Penn GSE In the Media

Karen Weaver discussed the college sports landscape and the big questions universities and athletics programs are tackling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Krystal Strong, a member of BLM Philly and a longtime activist in the city, said most protests in the city were orchestrated by groups well-versed in community organizing, such as her organization. She welcomes the new faces.

Howard Stevenson said, “We underestimate the negative effects of swallowing our feelings during racial moments. Research is showing more and more that if we don’t manage racial stress and trauma, it comes out in our health and bodies and sleep.” To make progress, people need to start having hard conversations about race to improve racial literacy — the ability to read, recast, and resolve a racially stressful moment. 

Howard Stevenson said, "Teachers can be incredibly powerful in teaching young people to engage in these conversations rather than avoid them."

Sharon Ravitch joins Angela Duckworth of Penn School of Arts & Sciences in a discussion of leadership, grit, and flexibility.

Karen Weaver said she has seen some ideas to address the crisis, but real strategies are still lacking.

Karen Weaver is interviewed about the issues surrounding college athletics returning in the fall in the face of coronavirus pandemic.

Laura Perna said of colleges’ approaches to the fall 2020 semester, “I think we are going to see a lot of variation.” 

Laura Perna and Jeremy Wright-Kim write that while Pell Grants reduce financial pressures, this does not translate into higher graduation rates.

Jonathan Zimmerman wrote about efforts by those at both ends of the political spectrum to censor certain books in schools. “It’s too easy to mock the conservatives out in Alaska. It’s a lot harder to look in the mirror, and to ask whether we liberals might be imitating them,” he wrote. 

Ryan Baker discussed adaptive learning, which can use algorithms to adapt lessons to individual students, as well as other computer-based learning tools. 

Karen Weaver discussed some issues that colleges athletics programs are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Robert Zemsky, in his new book, The College Stress Test, estimates that 10 percent of the nation’s colleges – smaller schools with poor retention rates – were already at risk of closing. Now, he said, “we think another 10 percent is at risk because of the virus.”

“That’s a big privacy issue, both to lock down your computer and to put some kind of client on your computer to be able to do that," Jonathan Supovitz said.