American Morning
Education secretary: H1N1 vaccines can't come soon enough
The CDC has revised its swine flu estimates today to say that 4,000 people have died from H1N1. The virus is hitting schools so hard in some cases they've been forced to shut down altogether. About 350 schools were forced to close because of swine flu last week alone.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/12/duncan.cnn.art.jpg caption=" Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says everyone must work together to keep students safe from H1N1."]
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spoke to Kiran Chetry on CNN’s American Morning Thursday. Below is an edited transcript of the interview.
Kiran Chetry: We'll be talking about a new initiative you guys are launching today. First, swine flu is on the minds of a lot of parents and a lot of teachers out there. How should schools be dealing with swine flu right now?
Arne Duncan: I've actually been really proud. I think schools have done an extraordinary job of trying to stay open in keeping sick students at home. We're actually seeing declines in the number of schools closing. We've been working very, very hard on prevention, making sure students are washing their hands frequently and thoroughly, coughing into their sleeves, not into their hands.
Now we're really moving into the chance to get vaccinations. And we want schools to be open and many schools around the country are opening their doors so that students can receive vaccines within those school buildings. We think that's very, very positive. Obviously, parents have the option, the choice of whether or not their students will receive the vaccine. I can tell you my wife and I are going to make sure that when the vaccination is available for our children that they will receive it.
College costs reach record high... But there is hope
Editor's Note: Ben Kaplan is the publisher of CityofCollegeDreams.org and the creator of Scholarship Super Camp. The online camp provides personal guidance from Ben–via a series of video workshops, group Q&A chats, and essay help sessions–that shows you how to maximize financial aid, win college scholarships, and save on student loans.
By Ben Kaplan
Publisher of CityofCollegeDreams.org
These days, many students and parents are asking a simple question: How can college costs continue to rise even when families like ours face lower incomes and less job security?
Unfortunately, the answer isn't an easy one: The combination of state funding declines, plummeting college endowment valuations, and record student enrollments has put upward pressure on tuition prices, even in the midst of economic recession.
The result: According to a recent report by the College Board, tuition and fees at 4-year private colleges rose 4.4% to $26,273 per year, while tuition and fees at 4-year public colleges rose 6% to $7,020 per year (in-state students) and $18,548 (out-of-state students).
In turn, it's no surprise that many more students are applying for need-based financial aid. According to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), 9 out of 10 colleges have seen an increase in the number of financial aid applications they received this year-with two-thirds experiencing a dramatic increase of 10 percent or more.
And that's not all: More students than ever are appealing their initial financial aid awards. In fact, nearly two-thirds of colleges have seen the number of "professional judgment" appeals increase by at least 10 percent.
The bottom line is this: Financial aid officers are busier. Budgets are stretched thin. As a result, it's even more important than in past years to get your financial aid forms in early and meet a college's priority financial aid deadlines.
More fruits, less fries at school lunch
School lunches could be getting a nutritional overhaul, and just like at dinnertime, kids may be pushed to eat their veggies. Dr. Virginia Stallings is the director of the nutrition center at the famous Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and she was in charge of the group that put together the list of recommendations.
Stallings spoke to John Roberts on CNN’s “American Morning” Tuesday. Below is an edited transcript of that interview.
John Roberts: Let's take a look at the recommendations that you're coming up with here. First of all, more fruit at breakfast, more vegetables at lunch. You also have an indication here that you want to limit starchy vegetables. Also, more whole grains, low fat milk, less sodium. The goal among high school students is to reduce the sodium intake by 50% over ten years, and no skipping of vegetables. It sounds like a no-brainer and sounds like something that we try to do every day.
Virginia Stallings: Very good. Well, I think the committee would agree with you, but we do see this as the beginning of a very good start in overhauling the school lunch and breakfast programs. With this, we really will align what we know in nutrition, science, and child health, and make this really large, important program support those two components.
Roberts: So there's a big difference between what students should eat and what they want to eat or what they do eat. So how do we get them to get on board with this idea of healthy choices?
Stallings: Well, you know, it's an important part of the whole program now. We've learned that students are pretty sophisticated consumers. So we've got to balance this. The children and the families will all be asked to be a part of really thinking about the menus, even doing taste testing. Those sorts of things. And then we also know that for children of all ages, that being exposed to foods over and over again ultimately will help with the acceptance. … The last part is we hope that we can combine some of the new foods with some of the other activities in school, so that they can be part of science class or French class or whatever.
Do kids need more time in classrooms?
Shorter summer breaks... 9-hour school days...
Kids may hate it, but President Obama argues American students are way behind compared to students in other countries. He says longer school days and a longer school year is a way to level the playing field. CNN's Alina Cho reports.
Schools banning the president's pep talk
When the president gives his back-to-school pep talk today at noon, students all over America will be listening.
The text of the speech has been posted online for parents to read, but some schools still don't want their children to hear it. CNN's Gary Tuchman went out to find out why.
Program Note: Watch President Obama's back-to-school speech live on CNN at noon.
Obama to students: Education key to future
(CNN) – The White House released the text Monday of a controversial back-to-school speech to students from President Obama. Many conservatives have expressed a fear that the address would be used to push a partisan political agenda.
In the text of the speech, however, Obama avoids any mention of controversial political initiatives. He repeatedly urges students to work hard and stay in school. Full Story »
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/09/07/obama.school.speech/art.obama.school.afp.gi.jpg caption="The uproar over President Obama's back-to-school speech led the White House to release the transcript Monday."]
Prepared Remarks of President Barack Obama
Back to School Event
Arlington, Virginia
September 8, 2009
The President: Hello everyone – how’s everybody doing today? I’m here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we’ve got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I’m glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it’s your first day in a new school, so it’s understandable if you’re a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you’re in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could’ve stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn’t have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday – at 4:30 in the morning.
About this Show
Welcome to the American Morning blog where you can get daily news updates from American Morning's reporters and producers. Join us for "the most news in the morning," weekdays from 6-9 a.m. ET, only on CNN.
On Twitter
