top of page


Joanne Jacobs
Jun 3, 20241 min read
Do you want a scone with your cappucino? '24 grads are struggling to find jobs
College graduates are finding it hard to get their first professional job.
5 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Jun 3, 20242 min read
Off with the keffiyeh, on with the job search: Employers 'resist' hiring activists
Ivy League graduates who've been resisting "late-stage capitalism" want jobs, but employers are resisting hiring them.
5 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 30, 20241 min read
'Performance of Self' as a college major? No, it's not a parody
Parody or reality? Yes, these are real New York University graduates who've designed their own majors. "The Performance of Self" is my...
6 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 30, 20242 min read
Is college worth it if you have to borrow? Only 22% say 'yes'
Most Americans don't think borrowing to go to college is worth it.
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 29, 20242 min read
Why top college students don't read or go to class: Resume polishing is #1
At Harvard and other elite universities, students spend more time and energy on resume-polishing extracurriculars than classwork.
6 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 19, 20241 min read
In college, but not in class: Kids with 'snowplow parents' give up easily
Absenteeism -- physical and mental -- is high for college students too.
5 comments


Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20241 min read
College is a good bet -- with financial aid -- for lower-income CA students
Earning a degree at a California community college or state university is a good bet for students from low- and moderate-income families,...
0 comments

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20242 min read
Does college pay? Just barely for ed majors, not at all for half of master's degrees
Alex majors in engineering at a public university, while Chris earns a nursing degree. Their return on investment (ROI) -- the increase...
3 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 29, 20243 min read
Go State U! Why pay a premium for a 'polarizing' degree?
Borrow a bundle to go to a prestigious private college? Or go to your state's flagship state university for slightly less status and a...
12 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 10, 20241 min read
Demand is high for skilled trades classes
Seventy percent of Los Angeles County students said they'd consider taking a skilled trades class, if their high school offered the...
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 10, 20242 min read
College or Chipotle? High school graduates need more choices
America invests more than $500 billion of taxpayer money in colleges each year, writes Ryan Craig, in an Education Next forum. That...
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 8, 20241 min read
82% of teachers say K-12 ed is getting worse
Eighty-two percent of teachers say public education has gotten worse in the last five years, according to a Pew survey. Fifty-three...
13 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 3, 20241 min read
Job or college? Germany adds flexibility to apprenticeship system
One German state is adding flexibility to its two-track education system, writes Frieda Klotz on the Hechinger Report. German students...
3 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Apr 3, 20242 min read
Joe the Plumber is retiring: Will Gen Z train for trades jobs?
Plumbers are retiring faster than apprentices are joining the trade, reports Salena Zito in the Washington Examiner. Builders report...
3 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Mar 30, 20242 min read
Japan uses more adult diapers than baby diapers
A Japanese company will stop making diapers for babies and shift production to adult diapers, reports the BBC. Adult diapers have been a...
2 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 23, 20241 min read
St. Peter's wins March Madness for mobility
The Peacocks of Saint Peter’s University were blown out of the NCAA basketball tournament in the first round, losing to University of...
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Mar 11, 20241 min read
Job training draws more students to community colleges
Community colleges are drawing more students to job-oriented programs, fewer to classes that lead to an academic degree, reports Joshua...
2 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Mar 1, 20242 min read
Half of college grads start in low-level jobs, and most won't catch up
Half of college graduates are working in jobs that don't require a degree or college skills, report Vanessa Fuhrmans and Lindsay Ellis in...
12 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Feb 1, 20242 min read
Students are catching up in math, reading -- but gaps are wider
Reading and math scores are on their way up, reports the Education Recovery Scorecard. On average, students in grades three through eight...
0 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 31, 20243 min read
Apprenticeships fail to launch in the U.S.
Ninety-two percent of Americans like the idea of apprenticeships, according to a recent American Staffing Association survey, and 62...
7 comments
bottom of page