The Great College Con: Operation Varsity Blues

Education Headline RoundupThis week in the roundup of latest news and headlines impacting education:Ohio is set to increase the prices for teacher licensing fees in order to prevent the Ohio Board of Education from having a $3.5 million budget shortfall next year.In response to a growing literacy crisis, Oregon has so far distributed about $28 million in grants aimed at bolstering reading education. This initiative represents a critical effort to enhance educational outcomes and address systemic challenges in early education. According to NPR, “Surveyed schools in Oregon remain nearly two-thirds of a year behind pre-pandemic levels in reading,” and “learning loss in Oregon is roughly two to three times worse than national averages.”Schools across the nation are facing an alarming increase in student absences. Recent Pew Research data polled educators across the nation; 61% of high school teachers said chronic absenteeism was a problem at their schools. Researchers are pointing to a cultural shift in the wake of COVID-19 concerning our relationship to school.The Great College Con: Operation Varsity BluesThis week we take a walk through the concealed corridors of privilege and power within the U.S. college admissions system. A wide-ranging scandal known as Operation Varsity Blues (unveiled in March 2019) reflects the complex, often unseen mechanisms that shape educational access and equity at some of the U.S.’s most elite colleges and universities.Operation Varsity Blues exposed a network of wealthy parents and college coaches, who with an orchestrator named Rick Singer manipulated admissions systems to favor their children, often without the students' knowledge. Singer's scheme involved a so-called "side door" into prestigious colleges, and his activities facilitated more than $25 million in bribes. Through fabricated athletic profiles and manipulated standardized test scores, the scandal implicated celebrities, executives, and coaches. The scandal prompted a reevaluation of admissions policies and the role of standardized testing in evaluating scholastic merit.We’ll discuss whether meritocracy has become a myth, what part test-optional policies play in admissions reform, the impact on student mental health brought by the college application rat race, and how college rankings apply pressure to the admissions process.Thanks for listening!Sources & Resources:Watch Out: Tornado Alley Is Migrating Eastward | Scientific AmericanIowa vs. South Carolina TV ratings: How 2024 NCAA women's championship broadcast compares to other sportsOhio’s Board of Education expresses budget crisis following education department overhaul | 10tv.comOhio school board may raise teacher license fees as budget shortfall loomsOregon schools' pandemic recovery lags behind much of the nation : NPROregon Literacy Crisis: State distributes millions in grants aimed at reading educationA Crisis of School Absences - The New York TimesWhat's It Like To Be a Teacher in America Today? | Pew Research CenterAbsent Peers, Present Challenges: The Differential Impact of In-Person and Virtual Classmate Absences on Future Attendance | Texas Tech College of EducationTV celebrities and coaches charged in college bribery scheme | AP NewsWeb Archive - About The KeyDo donations influence college admissions? | Higher Ed DiveActresses, Business Leaders and Other Wealthy Parents Charged in U.S. College Entry Fraud - The New York TimesWho’s Been Charged in the College Admissions Cheating Scandal? Here’s the Full List - The New York TimesCollege Admissions Scandal: Full List of People SentencedWhat Happened to the Students Caught Up in the College Admissions Scandal? - The New York TimesSAT Quiz: Can You Answer Questions From the Original Test? | TIMEMLB, players union trade blame for pitcher injuries as MLBPA condemns pitch clock, league faults velocity - CBSSports.com