BIGGEST COLLEGE-RELATED NEWS OF THE WEEK

CYBER ATTACK SHUTS DOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT

Students in Des Moines, Iowa, received two unexpected days off of school last week. The Des Moines school district canceled classes following a cyber attack. Specific details about the attack have not been released, but the district has been working hard to restore the network. On Thursday, students returned to school, although families were warned that wi-fi would not be available yet.

SEVEN FCPS HIGH SCHOOLS NOW UNDER FIRE IN NATIONAL MERIT CONTROVERSY

The situation has continued to unfold over the past few weeks, and seven different high schools in Fairfax County have now admitted that they did not provide timely notification of National Merit Commendations. I want to share what we do with our own students as a matter of course each year, in case this helps anyone. Instead of waiting for official notification, we just compare the student’s selection index on their 11th grade PSAT with the score cutoffs online. I would never have a student submit an application with this award until they receive official notification, but the selection index should provide an indication as to whether official notification should be imminent. And if it doesn’t come automatically, the student knows to ask! [Note: I find that Compass Prep typically has the best information on cutoffs, but their site appears to be down on the date this post was written!].

VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SUBMITS NEW PLAN FOR HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

Two months after its revised proposal was rejected, the Virginia Department of Education submitted yet another draft of its K-12 history and social studies standards. Although the practice of updating standards is usually smooth, Virginia’s history and social studies draft came under attack in the fall of 2022. Many believed the standards “diluted” topics related to cultural diversity and racism. The Board of Education is now tasked with reviewing the new 68-page proposal.

LANGUAGE CONTROVERSY AT USC

Last week, USC made headlines when its School of Social Work announced that it will be replacing the term ‘field work’ with ‘practicum’ in its curriculum. The change, which was explained in a letter to the Suzanne Dworak-Peck Practicum Education community, is part of an effort to promote more inclusive language. As the memo noted, “Language can be powerful, and phrases such as ‘going into the field’ or ‘field work’ may have connotations for descendants of slavery and immigrant workers.” The announcement has caused some confusion and outrage for some. In response,  Elizabeth A. Graddy, interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, clarified, “The university does not maintain a list of banned or discouraged words. We will continue to use words – including ‘field’ – that accurately encompass and describe our work and research.” 

IDAHO MURDER SUSPECT APPEARS IN COURT

Bryan Kohberger, the man accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, made a brief court appearance last Thursday. He waived his right to a speedy trial and will now await his next court date, scheduled for late June. To date, Kohberger has not spoken publicly about the tragedy or entered a plea. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.

BEST ARTICLES OF THE WEEK

Before heading off to college, most teenagers are warned about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, and partying. But there’s another risky behavior that could leave undergrads in jeopardy: gambling. Thirty-six states have legalized sports betting in recent years, according to the American Gaming Commission, and gambling companies often seek out college students as their target customers. Several universities have even made deals with sports gambling companies, leaving young adults vulnerable to addiction and financial ruin. To help students avoid the alluring trap of sports betting, experts insist that parents look out for certain markers of behavior and encourage universities to do their part in providing education and support for this lesser-known danger. 

We’ve got bad news for students who plan to study psychology or marketing in college. Last week Business Insider revealed a list of 12 most useless college majors, according to career experts. With the cost of higher education continuing to rise, the list considers subject areas that won’t have the best return on investment. Perhaps not surprising, the arts- theater, acting, and film- all made the list. Some may be shocked, though, by other subjects in the top ten. Psychology was listed because students often require a graduate degree to forge a career in the field. And English took the number eight spot. Career experts argue that it’s probably more practical to major in business over English, unless you want to be a teacher or writer. What does our office of English majors think about this? A bachelor’s in English might not pave the way for one specific job, but that’s what we love about our degrees–you can do just about anything with it!

For the majority of Americans, the University of Idaho murders are a tragedy. For some however, the night of November 13 is pure entertainment. The increasing popularity of true crime shows and podcasts has led to a surge in amateur investigations of this horrific incident, especially on platforms like TikTok. Thousands of videos have been posted, including some from psychic mediums, who revealed their theories on the mystery murders. Seems harmless, right? Wrong! Many of these videos shared misinformation and accused innocent individuals of involvement in the murders. As a result, members of the University of Idaho community- a professor, victims’ friends and a surviving roommate- have all come under attack. And it’s not just online fury. Some have received real-life death threats. These safety concerns call into question the “wild west”-like nature of social media platforms and ethical concerns over exploitations of true crime and tragedy.

OFFICE HAPPENINGS

We’ve been carefully following the issue of compensatory education for FCPS students during the pandemic period, and I attended the first school board session on the subject last week on January 10. I actually asked a question at the end of the meeting - I wanted to know whether or not private school tuition reimbursement would be allowed, but didn’t get a clear answer. The lack of clear answers seemed to be a pattern…

Interestingly, I found out later that the FY 2024 budget only allocates $2 million towards this ENTIRE compensatory education fund. That makes a little more sense to me in terms of the lack of clarity - there’s just not enough money available to provide adequate compensation. We don’t know exactly how many students were impacted, but if we use the estimated 25,000 number provided by the district (another estimation provided was 26,500, so I am trying to be conservative), we end up with $80/student. If half of those families do not pursue any type of compensation, that leaves us with $160/student.

As a taxpayer as well as a parent of a student impacted, I have mixed feelings on this entire issue, but I do think that every family should know what their rights are. I have personally found the Fairfax County Parents Association to be a great source of information and would recommend them to other families who want to stay in the loop.

On another note, we recently learned about an exciting opportunity for high school STEM students in the greater DC area. If you’ve conducted original STEM research, submit your work to the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium. You might just have the chance to present your work and compete for scholarships. For more information, please visit the JSHS website.

Have a great [short] week!