Reeling and Writhing

A few years ago I found myself in a room with my colleagues who were working on teen pregnancy prevention. We were discussing strategies with leadership in the agency. Despite our attempts to get them to see that this is a highly complex issue requiring a spectrum of approaches, they kept pressing us for "the silver bullet" - the One Thing that would make the biggest difference. A certain type of birth control, or involve parents, or engage males in the issue, etc... 

After a brief silence (we were all out of words), I said, "Make college free for all young people." It pretty much ended the conversation.

Reading Corner

UN discussion on the importance of higher education among girls 

Education is probably the most powerful social determinant of health and other life outcomes. The positive impact on overall health and prosperity for whole populations when girls and women have access to education is massive. For the young person, just the possibility of obtaining a good education brings optimism, a sense of hope, feelings of self-determination, and dreams of the future - critical ingredients in child and adolescent development. 

So we can imagine my excitement over the news that a bill is about to be introduced to Congress to make four year public colleges and universities tuition free. Wow: college accessible to all young (and not-so-young) people in the U.S. We can also imagine the hurdles such a concept will need to clear before becoming reality. But just entering into a national discussion about the root issue - not just reducing student debt - is like a fresh spring breeze. Hope. 

The Illinois prison system gets it.

“By incentivizing inmates to earn their GED, we can help them transition back into the community after completing their sentence and dramatically increase their likelihood of success in finding employment."
--State Rep. John Anthony, former police officer and county sheriff's deputy

Illinois recently passed two bills that should go far in encouraging non-violent offenders to pursue formal education: 

• HB 3149 will seal criminal records (a major obstacle to former inmates finding work) of offenders if they obtain a vocational technical certification, GED, high school diploma, associate's or bachelor's degree, etc. while completing their sentences or during supervised release.
• HB 3884 reduces a prisoner's sentence by 90 days if he/she passes a high school equivalency exam while in prison. 

Inmates who participate in educational programs while incarcerated have a 43 percent lower chance of returning to prison after release.  We all know the data on who goes to prison. Imagine if going to college becomes a real possibility before they end up in jail the first time.

Brace yourself.

The reeling and writhing will begin as we witness our nation's leaders employ all forms of distraction and uglification to negate the importance of making higher education accessible to all.

But the door has been opened. It will be interesting to see who steps through it in pursuit of progress.

Yours in the struggle - Carla

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