4A - Thursday, February 14, 2008
The MihiganDaily- michgandalyc 4
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Edited and managed by students at
the University of Michigan since 1890.
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Ann Arbor, MI 48109
tothedaily@umich.edu
ANDREW GROSSMAN
EDITOR IN CHIEF
GARY GRACA
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
GABE NELSON
MANAGING EDITOR
N AE(
What, isn't two Cabinet posts enough?"
- Bill Clinton, trying to convince Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.) to use his superdelegate vote to
support Hillary Clinton, as reported Tuesday by Associated Press writer Ron Fournier.
CHRIS KOSLOWSKI T T T PA STURE
So wa:it When John McCan ho is Zell ,ier and what Oh! Oh Hewas 'Merli"wasn't
os agaies te conservanive dnos he ha o s i heOh wa,. no, That-asnTiem
eseabhishmee's a "Maverick bGun?bins. Was he "Wolfmaner"
But when Joe Lieberman or
Zell Miller defythe liberal Yonotserious. * (sigh)
enhablinhment ey're"Traitors ?"" N ese Ghot der
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Teach for the time being
4
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles
and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
The Daily's public editor, Paul H. Johnson, acts as the readers'representative and takes a critical look at
coverage and contentin every section of the paper. Readers are encouraged to contact the public editor with
questions and comments. He can be reached at publiceditor@umich.edu.
A premature mandate
Before raising dropout age, make attendance worth it
Eighteen is the new 16. A proposal recently introduced in
the state legislature calls for the high school dropout age
in Michigan to be raised from 16 to 18 years old, one of the
state's newest techniques for improving its education system. Moti-
vated by a weak graduation rate and an even weaker economy, the
bill aims to encourage students to earn their diplomas. Faced with
failing schools and grim career prospects, though, students often
deem dropping out the wiser decision, an issue that can only be rec-
tified by getting to the root of the problem. If the state wants to keep
students in school, then it needs to ensure that its compulsory edu-
cation is worth the extra two years.
4
In her State of the State address last
month, Gov. Jennifer Granholm estimated
that as much as a quarter of high school
students in Michigan is at risk of quitting
before graduation, a decision that lessens
the likelihood of making a sufficient living.
Considering that studies indicate between
10 and 25 percent of the state's high school
students drop out, that means probable
financial instability for a significant por-
tion of the population. If the legislature
raises the dropout age, Michigan will join
the 27 other states that have combated this
issue by mandating attendance until a stu-
dent turns 17 or 18.
Hypothetically, raising the dropout age
could be advantageous to students, schools
and the state. It could ensure that students
enjoy the opportunities available to high
school graduates, improving their chances
of becoming successful. It could strengthen
schools, offering more financial stability
based on the per-pupil system of funding
allotment. And on an even broader scale, it
could foster a better-educated workforce.
Unfortunately, that hypothetical doesn't
apply to Michigan. Even the Democrats
who proposed this change concede that
just raising the dropout age isn't the
answer to the state's education troubles
- Michigan's schools are just too weak.
Problems like a lack of emphasis on career
training plague the system, making the
legislature's efforts to keep teenagers in
school incredibly premature.
What the state has failed to acknowledge
is that, if the law passes, there would still be
no incentive for students other than the law
itself to stay in school the extra two years.
For instance, without placing sufficient
importance on early education, students
do not learn to enjoy learning, which can
affect the rest of their lives. Furthermore,
failing to address the economic issues that
motivate students to drop out of school is
entirely counterproductive to the legisla-
ture's current intentions. The attention that
should be paid to the fundamental reasons
why so many Michigan students drop out of
high school would be misdirected, focused
instead on enforcement of the dropout age.
No matter how many times or how
emphatically Granholm claims to favor a
knowledge-based economy, she and the leg-
islature have yet to demonstrate it. Deciding
to take funding from higher education to
cover the state's budgetary follies or opting
to raise the dropout age rather than address-
ing the real issues surrounding Michigan's
graduation rate are not indications of a com-
mitment to education. They are signs that
the state is just avoiding the problem.
Are a couple thousand immodest
college graduates and inexperi-
enced, temporarily committed,
law school hopefuls
really going to break
down the achieve-
ment gap between,
privileged and
underprivileged stu-
dents inAmerica?
The brains over at
Teach For America
headquarters like to THERESA
think so. And sev- KENNELLY
eral media outlets,
high-ranking cor-
porations and school
administrators gladly nod their heads
at this idea. (And let's not forget the
young adults - more than 2,500 to
start in fall 2008, myself included
- who have signed on to the TFA
bandwagon, thinking they really are
the solution.)
On the other side of the debate, the
answer is not so straightforward. As
education writer Alexander Russo
pointed out in an October article on
The Huffington Post, TFA's approach
to education has plenty of critics, with
statistics backing up their criticisms.
Among them is a group of professors
at Stanford University whose research
exposed problems with TFA's method,
including a finding that TFA teach-
ers are inferior to certified teachers.
And, as Russo suggests, the number of
opponents may only be growing in the
program's 17th year of operation.
But creating a wider divide between
the TFA-cynics and the TFA-backers,
instead of lowering the wall between
them, may be avoiding the real issue:
America's public education system
needs help - any help. Narrowing the
divide between those who ambitiously
try to save the world and those who sit
back and criticize the way they do it
could be the key to actual progress.
As the program gains participants
and momentum across the country,
it's nearly a given that skepticism will
grow too, especially because TFA's
positive influence on America's class-
rooms hasn't been unequivocally prov-
en. Yet, like other ambitious initiatives
trying to correct America's problems,
the antagonism - especially by those
who refer to the programas "Teachfor
Awhile" - should not be an indication
that TFA is an unworthy cause. The
truth is, just a slight positive impact
on the lives underprivileged students
is still an impact and still calls atten-
tion to a problem few lawmakers want
to step up to fix. Sure, TFA may not
live up to the utopian promise on its
fliers, but that shouldn't translate into
more people opposing its philosophy
or steadfastly remaining withdrawn
from the cause.
Understandably, getting people
onto the "save the world, one small
step at the time" bus is not that easy.
For the longest time, I believed in
the idea that initiatives that don't
produce real, long-term results and
don't have every participant bleeding
for the cause should be avoided - or
better yet - challenged. This is the
same reason I actively avoided cam-
pus initiatives like the Alternative
Spring Break or the Detroit Project's
DP Day: They seemed like Band-aids
over gushing wounds, attracting half-
hearted students trying to boost their
resumes. I also adhered to the idea
that quick fixes were only distracting
from real solutions.
My negative feelings towards DP
Day and Alternative Spring Break
are related to how some (understand-
ably) perceive TFA. As a writer for a
conservative Vanderbilt University
magazine wrote about TFA recently,
"Instead of actually solving the prob-
lem, it helps to soothe the consciences
of students - and improve their resu-
mes - without actually providing
a long-term solution." The problem
with this perspective is that it is criti-
cal without offering practical alter-
natives to help solve the problem of
struggling schools.
I agree that TFA is one of those
organizations where the underly-
ing philosophy sounds too good to be
true. It deserves its share of criticism.
As the Daily's public editor pointed
out Tuesday, TFA has been made to
look almost too perfect (What counts
as useful criticism?, 02/12/2008). He
suggested that by receiving criticism,
TFA might actually be better off. But
blind criticism that doesn't translate
into productivity and solutions is only
going to distract people from doing
some good in the mean time.
Thankfully, the TFA storm flood-
ing campus all year will pass tomor-.
row, the last application deadline. But
what won't pass is the dire need to get
Criticize with a
alternative
I
solution, please
students dedicated to a cause that will
help promote change and impact our
country's future. While I have been
skeptical in the past, and still hold
some reservations about initiatives
like TFA, the reality is that the help
these programs provide across the
country isstill help.
Sure, the recent college gradu-
ates who enter these classrooms with
little more than bravado and naivete
may not be the end-all answer to
the achievement gap. But they are
going to influence a hell of a lot more
underprivileged students than some
statisticians and bloggers who don't
subscribe to TFA's philosophy.
Theresa Kennelly was a Daily
associate editorial page editor. She can
be reached at thenelly@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS:
Emad Ansari, Anindya Bhadra, Kevin Bunkley, Ben Caleca, Satyajeet Deshmukh,
Milly Dick, Mike Eber, Emmarie Huetteman, Theresa Kennelly, Emily Michels,
Arikia Millikan, Kate Peabody, Robert Soave, lmran Syed, Neil Tambe, Matt Trecha,
Kate Truesdell, Radhika Upadhyaya, Rachel Van Gilder, Rachel Wagner, Patrick Zabawa.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
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Only transparency will
show if'U'follows law
TO THE DAILY:
In response to the Daily's article about
the University's failure to release the
admissions figures yet ('U' hasn't released
data on admits, 02/13/2008), the state of
Michigan must demand full disclosure
of the University's admission policies in
order to prove that it is complying with
the law. What is it trying to hide? I don't
believe for a minute that the University's
admissions officers are too busy to share
this information. The state ban on race-
and gender-based affirmative action
further defined admissions standards
- that should make the University's job
easier, not harder.
Remember, the University originally
tried to cover up its race-based admis-
sions. Thanks to University RC profes-
sor Carl Cohen this was uncovered. I'm
afraid that the University is still carry-
ing on these discriminatory practices,
hence the secrecy. If the University truly
wants to prove to the people of Michi-
gan that it is following the law, it should
be transparent.
Dan Shuster
Alum
A good personality isn't
Obama's only quality
TO THE DAILY:
Kellyn Jackson's attack on Barack
Obama's hopeful rhetoric in a view-
point yesterday (Obama's hollow hope,
02/13/2008) ignored the fact that his
message is backed up by sound policy,
superior judgment and experience that
matches Hillary Clinton's.
In particular, Jackson argued that
Obamarepresentsnothingneworimpres-
sive. What she ignored is that Obama is
out-fundraising one of the most powerful
Democratic campaign machines in his-
tory, the Clinton Machine. He has done
this without reaching into the pockets of
special interests or political action com-
mittees. He has also managed to create the abstract
a huge grassroots political organization, college dis
and through his campaign, Obama is is one of th
uniting white people, black people, Cath- applicable A
olics, Protestants and even Republicans. Theories
On the issue of experience, Obama has but they u
served 11 years in elected public office parts of our
compared to Clinton's seven years. Yes, ered that the
she presided over a failed health care plan use to stayhE
and gained political experience as first ics in your
lady of Arkansas when her husband was were all des
governor. But, if this is considered politi- ries? As som
cal experience then so should Obama's I was partic
experience fighting for the needs of ment becaus
Americans on the streets of Chicago. the basis ofn
I appreciate that Jackson brought I study ever:
up the issue of people simply voting for of all the ap
a candidate because they would want science in ge
that person at their backyard barbecue. Ajlouni'si
I agree: I don't want a president to be fields yield
elected because that person is someone I skill" under
would rather have at my home. Yet it is and sleeples
Obama's combination of this personabil- natural scie.
ity and his capability of getting the job classes at th
done that makes him special. think that I
While I appreciate that Obama is Maybe he'll
friendly, I willvote for himbecause he has time he gets
the knowledge to get around Washington
D.C. While it is good to be inspired by a Jeff Simon
speaker, I will vote for him because he LSA junior
has the foresight to vote against an end-
less war in Iraq. While I am glad to have a Teach I
president who eloquently articulates the
dreams of our country, I willvote for him popular
because he is capable of bringing these
dreams to fruition.
theories that make up most al quality
ciplines, foreign language remains
e few studies that yields an nize andI
kill." It was,
might be abstract to Ajlouni, versity, c
nderlie crucially important ica's visit
daily lives. Have you consid- to the pro
e vaccines and medicines you America:
ealthy, as well as the electron- has rocke
computers and cell phones, eration":
igned by these abstract theo- eration."
ieone majoring in chemistry, empower
ularly offended by this com-
se these theories, which form
much the rigorous curriculum
y day, are also the foundation ARIELA
plications of chemistry (and
eneral)inour world.
idea that no other academic
what he calls "applicable
-mines the countless hours
s nights my colleagues in the
nces and I have put into our
o University. I certainly don't
am doing all of this in vain.
think about that the next
sick or makes a phone call.
at schoo
a problem
hope to so
in short,
oupled w
cn, that c'
ogram. II
is an agen
d the nati
and into t
It is anc
ed the li'
STEIF
ls across the America
that students recog-
lve.
the spirit of the Uni-
ith Teach For Amer-
ompelled me to apply
believe that Teach For
t of change - one that
on out of the "me gen-
he collective "we gen-
organization that has
ves of many children
and will continue to provide opportuni-
ties for many more.
I'm glad to see that when duty calls,
University students rise to the occasion.
I hope that this tradition carries on.
Hopefully, children all across the coun-
try will one day have the opportunities
that all of us at the University were lucky
enough to have.
Jason Stern
LSA senior
4
For America's
rity is deserved
John Latus
LSA sophomore
Theories are necessary
for a modern lifestyle
TO THE DAILY:
I would like to respond to some com-
ments made by Adam Ajlouni in a let-
ter to the editor yesterday about the
importance of teaching language at this
university (Staying true to the language
requirement, 02/13/2008). In particu-
lar, he made a generalized and grossly
inaccurate blanket statement about the
nature of the coursework in most Univer-
sity departments. He wrote: "Far from
TO THE DAILY:
I'd like to thank Joe Stapleton for his
article in Monday's paper aboutthe popu-
larity of TeachFor America at the Univer-
sity ('U' leads nation in Teach ForAmerica
applicants, 02/11/2008). As a graduating
senior and an accepted Teach For Amer-
ica applicant, I have been inspired by our
university's enthusiasm for the organiza-
tion, which works to provide all children
in this country with a quality education.
But it shouldn't come as a surprise
that so many Wolverines are applying
to Teach For America: Students at the
University maintain a strong sense of
community and are constantly driven to
better the world around us. We are the
leaders and the best when it comes to
tackling some of our generation's tough-
est problems. The disparity in education-
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