Following Betsy DeVos’ confirmation as Secretary of Education, the American education system could drastically pivot in unexpected ways. It’s difficult to..
Ajay Kapur is co-founder of Kadenze and Associate Dean/Professor at CalArts.
Following Betsy DeVos’ confirmation as the next Secretary of Education, the American education system could drastically pivot in unexpected ways. It’s difficult to know exactly what those changes will look like , given DeVos’ vague answers throughout her hearing. What we do know is that the declining state of education, and historical opposition DeVos has already faced for her views on its privatization, will lead to the development of new technological advancements from our top innovators over the next four years.
Even prior to her nomination, higher education has become less accessible each year, and the ballooning costs won’t turn around under DeVos. The average in-state tuition for a four-year public university averages more than $9,000/year , with tuition and fees rising about 7-8 percent annually — twice the rate of average inflation.
The White House hosted a gathering — fortuitously, the week after the election — of the most innovative leaders and organizations in education to discuss solutions to skyrocketing costs in the American education system. Each attendee from the Education Summit was hand-picked by Obama’s top higher education advisors and the Department of Education.
Many of our discussions focused on creating more pathways for non-traditional students, such as veterans and those from low-income families, to enter higher education. These new pathways require us to address the growing disparity between the offerings of academia and the demands of the working world.
