they believe that we need more decentralization more competition in order to have a vibrant education system in america and on the other side we have something very different where we believe we need to have more consistent standard through the common core in order to keep schools accountable and prepare students for college, for life, for their careers so the debate over common core has become one about standards. are they too rigid? too weak? too political. does it cost states more to implement common core than they will receive in their subsidies. it's about freedom, the role of parents versus that of government. and now today it's about politics and what it means for upcoming elections. so here to thys does this critical issue are two education analysts who know this education issue not only as policy experts but parents. kneel mcclesky on the left is the associate director of the kato institute's center for educational freedom. previously neil served in the army, he taught high school english and he was a freelance reporter covering municipal government and education in new jersey. he h

we have a wonderful education system thanks to queen soraya. she insisted that they should study education. they wanted to become doctors, engineers, builders, lawyers they had to study. they came back, they had masters, they were the professors in the universities, and they did a great job educating generations of afghanistan. it takes just one woman. i think afghan women, when they put their mind to it, they are really quite formidable. nina: you were raised as a lebanese christian. in a pretty illustrious family -- talk about what your father did. rula ghani: my father had a scholarship and studied in lebanon -- in france. i am french educated, by the way. when he came back, he proceeded to really put together the agriculture of the country. he introduced varieties of fruit, new varieties of the vegetable. he introduced fertilizers insecticides, pesticides. invest a little -- eventually he got into treatment for food industries. he was quite a pioneer. he was approached to become head of the fao, but my mother said no i am not leaving lebanon

[applause] standardized testing in today's education system the discussion ranges from the introduction of the common course data standards to the cost to taxpayers up to $1.4 billion per year. >> my name is monica and the book passage is very happy to welcome the latest book the test on a our schools iar schools are obsessed with standardized testing but you don't have to be. it's about the failure of testing in american schools. children are more than test scores but in the last 20 years, schools have dramatically increased standardized testing. in the era of no child left behind and the common core america's schools are sacrificing learning in favor of testing. how we preserve space for self-directed learning and development especially when we still want all children to hit the mark. npr education explores all sides of the question and what parents and teachers can do to help. with abundant data in the accessible form format this book is a must read for everybody in the educational system or any parent that has a child old enough to enter preschool. please give a warm welcome. [appla

. >> you want to change the whole education system essentially, right. you are talking about major changes in the which things are done now. >> i am talking about major changes, but i want to be clear that these changes are - really only happened in the american educational system the emphasis on testing in the last 20 years and in the last five years. >> eric is the former vice president of national policy at the education nonprofit students first, and served as chief of staff to the deputy mayor in washington d.c. welcome. what is your reaction to what you just heard? >> i think it reflects a perspective that is limited across the country. most parents understand that you need to know how your students are doing, most educators need that information to make sure students are progressing. >> doesn't it encourage teachers to alter the test scores? >> i don't think it does. i don't think most will do it. >> they lose their job? >> stakes are high for the student. we need to build a system where educators are supported and have the resources and tools to g

the education system, the universities have become a cauldron, number one for rampant, vicious anti-semitism. the american university system, it exists in our greatest institutions of higher learning by the way. not just some backwoods school, division one excellent schools. specifically in the you see the california system. have begun have become open hotbeds for anti-semitism. dot dot dot we have professors who are -- not only that we have professors who are anti-american but the main thing on college campuses is islamic radicalism in many cases. a group of together in particular, the muslim students association, the msa. the muslim brotherhood connected group, radical group present on hundreds of college campuses come excuse to come across the united states and canada. and while some students association. so big problem in the education system. some of our textbooks at the secondary and high school level are whitewashing islamic conquest in islamic history. so a major problem but maybe for another book. i have stunned you all into silence at this point. >> pakistan is to go weapons. so do

this is a problem throughout our entire education system an not just in the toughest schools like those in philadelphia that dr. royal was just mentioning. >> how do we fix it? >> when we look at what's going on it comes down to we are not asking our young people to work hard enough when it comes to academics. when it comes to sports, extracurriculars extracurriculars, we're happy to have them work hard and hustle and compete. but when it comes to math and reading and science for some reason in this country we have this culture where we don't push them very hard and the kids tell us this. >> how are we not -- hold on -- how with we not pushing kids if grades 3 throughal they're taking standardize tests through the year working hard to pass those tests and we're oneover the only countries that does this? >> because this is brand new. okay. we've had the testing but the tests until now have been incredibly easy. they've been very easy to pass. you can pass these tests in the -- if you were at the 20th percentile in reading or math. finally we have tests that are challenging. standards tha

but it will have to be a dislocation in the education system. i think there will be things that we'll all love in ten or 15 years. every kid on the planet will have access to an ivy league education, in ten or 15 years. >> i'll just worry about what they'll train to do. what jobs will there be? this is an interesting part of your background. you come from india, bifurcation, there are wealthy smart highly educated indians and poor indians. we have more people out of poverty having them earn more india is going the right direction but the problem is like most of the developing world, bifurcated. it is not the case in america, certainly becoming the case. if you are wealthier in this country you are getting richer and if you're not you're not getting ahead. who are the innovators who will offset -- >> i would disagree with you on that last staple ali respect friday. i don't think it's the wealthy that are getting wealthier, it is on the people that are on the right side of the 21st century who get the right kind of education and apply themselves in

so big problem in the education system. some of our textbooks at the secondary and high school level are whitewashing islam you can conquest and -- islamic conquest and islamic history. so a major problem. maybe for another book. [laughter] i've stunned you all into silence at this point. >> pakistan has nuclear weapons so what used to be the soviet union, now russia, and mark steyn says that the russian army by, i think 2016 will be more than 50% muslim. pakistan may be friendly with us today, but all you need is just a new ruler at the top and they could wind up being as bad as iran. is there anything being done along the lines of keeping tabs on pakistan's existing nuclear weapons? >> there is. i mean, there is, but we've shown in certain countries in the middle east and north africa and the muslim world that when a regime is going to topple, we're not going to do much maybe to stand in the way or to assist the more democracy-minded forces. and pack stab to me -- pakistan, to me, is one of the top three most dangerous is

if you want to control immigration, you've got to have an education system that turns out young people that can do the jobs that our economy is creating. you've got to have a welfare system that makes sure the worker is paid. and you've got to have the immigration changes that i've been talking about. it's not simply about what happens in europe. when i think of what we inherited, we had bogus colleges handing out visa. we've shut them down. people who could claim benefits literally on arhode island. we had people appealing in our courts against decisions made here. there are changes you can make if you make this a priority. >> nicola sturgeon. >> diversity is one of our greatest strengths. i can see that as we look out into the audience. decisions on immigration should be driven on what is good for the economy. the problem is that it's been led by nigel farage is it's leading to wrong decisions. when david came to office e abolished the post study visa. it's making the universities more difficult for them to attract international students. but i also means that we deprive ourselves of

. >> now, anya kamenetz books that standardized testing in today's education system. it ranges from the introduction of common core state standards to the cost of tax payers up to $1.4 billion per year. >> my name is monica golden and above passage is very happy to welcome him anya kamenetz and her latest book transfixed why schools are excessive standardized testing, but you don't have it be. the test is about the failures of testing in american schools. children are more than test scores but in the last 20 years schools have dramatically increased standardized testing. in the era of no child left behind and the common core america's schools are sacrificing learning of favorite testing. how do we preserve states for self-directed learning and development, especially when we so want all children to hit the mark. npr education reporter explores all sides of the problem and my parents and teachers can do to help. the review data assembled an accessible form -- with abundant data in an accessible anyone in the educational system or any parent who has a child old enough t

i have to get an education system that works for you. >>> i lost three students to violence. >>> one brought a gun to class and, walked out after threatening, another student and, that weekend he was dead. >>> we all grew up with our grandmother smacking us upside the head, and, what i'm trying to do is, offer by way of explanation to an audience, that must be looking at their set and saying, how could this happen again? >>> well, you know, dante, first of all, a couple notes and then i want for get to you. >>> the president has spoken with -- with the mayor and has offered all the resources to her of the federal government. >>> and things are in the works but the president has spoken to the mayor. >>> we expect to hear something from the mayor soon. >>> i have to ask you this question. >>> this is a movement and i agree with you. >>> i don't think this is ending anytime soon. somethingstructure raleigh is amiss here, it seems to me. >>> and where do you see this movement -- >>> travon, there was anger and frustration, over travon martin's death but there's something about this dynam

. >> success in the american workforce and the american education system can be extremely difficult for program such as lutheran social services. >> the value is that they are providing all of the necessary social services that these children and youth need. >> bill akinecenbarger is part of a program that works with refugee children. bill co they have been oftentimes -- bill: they have been oftentimes used for sex traffic. you foreign services -- lutheran services check with them periodically and work on life skills, learning to cook and clean on their own and take care of themselves basically. they help get them job training. they often put them in the right educational program. they are 15, 16, 17 years old and they have very little formal education. >> many americans believe the u.s. government should not be helping any immigrants in any way. they believe that immigrants will steal american jobs and increase crime. secretary of labor of the united states thomas perez was able to explain why immigrants are so important to a prosperous economy. thomas perez: immigrants have helped bui

minutes, less 30 seconds you could tell me where she stands. >> you want to change the whole education system right? you're talking about major changes in the way things are done right now. >> i'm actually -- i am talking about major changes but i also want to be clear that these sort of changes really have only happened in the american educational system. this sort of emphasis on testing in the last 20 years and specifically in the last five years with this incredible emphasis on testing. >> so turn it around you would -- >> i would insist that we have authentic assessments that actually measure what children know. if we want some sort of -- >> again who decides that? are you -- are the participants going to decide? >> well parents certainly have -- are stakeholders right. parents are stakeholders. >> the schools school administrators run the school. >> i would argue that billionaires run our schools because the education agenda as it is set in new york state and other places is largely, there is a naicial nation article that the nine billionaires who are going to change new york state. >> y

sometimes the school education system can be boring and a dry. this can spark something. catherine: kids love money. laura: me too. catherine: i don't know why entrepreneurship is taught more often in schools. especially children raised in poverty would have a greater affinity toward entrepreneurship training. you should seek kiddos. they are about hustling on behalf of their parents. laura: what are the main reasons -- you have a small percentage who fail. what are the reasons for those people who cannot quite get it together? why do they fail? catherine: i would say generally it is because they do not have the resilience to failure. we tell jaiomme and others, you will fail. when you fail, it is ok. we will keep moving along. you have to want to get backup. some people drown in their failure. they are maybe so covered in shame they are not willing to get act. either that, or a lack of a real desire to change. they try and little bit but they do not have the stamina. i think jaime is somebody who could face any obstacle in the world and he is so committed. but transforma

if we create a 21st century system of higher education that provides working americans the chance to acquire the skills they need, that no longer graduates students with mountains of debt and degrees that do not lead to jobs, and that graduates more students from high school ready to work than then our people will be prepared to seize their opportunities in this new economy. [cheers and applause] if we remember that the family not the government, is the most important institution in our society. [cheers and applause] if we remember that all human life deserves protection of our laws. [cheers and applause] and if we remember that all parents deserve to choose the education that's right for their children, then we will have a strong people and a strong nation. [cheers and applause] and if america once again accepts the mantle of global leadership. [cheers and applause] by abandoning this administration's dangerous concessions to iran and its hostility to israel. [cheers and applause] by reversing the hollowing out of our military. by giving our men and women in uniform the resources, t

everybody in the education system and a.p.s. knew that cheating was going on, and your client promoted it. >> reporter: a 2013 state investigation found that as far back as 2005 educators from the atlanta school system fed answers or erased and changed answers after tests were turned in. evidence of cheating was found in 44 schools with 180 educators involved. >> cheating on a sustainedized test is wrong. it's harmful. something ought to be done to make sure it doesn't happen again. i don't know whether it sets a precedent. i hope that people will top and look at what happened. >> one of the largest cheating scannedless is closed. many say the damage done will last a lifetime. >> i do pam emma cleveland apologise to the students, staff members, parents and atlantic public school system. >> reporter: for the former educators that did not take the deal they have 30 days to appeal. the one former educator that did not give a sentence gave birth a few days ago, and she is expected to receive her sentence this august. >>> as we repor

her kids go to the city school system. >> what's missing? >> the lack of educational programs, the lack of recreation systems for these children, people actually being able to believe in them. >> reporter: in the meantime, schools like this are symbolic of a bigger problem a city that many believes has abandoned its kids. back here live in baltimore at north avenue and pennsylvania, before we spend too much time talking about the city's present school system we should remember its glorious past, in 1906, an african american man named thurgood marshall graduated from here and became the first african american supreme court justice. antonio. >> you had an opportunity to talk to another very important baltimore leader. >> in fact he is not only a very important leader, he's a graduate of the school system, elijah cummings graduated from baltimore city high school back in 1969. talked to me exclusively about what he wants the world to know about this neighborhood he calls loam. >> i want them to know that there are a lot of great people here. if you wait a little longer,

we're going to have to reorganize our educational system. we're not going to have elite schools for a handful of people who run everything and then the community college for everybody else. uh-uh. we're now going to have to give proper education, finally, to everybody because that's what the job requires. it's a whole new way of organizing life. we do not have to be prisoners and victims of a system that doesn't work well. we have options. all we have to do is learn from the past experiences of co-ops of all kinds how to build on that to make it possible to change things. and people are doing it around the world and around the united states. you don't have to feel alone. they used to do it as an interesting experience. many of them did it as a religious commitment. many of the communes and collective--come out of all the religious communities. but we now have a new and additional reason-- capitalism, like every other economic system we've had, was born, evolved, and eventually dies, like everything else. it may be difficult to understand and

in the prison system in the jail system and part of -- part of that is because of what happened to them early on. i mean had they at least had a chance at an educationthere would have been a greater chance they wouldn't have ended up incarcerated? >> mr. anderson there is no doubt in my mind there are a lot of people in the prison system who didn't get the right kind of education and as a result resorted to crime at very early ages because they simply weren't able to read and write. >> it also -- i have to say and the judge really hammered this home. it seems like there are a bunch of administrators at the top of all of this who just have not accepted responsibility. one of the attorneys i heard saying well my client didn't directly engage in any cheating -- that is not the point. if you are overseeing this stuff and forcing others to cheat, you are just as culpable if not more so. >> absolutely. it is just like a military commander. military commanders don't necessarily always directly observe what their troops do but they are nonetheless responsible and the same sort of responsibility exists here. >> well mike it's just an extraordinary sentencing

cameron: you've got to have it education system -- have an education system. have to have a well for system thatt make sure that work pays. and you have to have the immigration system. we have shut down the visa factories. people can claim benefits literally on arrival when ed miliband was in the cabinet. there are changes you can make. sturgeon: diversity is one of our great strengths. decisions are immigration should be decided by what is good for our economy. when david came to office, he abolished the work visa. the abolition of that is haunting our universities, making it more difficult for them to attract international students. but it also means that we deprive ourselves of young foreign students. it makes no sense. that -- if there are changes that need to be made in the european union, then surely the best thing to do is to make alliances. it is better to try to work together for that change. i think you get -- i think ukip has shown their true colors. it is all about pulling out of the eu. wood: i would say that if there is a referendum on the from p

california such a great place to be and economic engine for the country, all pivot off of the higher education system that we have. >> the president has come up with an idea of making two years of community college free, much like elementary education and high school education is free these days. what do you think of that idea? >> i like that idea. i like it for several reasons, one is that it creates the expectation that our students should go beyond high school and given the kind of world our young people are going to be graduating into, the more education they can get, the better off they are. now not all students want to go to a four-year university. but those that do will need that option even when -- and i third of our students do, even when they start at community college. >> online education, one of the solutions to bringing the cost down for some students around the country. >> well, i think we need to be careful here. i think the original itrations of online, the massive online courses didn't turn out to be particularly good at producing an educational outcome. students didn't complete the

we had a wonderful education system. queen soraya insisted that people had to have education. they had masters, they were professionals, and they did a great job educating generations of afghans. this is why it are very well -read and educated. they know their history and geography and science. thanks to this one woman. so i think afghan women are really, when they put their minds to it, they are really quite formidable. nina easton: let's talk about you, a role model. you are a lebanese christian in a pretty illustrious family. talk about what your father did. first lady rula ghani: my father came from another background that came to study in lebanon -- in france. i am french educated, by the way. but when he came back, he proceeded to really put together the agriculture of the country. he introduced different varieties of food, new varieties of vegetables. he introduced fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides eventually he got into water treatment, he got into food industries. he was quite a pioneer. he was opposed to become the head of the fao. but my mother said, no, i am no

complugd the supporting documentation and incite by the california lufrgs and should be a part of educational systemnd whereas the district superintendent and staff shall complete a report and recommendation to the board of education therefore, be it resolved that the board of education shall grant the petition subject to the requirements worthwhile. >> thank you, mr. davis i have 5 speakers signed up for comment (calling names) two minutes and again, if the audience could use a silent applause we will have a larger applause at the end of the. good evening and community i'm mike i'm the principle of kip san francisco bay academy our goal tonight to have the approval our charter to continue to have a choice for parents and kids every kids climbs the mountain i started working at kip bayview academy as a science teacher one the reasons i decided to work at kip after working a couple of years in the new york city in the bronx was in every single classroom it was vest it all kids wanting to learn something everyday that's a special thing we're really, really excited to be able to work with the hard work

. >> the federal government would like to assert control of educational systems and rush implementation of a one size fits all set of standard raising concern. >> in ohio g.o.p. in the state house are trying to slash funding. politically this could be a wise move for republicans, common core fell out of the favour with their party, more so than democrats. it set up a game of chicken with the u.s. department of education who could make good on threads to with hold money from children who have little say in the debate. >> joining us to take a deeper look is an isn't professor of urban education, and joins us from chicago. from washington mike is the president of the education think tank the thomas b fordham institute. thank you for being with us. starting with the story of these atlanta educators, convicted of falsifying student test results. mike how pervasive is the problem. what are the pressures causing the educators to go to an extreme? >> you know this was pretty isolated to see this kind of cheating going on at a grand scale in atlanta. it was sickening to see it. we cannot condone

if we create a 21st century system of higher education that provides working americans the chance to acquire the skills they need, that no longer graduates students with mountains of debt and degrees that do not lead to jobs and that graduates more students from high school ready to work, then our people will be prepared to seize their opportunities in this new economy. [cheering and applause] >> if we remember, if we remember that the family, not the government, is the most important institution in our society. [ cheering ] >> if we remember that all human life deserves protection of our laws.. [ cheering ] >> and if we remember that all parents deserve to choose the education that's right for their children, then we will have a strong people, and a strong nation. [ cheering ] >> and if america once again accepts the mantle of global leadership. by abandoning this administration's dangerous concessions to iran and its hostility to israel. [cheering and applause] >> by reversing the hollowing out of our military, by giving our men and women in uniform the resources care and gratitude

and aligning our vision, we can str*erjen the vision among the early child education field and education system. through this new office, we can really strengthen that, as well as support the degree attainment and the way we can raise the wages for early childhood educators so i feel honored this will be both a personal and professional challenge that i'm willing to take, so thank you for listening. any questions? >> thank you. i think we're okay and i think you've already taken all the personal and professional challenges already, but thank you for your interest in this body. okay, i believe september jarrett is up next. >> good afternoon, supervisor, i'm september jarrett and there are some hard acts to follow here

who are really talented who want to go on to teach in places like korea and finland with the education system is doing well. teachers are paid at the level that doctors and engineers are paid. and respected as a profession. frankly we have to put more pressure on states. there are not that many levers we have to encourage days to change the pay structure. i we will editorialize a little bit. this used to be a state in which the promise of education was understood at the state government level and the reason north carolina did better economically than many of the other mid-atlantic states was because of the research triangle and the emphasis on education. my good friend the governor who used to play such a big emphasis on the funding now here in the state and teacher pay is ranking as low as it gets. and so part of it is just pointing that out. hopefully understanding that this should not be a partisan issue. it should not matter whether your republican or democrat. you should want to make sure the schools are successful which require teachers that are motivated, have professional training als

they point to the city's flawed education system.fter all people with a bad education system have nothing to lose when they come here. people who have nothing to lose have to be convinced that one day after decades they have something to gain. >> before we talk about moving forward. you and i sat in a studio from a distance and watched this on television to unfold. what does it feel like you there tonight? >> john, what it feels like here, to tell you the truth is what it felt like when i first got back into town. i worked here earlier. i worked here during 2004 to 2006. when i got here all i could see were boarded up houses and those were the same houses that were boarded up when i left. and those are the same houses that you saw when you came to town. people here are wondering what is going to happen when all of these cameras and all of us go away? are they stuck with the situation in west baltimore? >> is there talk about moving forward? >> there is talk about moving forward. but you hear that among the politico types. people who

, is there something that the educational system as it currently exists could do differently beforeeople follow a life of crime? >> entrepreneurship. >> how could they do it? >> there's been an amazing organization called the network for teaching entrepreneurship biggest be the national foundation for teaching entrepreneurship and i was inspired by the great has been a mentor to me and we use some of the curricula. they have curriculum for high school teachers that taught in school. so they are an amazing or musician but there are other great organizations like junior achievement and so many other organizations but there's one in the bay area called build that is great as well. there are nonprofits that do it at the education system could like make it a part of the curriculum just like math or science to they could say entrepreneurship is a required part of the curriculum as well. >> it makes a lot of sense. debate that could be one of the first license to do it. another person asks how to become a mentor and how do you become a mentor? i love that question whoever asked it, thank y

entering college and matriculating through the public school system and have parents invested in not just their own students their own child's educationalso investing into the public schools in their area, you lose the involvement. >> presley says schools like crystal ray offers opportunity, the corporate money could be better spent - improving the public school system for all students. >> i think that there needs to be a way for corporations to invest in the educational system across the board. >> before joining crystal ray, most of his career was spent in public schools. >> reporter: if you had the power... >> okay >> reporter:..would you make this available to every student in the city? >> if i had the power for every - wow. excuse me. oh, my goodness. here is why i get emotional about this. not every student wants this. and it would there are kids that want change. thank you. there are kids who want better. so those kids that truly want better i would give them the opportunity and share the possibilities and opportunity, but you have to come along for the ride. we are not going to drag you. >> hurts you to think not every student

education. last but definitely not least nancy's infer chancellor of the state university of new york the nation's largest comprehensive system of higher education with nearly half a million students that would compare with about 2500 students. and i want to say five or 6,000 undergraduates in columbia. yes. so very large system. since she became chancellor she has become a local advocate for legislative reform to try to ensure the continuation a broad access at a time when we all no there has been declining states. interested in highlighting the role in catalyzing economic development in the state. active in many state, local national organizations, and national organizations, some areas the particularly interest or are teacher preparation which is something that suny is working on right now. also interested in women's education, university community engagement and much more. before she came to suny she was the president of the university of cincinnati, chancellor at the university of milwaukee in the executive dean of the professional college and dean of the college of education at ohio state. all that said what i have aske

itself intent of the california legislation it is your it should be an international part of educational system and whereas the superintendent and district staff shall complete a recommendation to the board of education regarding the rest of the education therefore, be it resolved the education board should subject to the board by law. >> thank you, mr. davis next t is public speakers i have 5 signed up (calling names) if you could please approach the podium two minutes per speaker. >> hi, i'm alex greg the assist principle let's go bayview (clapping) so my comments will be belief to the board as you can see we have wonderful families that are supporting our school and happy that the success we have is are excellent teachers who also share some of their comments on who was happening at the school i want to share two quick stories about things i think are a show of success first right of refusal the school are placed in academic success we recently got back some of the results from our making testing a national test that is doable 4 times a year this measures their readiness for college in our 7

. >> everybody in the education system and aps knew cheating was going on, and your client promoted it. >> lots of heated exchange in this atlanta courtroom. we will play more of that for you. do not miss this. >>> plus the man who won the masters at 21 years young. he joins me live. jordan spieth talking about what the moment was like and the family member who inspired him -- i see him out of the corner of my eye with the green jacket. we'll chat coming up live. >>> his name jordan spieth. you don't know him? you are about to. the 21-year-old may have just become the most famous player in golf. not only did he just win the sport's most prestigious event, he did it in record-breaking style. nice job. he was the wire-to-wire tournament leader, the second youngest player ever to win the masters. the first player to reach an unbelievable 19 under par at augusta. here is the moment after he sunk the final putt. [ wild cheers ] >> he finished the weekend 18 under, four shots ahead of his closest competitors, phil mickelson, justin rose. winner of the 2015 masters tournament. jordan spieth h

educated. we had a wonderful public school system. to the state university of new york and for graduate state university in iowa and iowa city. so i am a product of moving up through education and one reason why i continue to teach and believe in especially a liberal arts education so that you can have time to find out who you are and what you are. i didn't even know that one could be a writer until i was an undergrad. >> brown: really? that's when books and literature came into your life. >> exactly. >> brown: the idea of writing. i started out as a music major, flunked my audition. i said, what am i going to do? i was in a liberal arts college, i loved history and said i was a history major. but we took a course and read stories by o'connor and i said i'm a double major, history and english. junior year i launched a career of writing and here i am. i loved the idea of allowing one person to grow and discover what he or she can do in life. >> brown: what other writers turned you on besides flannery o'connor. >> hemingway. shortly the

system, whether you graduate or not. i think with all the challenges out there, this is one -- i can't find very many people in higher education -- i'm going to concede there might be one, but i haven't found one yet, who thinks this really adds to the situation stem rather than adds to the confusion in the system that might be there already. while i'm there, let me also, on the other side, the sort of gainful employment side which seems to be particularly focused at the for-profit side of higher education, where are you head tld in terms of what you'd consider a gainful employment allocation between what someone was making and the student loan they were trying to pay off? how would you measure that? >> just to be very, very clear, this is not just focused on the for-profit sector. there are fantastic actors in the for profit sector but very bad actors in the for-profit sector. we had to take action earlier this week and the institution will have a chance to reply. the findings we're putting forward are pretty stunning, pretty egregious. the waste of taxpayers' money which i think none of us can support or feel good about, and

is the educational system broken? >> i think it is. i think it's broken definitely. >> reporter: she should know before a corruption conviction forced her, she was the mayor of baltimore, and before that the president of the city council, before that she studied early childhood education. >> we have to go back to basic fundamental things. when is education going to become the priority in everybody's household, where that's first and foremost before anything else. >> reporter: according to a recent study of more than 800 residents from 55 baltimore neighborhoods, parents expressed dissatisfaction with the schools. they also said schools failed to prepare the children for the future and lacked extracurricular activities. facts not lost on the white house and president obama when he talked about the problems with baltimore's school system. >> if we're serious about solving this problem, we're going to not only help the police, we have to think about what can we do the rest of us to make sure we're providing early education to these kids.