 8:59 pm. CALS students, I am writing to you in my role as interim dean of CALS to respond to attacks on members of our community by Mr. Roger Clegg of the C...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 16, 2011, 10:44 am
Interpret statistical results in misleading ways. Change the denominator. Pretend students didn't apply who actually did.
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 15, 2011, 11:40 am
There is an outrageous article by Chris Rickert in today's WSJ (shocking, I know) claiming that I am promoting (he says "publicly touting") the decrease in admissions rates for targeted minority students. Since this would literally stun anyone who knew me, let's get the facts straight. I was asked ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 14, 2011, 11:50 pm
This should remove all doubt from your mind. Here who is promoting CEO's attack on UW-Madison (1) White Reference--a website "designed for the dissemination of news of interest to the White Nationalist community as well as others interested in such information. This includes reports of crime and op...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 14, 2011, 3:43 pm
Yesterday's student activism in response to the Center for Equal Opportunity's "study" on affirmative action practices at UW-Madison was awe-inspiring. Students were articulate, passionate, and poised. They made their voices heard in powerful ways. They brought me to tears. On the other hand, some...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 13, 2011, 9:56 pm
UW-Madison Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid PRESS RELEASE September 13, 2011 In light of recent reports issued by the Virginia-based organization the Center for Equal Opportunity, we the members of the University of Wisconsin-Madison shared governance Committee o...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 13, 2011, 7:48 am
The Center for Equal Opportunity and its president and general counsel, Roger Clegg, claim to advance educational opportunity by punishing colleges and universities for attempting to level a highly unequal playing field. The CEO's name is laughable. It is the exact opposite of what the organization ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 13, 2011, 2:45 am
There is something terribly disingenuous about talking about educational practices without first describing the context in which they operate. UW-Madison, the Center for Equal Opportunity "reveals," seeks to enroll students from many different backgrounds. It employs preferences of all kinds to do s...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 13, 2011, 1:10 am
Here's some stuff you gotta know. In Wisconsin 2.5% of Blacks are in prison. That rate is 8 times higher than it is for Whites. Just 65% of Blacks earn a high school diploma on time in Wisconsin, compared to 95% of Whites. But for some reason, it outrages the Center for Equal Opportunity that in 20...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 13, 2011, 12:05 am
During the coming days, the UW-Madison community is going to get an earful about the Center for Equal Opportunity's commitment to "disadvantaged minorities." In an effort to ensure they get full access to the American Dream, these "thinkers" want to ensure they compete on a "level playing field," g...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 12, 2011, 9:23 pm
Tomorrow the so-called Center for Equal Opportunity, a right-wing think tank headed by Linda Chavez and based in Sterling, Virginia will begin an assault on UW-Madison. The Center charges that the university seeks to advance racial equality by exercising preferences in admissions practices. As you ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 11, 2011, 9:18 pm
A busy first week of classes caused me to miss last week's UW System Board of Regents meeting, an event now known for its dramatic highlights and active Twitter feed. I was especially disappointed to miss it because it was the initial unveiling of the work UW System has done over the summer to re-o...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 5, 2011, 9:26 pm
If there's one thing Wisconsin seems to agree on, it's the Badgers. Even if you never attended or even cared to attend UW-Madison, you're most likely a fan. Why? Honestly, I won't pretend to know--college football's never been my thing. But I do think it's cool that people throughout the state seem...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Sep 4, 2011, 10:28 pm
Sincerest apologies for the silence on our blog. The summer has wound down, school is starting, federal grant deadlines are approaching--and most importantly, our son just started 4-year-old kindergarten! All in all, it's a very busy time of year. So with that, I'm beginning a new series, intended t...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Aug 10, 2011, 11:07 pm
The following is a guest blog post by Robert Kelchen, graduate student in Educational Policy Studies at UW-Madison, and a frequent co-author of mine. --Sara I was pleased to see the release of Education Sector’s report, “Debt to Degree: A New Way of Measuring College Success,” by Kevin Carey ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Aug 9, 2011, 7:45 am
UPDATED, 8/11/2011, 1:10 pm Thursday morning in Washington DC -- the only city that could host such a vacuous, inane event -- the Thomas B. Fordham Institute is hosting (the hopefully one-off) "Education Reform Idol." The event has nothing to do with recognizing states that get the best result...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 26, 2011, 9:00 am
What follows is a GUEST POST by University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student Robert Kelchen. I have had the privilege of working with Robert since 2008; we have co-authored two articles, including this one on the effects of financial aid. Upon reading John Tierney's take on the dominance of lib...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 24, 2011, 2:59 pm
During the past semester, a time where I constantly felt split between my academic life and my civic life, I became acutely aware of an attitude among undergraduates that perplexed me. I tried writing about it , describing what readers pointed out (in a far more articulate manner than I'd managed) ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 20, 2011, 5:43 pm
I am appalled by this malicious attack on teachers and teachers' unions by Jay Greene. He claims that teachers are engaging in mob-like behavior, are seething anger and are intimidating politicians. The irony is that I've met few teachers who are nearly as angry as Jay himself comes across. But when...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 19, 2011, 6:47 pm
Too many Americans appear willing to accept the hand they're dealt. Most shockingly, many of our political, educational and civic leaders seem to have fallen into the same trap. "The New Normal," they call it. Like Death and Taxes. Etched in stone. Undefined, yet not re-definable. Inevitable. Fort...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 14, 2011, 2:47 pm
As I noted in a prior post, last week the Wisconsin Scholars Longitudinal Study (which I co-direct) hosted a statewide conference on the issues of affordability and attainment in Wisconsin Public Higher Education. The research released became part of this morning's UW Regents discussion (start aroun...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 12, 2011, 8:03 pm
She just won't quit. With only a few days left in her tenure as chancellor of UW Madison, Biddy Martin issued a press release this afternoon "asking" that the UW System Board of Regents allow Madison to spend $2.3 million of its new tuition hike on need-based financial aid. She's a "champion" of ...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 12, 2011, 11:00 am
The Chronicle of Higher Education is running a story about faculty productivity, questioning the idea that professors aren't earning their salaries by contributing substantially to their students' education. It's accompanied by the schedules of a few faculty at UTexas. I've looked over those schedul...
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Liam G. posted an article on The Education Optimists - Jul 11, 2011, 11:51 pm
Last week UW Madison employees got the details on their pending benefits cuts, which will take a substantial hack at their earnings during the coming years. At the same time, we also got word that at least two folks at UW Madison wouldn't be feeling the pain--quite the contrary actually. Barry Alva...
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