Common Core, high cost of college tackled at live event May 10: ONE NATION
If millennials — who now outnumber Baby Boomers — go to the polls in November, they’ll be the largest voting bloc in the country.
Yes, this means the Snapchat generation could steer our collective future, says Liz Kelly Nelson, director of strategic consumer engagement at Gannett, the parent company of the USA TODAY NETWORK and the Asbury Park Press.
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It’s a stat that helped inspire ONE NATION, a series of events being hosted by NETWORK properties around the country since January. The live events, on topics ranging from immigration to climate change, are aimed at connecting and engaging communities (particularly the 20- and 30-somethings in those communities) with the issues that will impact the 2016 elections most.
Common Core, college, live performances, more at Asbury ONE NATION event
And on the evening of May 10, that campaign comes to Asbury Park with ONE NATION: Education, presented by Asbury Park Press, USA TODAY NETWORK and Rock the Vote.
The event will feature lively discussions with thought leaders and USA TODAY NETWORK and Asbury Park Press journalists on a range of higher education topics: Could free college work in New Jersey? Can anything be done to reduce college debt? Is Common Core really preparing young people for college and careers? Where do the presidential candidates stand?
They’re questions that policy experts, activists, affected students, educators and more will explore during the two-hour event, which also will feature a live show from DJ Atom Worth and Accidental Seabirds. Complimentary Kane Brewing Co. beer will be offered while supplies last.
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The event’s goal is to entertain while better informing young people about the issues that matter to them most before they hit the polls in November, organizers say. Voter registration also will be available to attendees.
“The idea is a simple progression,” Kelly wrote in USA TODAY. “1. Engage millennials around election issues, 2. Give them the knowledge (read: power) they need to make informed decisions, 3. Get them registered to vote.”
A growing crisis
Millennials are strapped by student loans, rising college tuition, and some are leaving schools with skills that employers do not value, experts say.
Average tuition, fees and room and board at four-year public universities increased more than $7,000, from $12,115 to $19,548 (in 2015 dollars), between the 2005-06 and 2015-16 school years, according to The College Board.
Meanwhile, presidential candidates are ffering up their own proposals, notably Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’ much-debated pitch to make college tuition free.
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"Young people are already deeply paying attention to the issue of education, in particular, higher education," said Sarah Audelo, political and field director for Rock the Vote, who will be speaking at the event.
In fact, about 70 percent of recent graduates have student debt, and they leave school with nearly $30,000 in loans on average, Audelo said. That debt could cost young adults $300 a month in payments and make starting a family or getting a first home difficult, she said.
'There’s help out there'
"Something really big is going on here," said Natalia Abrams, co-founder of Student Debt Crisis, which is devoted to reforming the way American students pay for college.
Abrams, also a ONE NATION speaker, graduated from the University of California in 2009, just months before tuition there spiked 32 percent.
She said she witnessed the fallout, with friends dropping out before graduation as a result of the tuition increase.
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Since then, she said, she has devoted herself to helping students pay back their student loans and stay out of default.
Abrams said 20 million of the 43 million people who took federal student loans are struggling to make monthly payments. Defaults can trigger 15 to 25 percent penalties on these loans, could result in wage garnishment, and in some states result in the loss of professional and driver's licenses, she said.
"We want them to know there's help out there," she said.
Common Core to college and career?
New Jersey teacher Nicholas Ferroni, who’s been named “Upstander of the Year” by the Human Rights Campaign, also will be among event speakers.
Ferroni says finances aren’t the only stumbling block on the path to college and career. An advocate for LGBT and minority inclusion in social studies curriculum, Ferroni will discuss his views as an educator on Common Core and what he calls the "one-size-fits-all" approach to education.
“They tell us to teach each child differently ... but then they tell us to test them the same,” Ferroni said.
Common Core advocates argue that the education standards more rigorously prepare students for college and a global job market. In New Jersey, teacher evaluations are tied in part to student results on the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) standardized tests.
“(Existing education policy) is forcing teachers to care more about test scores than they actually care about students, which is one of the major problems,” Ferroni said. “And we fail to take into the biggest consideration, which is individual students.”
ABOUT ONE NATION: EDUCATION
The evening, sponsored by Georgian Court University, will feature:
- Performances by DJ Atom Worth and Accidental Seabirds.
- Complimentary Kane Brewing Company beer, while supplies last.
- NJ teacher and education influencer Nicholas Ferroni
- Personal testimonials by New Jerseyans on their experiences with college debt, including published author, national performance poet and public speaking coach Alyea Pierce
Doors open at 6 p.m., event starts at 7. $10 general admission, $5 for Insiders. 18+ to attend. 21+ to drink. ONE NATION is sponsored by Georgian Court University.
Amanda Oglesby: 732-557-5701; aoglesby@GannettNJ.com
Alesha Williams Boyd contributed to this report.
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