Literature Review #4

 

Citation:

Saul, Stephanie. "The Pandemic Hit the Working Class Hard. The Colleges That Serve Them Are Hurting, Too." 02 Apr. 2021. Web. 04 Apr. 2021.

About Author: 

Stephanie Saul attended public schools in New Albany, where she showed an early interest in journalism as editor of the high school newspaper. She covers national politics. Since joining The New York Times in 2005, she has also written about the pharmaceutical industry, education, and the illicit foreign money fueling Manhattan’s real estate boom. Previously she worked at Newsday, where she won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting.

Summary: (Not a scholarly article)

 The article describes a widespread decline in community college enrollments, which will drive down graduation numbers for low-income students across the board. Also, community colleges largely serve low-income students specifically Black and Latino students a widespread decline in community colleges will lead to increase in an inequality in education.  In the coming weeks, President Biden is expected to propose making two-year schools free as part of the $3 trillion rebuilding plan that he began rolling out on the month of April 2021.

Key terms:

Financial hit: Financial hit is a financial crisis and loss, people who have/had financial hit suffer through great damage because of not having enough money. 

 Education Inequality is the unequal distribution of academic resources, including but not limited to; school funding, qualified and experienced teachers, books, and technologies to socially excluded communities. These communities tend to be historically disadvantaged and oppressed.

Community college: a nonresidential junior college offering courses to people living in a particular area (often serves middle class and low-class communities).

Quotes:

“Now there is concern that the pandemic will permanently derail their educational paths, along with low-income and minority students across the country — potentially deepening educational inequities with white students” (Saul).

“Enrollment declines have been particularly steep among first-year students who have never attended college at all, including high school graduates of 2020. Freshmen enrollment dropped by 19 percent at community colleges in Tennessee” (Saul).

“The financial hit to community colleges has been exacerbated by state funding cuts aimed disproportionately at two-year colleges, according to a recent study by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Southwest is facing a budget shortfall of more than $10 million — and is hoping to be rescued with funds from the $1.9 trillion stimulus package signed this month by Mr. Biden” (Saul).

Value: 

This article will help me answer one of my research questions, “ what can government do in order to decrease education inequality?”. This article contains information about our current president and his efforts, plans, and funds to put an end to the widespread decline in enrollment community colleges. Also, community colleges are often underfunded.