National education summit covers college, civics and preschool

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas left me breathless — and not in a good way.

Sin City is not the place to come down with bronchitis.

It’s hot. It’s dry. Everything is massive and when you can barely breathe, short walks become gasping travails.

Why was I in Vegas, you ask? Attending the Education Writers Association’s 77th National Seminar with Mariah Thomas, Ashland Source’s Report for America Corps Member.

Not long after landing in Nevada, the CVS Minute Clinic doctor wrote me prescriptions for three different medicines and an inhaler. She told me to “avoid cigarette smoke.” It felt like a cruel joke, since cigarette smoke was ubiquitous in Vegas.

But I wasn’t going to miss the chance to spend the weekend with other education reporters from around the country. There’s something invigorating about being around people passionate about the same things as you.

So I filled my purse with Ricola cough drops and got to work.

I attended sessions on college, early childhood education, afterschool programs and youth mental health.

I went to a session focused on feature reporting. I heard from student journalists who are honing their craft while they’re still in high school.

I watched a panel of reporters from the Uvalde Leader-News, who gave a raw, real account of what it was like to cover the Robb Elementary School shooting. I was in awe of their integrity and grit in spite of the trauma they endured alongside their community. I hope I never have to do the kind of reporting they did.

After two days jam-packed with sessions, I came home with a notebook full of takeaways, story ideas and connections.

Here’s some of what I learned.

Many Americans still value college, but skepticism is growing

Since we’re diving into post-secondary education and workforce development with our Tomorrow’s Talent series, I decided to attend a few sessions focused on college.

In a session called “What would make college feel like a less risky bet?” speakers shared several stats about how Americans perceive college.

The moderator cited a survey from Pew Research Center that found just 22 percent of Americans believe a four year degree is worth the cost, even if a person has to take out student loans. Nearly half of respondents said a college degree is worth it only without taking out loans. 

I also learned that enrollment in postsecondary institutions has fallen by 16 percent since 2011.

Panelists shared some slightly rosier statistics on college — with caveats.

Sophie Nyguen of New America shared preliminary findings from a survey the think tank conducted. (The full survey results will be out in July). 

According to Nyguen, New America found that 74 percent of respondents would recommend their children or family members pursue some kind of higher education — whether that’s postsecondary certifications, trade school or a university degree — with a general consensus across the political aisle.

That being said, 69 percent of Democrats think college and universities are having a positive impact on the country’s trajectory, compared with 39 percent of Republicans. 

Ben Cecil, senior education policy advisor at Third Way, said the centrist think tank found 80 percent of people believe higher education is valuable, including 88 percent of Democrats and 75 percent of Republicans.

But Cecil also said that after half a century of simply assuming college is worth it, Americans are growing more skeptical of higher education and its benefits in a rapidly-changing world.

“When it comes to showing that value, I think that onus really falls to the institutions,” he said.

“It’s less about recruiting students into our programs, it’s less about the marketing aspect and more about showing the tangible return on investment that a specific major, a specific degree or specific institution is providing to their students.”

Panelists at these sessions also reminded reporters to think more broadly about college students in our coverage. There is no one typical college student. There are first and fifth generation college students, rural and urban college students, traditional college students and students whose early twenties are far behind them. There are part-time and full-time students, students with families and full-time jobs. They attend state schools and Ivies as well as technical and community colleges.

And then there are the students who don’t finish college for whatever reason. According to Cecil, the nationwide completion rate for a college degree is around 63 percent. This stat shocked me and it’s something I hope to look into more.

We aren’t talking enough about civics education

I left the EWA inspired to chase down stories on topics I’d never given much thought to before. One key example was civics education. 

On more than one occasion, speakers referenced the civic function of education — to create citizens that are intelligent, critical thinkers capable of engaging in the democratic process. At one point, a speaker said that schools are sites of democracy. 

Voting is obviously a key part of engaging in democracy, but during a session on youth voters and civics engagement, David Griffith of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute challenged us to think bigger.

“Voting is good, you can’t be against voting,” he said. “But simply voting, I think, is a pretty thin measure of what it is that we’re after.”

Ohio doesn’t specifically require “civics” education, but students must complete a half-credit course in American history and half-credit course in American government in order to graduate high school, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.

Griffith argued that civics needs to be taught throughout a child’s K-12 educational journey. 

“You cannot teach high schoolers how our government works in a semester,” he said. “That’s nuts. It’s so complicated.”

Griffith also shared an interesting insight about the lack of agreement on what civics education actually is. In his work, he’s found that political conservatives tend to see it in terms of history — students need to learn about the founding fathers, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights. Meanwhile, liberals tend to think of civics education as public policy and modern-day involvement — how do I petition my city council or register to vote? 

So, who’s right? Perhaps they both are. 

“It’s an insane debate, obviously,” Griffith said. “It’s like debating which is better, bricks or mortar?”

Early childhood education is a rich, important topic

During a session on early childhood education, I was reminded just how formational the years before K-12 education are.

A significant portion of a child’s brain development occurs before they step into a kindergarten classroom — yet families across the country struggle to find and afford care.

I met reporters whose entire job is covering this topic.

This not only impacts children, it also affects the economy, since parents and caregivers may have to work less or exit the workforce completely as a result.

“If you are not a parent like me, it is stunning,” said Moriah Balingit with the Associated Press.

“I had a little bit of a sense of how hard it is to find childcare, how expensive it is, but it is one of the most underrated, under-covered factors in the economy and in women’s ability to work.”

During a series of small group conversations, some of my colleagues talked about how the kindergarten has become more academically rigorous over time. Some experts worry this has led to a decreasing emphasis on play in early childhood care settings, despite its importance role in child development.

Others point out that children who don’t have access to high quality care before kindergarten may come in less prepared than their peers.

That’s right — it’s not just finger paints and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. There are equity implications to preschool.

Locally, Mansfield City Schools began waiving its preschool tuition in 2022. District leaders have said they hope to expand the district’s preschool capacity in the years to come.

Nevertheless, early childhood education is a topic I hope to dive into more in the future.

Education reporting matters

So, this isn’t technically something I learned. I knew this going in. But it was something that was reaffirmed by the many conversations I got to be a part of and people I got to meet.

Being surrounded by other people who care about education as much as I do was invigorating. I learned there were people whose whole professional lives are focused on things like education technology, assessing afterschool programs and promoting access to preschool.

As we sat in the opening session, one of the speakers issued an explicit reminder: “Your work matters.”

It matters because education matters. To paraphrase what was said in that opening session, when we fail to educate our children equitably and excellently, we fail society in the long run. 

Do you have an education topic or story you’d like me to explore? Email your ideas to katie@richlandsource.com.