St. John’s College strives to attract minority students

December 16, 2007

WaPo has an interesting front-page profile today of Annapolis’s St. John’s College and its struggle to attract and enroll minority students. Its goal is shared by many academic institutions, including the University System of Maryland.

Only 35 of St. John’s 489 students are minorities - just over seven percent of the student body.

The story concludes by pointing out how the tables have turned: it’s no longer the school that needs to be convinced that it needs minorities; now, the minority students are the ones who need convincing that St. John’s is the best place for them.

JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under annapolis, education, minorities | 1 Comment 

University presidents are doing alright

November 12, 2007

Tuition isn’t the only dollar figure climbing at universities across the country.

According to a new survey published by The Chronicle of Higher Education, the salaries for college presidents are going up, with 12 university presidents earning at least $1 million for the 2005-2006 school year.

Among the 12 was Maryland’s own William Brody of the Johns Hopkins University. Brody saw $1,938,024 in total compensation for the period.

An AP story on the report notes that the continued rise in tuition is outpacing inflation. I can’t help but think of all those massive corporations that pay their CEOs tens of millions of dollars while cutting back funding in other areas. Are presidential salaries really the best place to direct all those educational funds?

To tell you the truth, I have no idea. But I’m interested in what you think.

-JOE BACCHUS, Web Specialist

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under education | 1 Comment 

Special education–public or private?

September 7, 2007

For parents of disabled children in Maryland, it has to seem like there’s no good choice for their children’s education.

After reading this afternoon that more than 30 Baltimore city school bus drivers are refusing to work because their paychecks bounced, I happened upon an AP story that, for a moment, had me thinking privatization may be the answer.

Former social worker Mark Claypool entered the world of private, for-profit special education schools in 1999. Now his company, Educational Services of America, operates more than 120 schools in 16 states (none in Maryland). The company generated $75 million in revenue this year.

ESA, based in Nashville, Tenn., partnered with a private equity firm in 2004. It also receives funding from vouchers, state contracts and, of course, tuition, which ranges from $8K to $49K per year, depending upon the student’s needs.

One of ESA’s competitors is Baltimore-based Alternatives Unlimited, founded by Dr. Stuart Berger, who served as superintendent of both Baltimore County’s and Frederick County’s school systems. Berger also received a law degree from the University of Maryland.

But Berger’s company doesn’t operate any schools in Maryland. Although the company Web site says Berger “conceived Alternatives Unlimited because of his deep concern about the number of students who ‘fall through the cracks’ in public education, especially in urban school districts,” the nearest A.U. schools are in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Maybe that’s because of the controversy surrounding his tenure in Baltimore Co., including his “inclusion” program that reassigned many disabled students to mainstream schools.

How about it? Who should (and can) serve Maryland special education students best: private companies (any takers?) or the public system?

-JACKIE SAUTER, Multimedia Editor

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Posted by Jackie Sauter | Filed Under Baltimore, baltimore county, business, education | Leave a Comment 

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