A-Infos (en) US, NAF* Firebrand #3 - Indentured Education; Drastic Changes in Portland Public Schools Neighborhoods Get Organized!

Increasingly, working class students are incurring life-
long debt because the alluring promise of upward mobili-
ty through education leads them to take out substantial
loans to pay for their education. Quite often they are unin-
formed or misinformed when it comes to the nature of the
financial obligation. Financial aid advisors assure them
that those with college degrees have higher incomes than
those who don't. Many students overestimate their earning
potential after college and do not understand the conse-
quences of taking out interest-bearing loans. Furthermore,
they are easily enticed by credit card companies that prey
on them because, as inexperienced consumers, their
money management skills are often poor. The Rising
Cost of Tuition The rising cost of tuition is one reason
students are going into debt. Last year tuition costs rose
14%. The average student graduates with a minimum debt
of $30,000. Pell Grants and state grant programs have not
kept pace with rising tuition costs. The economic reces-
sion and Bush's tax cuts also contribute to the rising cost
of tuition by reducing funding. The result is higher tuition
at a time when families and students are least likely to be
able to afford it. The population of students whose parents
make less than $100,000 per year is markedly decreasing
at state universities. Community College Faced with the
rising cost of tuition, many are turning to community col-
lege. More than half of the nation's undergraduates are
educated in community college. Open admissions, local
access, and reasonable tuition attract students from fami-
lies with mid to lower incomes. Other attractive qualities
of community college campuses are the diversity. They
are comfortable places for all ages and types of people and
the average student age is 29. The average tuition is
$1,518 per year. Unfortunately, 42% of community col-
lege funding comes from the state government rather than
the federal. The American Association of Community
Colleges reports, 'In state after state, community colleges
have seen their financing slashed as state and local gov-
ernments struggle to balance budgets. Cuts have reached
the point where the vital mission of the colleges is being
dramatically affected. Colleges are being forced to termi-
nate programs, lay off faculty, and eliminate essential stu-
dent services.' The funding crisis in community colleges
mirrors the financial problems plaguing public secondary,
middle, and high schools. Students are not offered the
range of services and coursework that was once available.
This, along with the increasing costs of higher education,
leaves them unprepared and without resources for com-
petitive institutions. What Are You Going to Be When
You Grow Up? Students should seriously consider the
practicality of their degree. In the U.S., creative/thinking
fields, such as philosophy, art, or literature, do not carry
the same value as science, medicine, or computer technol-
ogy. Though it is not fair for working class students to be
discouraged from pursuing liberal art degrees, some con-
sideration is advised for those taking out loans that must
be paid back. It is important to think about what you are
going to do with your degree and whether the earning
potential balances with the debt in consideration.
Academic programs are often insulated from the reality of
working for a living, which affects how they plan pro-
grams. If you are from a wealthy family with good job
connections and benefactors, it is likely that your loans
will be paid quickly. If not, you could be paralyzed and
unable to get ahead while you work to simply get out of
debt. How To Get By To reduce school costs apply for
scholarships and grants, consider attending a community
college or state university (they are still cheaper than pri-
vate schools), work while attending school part-time (it
may take longer, but you will save on student loan inter-
est), live with your parents (it may not be fun but it will
decrease monthly expenses). One option is to work for
UPS. They will pay for part of your college education and
you can experience being in a union. In order to develop
money management skills, read books on how to cut costs
and manage your money before you set out on your own.
If you must take out a loan, Federal Subsidized Stafford
Loans are your best bet. They are based on a student's
financial need and year in school. While a student is
enrolled in school, and for a six-month grace period after
leaving school, no payments on the loan are due and the
federal government pays all accrued interest on the loans.
Alternatives You may consider alternatives to college
such as coop programs and apprenticeships in trades; car-
pentry and ironwork are popular options. Job Corp is an
option for those wanting to finish high school and obtain
a trade. Follow Your Dreams, Not Your Debt Many peo-
ple are finding themselves in their 30's and 40's, with stu-
dent debt and credit card debt that is accruing interest and
keeping them financially paralyzed unable to save or plan
for the future. Do the research before signing up for loans
or credit cards. Don't find yourself in a post- graduation
reality of debt and inadequate hourly wages. In other
words: follow your dreams with your eyes open.
Resources: (books) 'The Debt-Free Graduate: How to
Survive College Without going Broke' by Murray Baker.
(websites) Visit The National Commission for
Cooperative Education website at www.co-op.edu. For a
complete list of trades in Oregon go to
www.boli.state.or.us. (phone numbers) to find out more
about Job Corp call 1-800-733-JOBS.

Drastic Changes in Portland Public Schools Neighborhoods Get Organized!
by Ella Powers
The Neighborhood Schools Alliance (NSA) is certainly
the most recent and vibrant growth of a truly grassroots
movement in the city of Portland. This organization began
out of frustration and grief due to the proposed, and now
confirmed, closing of five middle and elementary neigh-
borhood schools, and drastic restructuring in the North
and Northeast Jefferson region of PPS. NSA members are
aware that the declining enrollment in PPS and decreased
funding are creating a difficult situation for the board and
PPS administration. However, the members of the NSA
are unified in their belief that high quality neighborhood
schools are the core of a livable community, and that a
lack of transparency and community involvement in cre-
ating solutions for PPS will only drive
more families away. The school board
meeting on March 28, where the fate of
the Jefferson cluster was decided, was
viewed by the NSA as a success
because of the direct give and take with
citizens, and because the school Board
revised the superintendent's proposals
for the Jefferson cluster. A planning
team will now be formed to determine
what school configuration will provide
the best outcomes for children. The
NSA asks for transparency and full par-
ticipation in the planning process for
the Jefferson area. PPS will not succeed
without community participation.
There are expected to be more school
closures next year, and the NSA intends
to monitor the success of these recent
PPS closures in terms of actual costs
and savings incurred. They will also
want detailed reports of where dislocat-
ed students from closed schools enroll,
and the fate of the abandoned real
estate. NSA hopes that the formation of
the k-8 arts magnet school at Ockley Green will draw in
new students to PPS, rather than drain students from near-
by neighborhood schools and doom them to closure. NSA
would like to work with PPS on grassroots community
outreach to boost up the neighborhood schools. School
closures should be a last resort. If this is to happen, the
affected school communities should be aware and active
participants from the beginning of the process. As
Portlanders, we must take control of our public resources
before they are no longer available to us. Neighborhood
Schools Alliance contacts: North-Nancy Smith, 503-285-
0500; NE-Darian Fuller, 503-516-5152 ; SE-Anne
Trudeau, 503-228-6384; SW-Ruth Adkins, 503-358-1376
NeighborhoodSchoolsAlliance@yahoogroups.com

History of the Portland Public
      Schools Funding Crisis
Oregon's school funding process went
through drastic changes in 1990, when
voters approved Measure 5. This meas-
ure shifted K-12 funding responsibility
from a stable, locally-controlled property
tax system to the more volatile statewide
income tax. And of course, the state had
no new revenue source to draw on for this
added cost. Schools were forced to com-
pete against other state programs for
f     u      n     d     i    n     g     .

       It is no coincidence that since
Measure 5 passed, Oregon's schools have
suffered over a decade of budget prob-
lems--despite the economic prosperity of
the state in the 1990's. Then the situation
became worse when recession struck in
the early 2000's, forcing deep cuts to
schools and community colleges. The
school years were shortened, and pro-
grams continue to be cut. By 2003, class
sizes in Oregon were ranked the fourth
highest in the country, more than 454
days were cut from 100 different school
district calendars, and more than 2,000
public school jobs have been eliminated.
Measure 5 took control of public educa-
tion away from local voters.
================================
by Ella Powers and Hannah Leah
----------------------------------
* Firebrand is a publication of the Firebrand Collective,
a member collective of the Northwest Anarchist Federation
(NAF).
FIREBRAND - A VOICE FOR PORTLANDS RANK AND FILE WORKERS
ISSUE 3 Spring/Summer 2005
Federation)

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