Miami Herald – Michael Vasquez

“On one side, there’s the rapid, jaw-dropping increase in prepaid’s price tag — with one tuition category costing more than four times what it did just a year ago. It’s enough to make some parents want to give up on the widely popular prepaid program. On the other side, there’s the projected cost of an in-state education when your newborn child reaches age 18: $225,307.”(more)

Los Angeles Times – Liz Pulliam Weston

“You really shouldn’t borrow money if you don’t have a way to pay it back. When you’re unemployed, taking on $15,000 a semester in debt is pretty foolish.”(more)

New York Times – Lisa Foderaro

“When Princeton University set out six years ago to corral galloping grade inflation by putting a lid on A’s, many in academia lauded it for taking a stand on a national problem and predicted that others would follow. But the idea never took hold beyond Princeton’s walls, and so its bold vision is now running into fierce resistance from the school’s Type-A-plus student body.”(more)

Denver Business Journal – Mark Harden

“While the explosion in online college education has received a lot of attention, a new state report says that enrollment in high-school and even elementary-school courses offered over the Internet is also growing rapidly in Colorado.”(more)

All Africa – Christof Maletsky

“AT least 3 640 of the 17 255 full-time students who wrote the Namibia Senior Secondary Certificate (NSSC) exams last year have qualified for admission to the Polytechnic of Namibia and the University of Namibia.”(more)

Wall Street Journal – Neil King Jr. and Barbara Martinez

“Forty states are seeking federal school funding through a competitive Obama administration program that has prompted educational changes as well as resistance in much of the country.”(more)

New York Times – Jennifer Medina

“Under the proposed changes, schools would be measured against one another, with those where students show the most significant improvements getting the top grades. There would be set grade-distribution guidelines, with 25 percent of schools receiving A’s, 30 percent B’s, 30 percent C’s, 10 percent D’s, and the bottom 5 percent of schools getting F’s.”(more)

New York Times – Sharon Otterman

“Next year will be the biggest year of growth yet for New York’s charter schools, with 29 due to open in New York City alone. But Seth Andrew, the founder of Democracy Prep, a successful charter middle school in Harlem, is already starting to turn his focus to another state. The political environment in New York, he fears, is shifting.”(more)

San Francisco Chronicle – James Farwell

“Principles for real reform– Educational policy needs to be made by those who actually work with children and know what works – not by members of think tanks, special interest groups or politicians.– Consider the impact and consequences that a decision will have on our children’s ability to learn and on their general welfare.– Our educational philosophy needs to be based on proven educational practices – not on the latest funding fad.”(more)

Business Week – Bill Kaczor

“Gov. Charlie Crist and higher education officials announced a plan Thursday to build a “knowledge economy” in Florida by doubling state university funding over the next five years.”(more)