I'd rather see a move to consolidate all of the region's community colleges into one school w/ many campuses- all w/ the same tuition- so that DC students do not have to pay a premium to take classes not offerred at UDC.This integration of all of the community colleges would make the area more unified and stronger.Our local "leaders" , IMO , are far too dim - witted to even consider such an idea.
The drive to create a new wholly separate entity is so wrong-headed it's bound to succeed. The interests are aligned:
(1) It is an opportunity for the mayor's administration to have another project over which they can have tight control, make patronage/job decisions, etc. (Working with existing institutions would reduce their power over the process.)
(2) Land will have to get shuffled around, and the usual suspects (developers/growth machine) will benefit, and they will give back to those in power.
(3) It is an initiative to improve education, and even though it's a mediocre tactic, the fact that anything is being done on the issue will garner sufficient public support to give them free reign. (cf. DCPS)
Tim
p.s. does anyone have any ideas on how to short-circuit the above triad?
Well Tim, I keep getting "schooled" that good ideas and the right evaluation aren't enough... your third point is so spot on.
If I can really get the Citizens Planning Coalition relaunched a big part is the think tank aspect, to go mano a mano with the other think tanks in terms of policy proscriptions.
But by comparison, producing reports is easy, getting access far more difficult.
Tim, please send me an off line email, rlaymandc@yahoo.com
HAHAHA!
This made me think. Why not just annex DC into Maryland?
Sound idea, and Tim's laid out the obstacles. You would think shrinking Federal dollars and rising tuitions would cause IHEs to do more cooperating, less competing.
A regional system COULD offer economies of scale, more options for students, more attraction for quality teachers/ professors, less competition for dollars, etc.
MZ -- DC can never afford to be absorbed into MD. Then it would give up its 100% collection of income tax, which is something no other city enjoys. That revenue stream is too strong but not strong enough to let it get frittered away on projects in places like Harford and Carroll and St. Mary's Counties...
Although, DC should contract for access at in-state rates to the Maryland State supported post-high school institutions...
Though there are a few administrative hoops to jump through, I've found it quite simple to go back and forth between the community colleges of Maryland and Maryland's state universities. I have attended Montcomery, Howard, and Anne Arundel CC's, UMUC, and UMD. It is a lot of paperwork, but transferring credits is pretty simple otherwise. The question would be should we integrate a DC community college into the University of Maryland System?
I imagine that there would be a huge fight over whose tax dollars would pay for what, and who should be in charge, and where the headquarters ought to be.
Perhaps DC residents could get a "kind-of-in-state" tuition rate in the mean time.
In any event, I'd love to see a new community college occupy part of the old Saint Elizabeth's. It would make it look like it's been a city institution for decades (like it should have been!)
DC students pay out of state tuition right now if we want to attend community colleges in Md or Va which is absurd. There is absolutely no valid reason why this should be in place. It is red tape- and I am against red tape. Having a regional community college would eliminate much of the red tape and many bureaucrats and redundancies. DC does not have to be absorbed into Md for this to happen- and it should not have to require an act of Congress to get it started.
Community Colleges in Virginia are not paid really that local. Like most things in the Commonwealth, they exist because of a decision and funding in Richmond. Richmond is not going to agree to letting NOVA spin off to some regional system. I do think, though, we need some sort of tuition sharing agreement. Where DC, MD and VA all pay in state rates wherever they choose to attend community colleges. The lack of quality higher education -- I've always contended -- is the real drawback that prevents more families (and particularly immigrants) from moving to DC. (Local schools can be fixed by virtue of just moving into a neighborhood. Hence, decent schools in Ward 3. But without educational opportunities that UMD, UVA and NOVA and Montgomery College represent -- it's all non starter. It's a deal killer in many ways as an adult. I'm a big fan of lifetime learning and it's too often cheaper to go to a private college in DC than taking a community college class in MD or VA. That just ain't right.
Christopher
sounds like a great idea and very little red tape could accomplish this.
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