Black Student College Graduation Rates Inch Higher But a Large Racial Gap Persists

Nationwide, the black student college graduation rate remains at a dismally low 43 percent. But the college completion rate has improved by four percentage points over the past three years. As ever, the black-white gap in college graduation rates remains very large and little or no progress has been achieved in bridging the divide.

Throughout the nation, black enrollments in higher education have reached an all-time high. But a more important statistical measure of the performance of blacks in higher education is that of how many black students are completing school and earning a college degree.

The economic gains that come from a college degree are transparently obvious. Department of Education data shows that, as expected, black students who earn a four-year college degree have incomes that are substantially higher than blacks who have only some college experience but have not earned a degree.

Sayings of Krisnamurti

"A confused mind seeking clarity will only further confuse itself, because a confused mind can’t find clarity. It’s confused; what can it do? Any search on its part will only lead to further confusion. I think we don’t realize that. When it’s confused, one has to stop—stop pursuing any activity. And the very stopping is the beginning of the new, which is the most positive action, positive in a different sense altogether. All this implies that there must be profound self-knowing: to know the whole structure of one’s thinking-feeling, the motives, the fears, the anxieties, the guilt, the despair. To know the whole content of one’s mind, one has to be aware, aware in the sense of observing, not with resistance or with condemnation, not with approval or disapproval, not with pleasure or nonpleasure, just observing. That observation is the negation of the psychological structure of a society which says, “You must, you must not.” Therefore, self-knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, and also, self-knowledge is the beginning and the ending of sorrow. Self-knowing is not to be bought in a book, or by going to a psychologist and being examined analytically. Self-knowledge is actually understanding what is in oneself: the pains, the anxieties—seeing them without any distortion. Out of this awareness clarity comes into being. "
"A confused mind cannot find clarity"

- Collected Works, Vol. XVII (21

....From the Flame

I am back after a brief hiatus and I have learned a few things during that time.

• Success is often a matter of routine and culture, grounding oneself to the basics is necessary especially when dealing with situations of transition and change. Sound principles and fundamentals are launching pads from which evolution can occur.

• Within change and evolution, it is important to know and understand who you are and what makes you unique. One can lose himself/herself in the dynamics of change if the uniqueness of one's character is not embraced. Even the tornado has a tranquil core.

• Nothing takes the place of refining and honing one's knowledge base, skill and belief. The hard work of introspection and practice can never be substituted by external acquirments. Growth cannot be purchased. Security cannot be bought. Tranquility cannot be acquired.

.....of course it is my belief that education plays a part in the enlightenment of the mind. One should never forget that education is accompanied just as often by sweat and pain as it is by introspection and reflection.

Money would make the Knowledge Is Power Program, which runs three schools in Washington, the largest charter school organization in the country. The charter school movement, begun 16 years ago as an alternative to struggling public schools, will today make its strongest claim on mainstream American education when a national group announces the most successful fundraising campaign in the movement's history -- $65 million to create 42 schools in Houston.

EdNews.org

An Interview with Michael Feinberg: About KIPP