School & District Management

A Teacher’s Quest to Teach ‘College Success’

By Catherine Gewertz — October 07, 2009 1 min read
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A lot of attention has been given recently to the need to prepare students for college-level work. But as you’ve heard a bunch of times already, being college-ready is not the same as just being academically prepared. Students need a world of smarts about how to pick a college that’s good for them, how to apply, how to get financial aid, and how to manage their lives successfully once they’re on campus.

Some kids are fortunate enough to get this information around their kitchen tables, from their college-educated parents, or at schools rich in counseling resources. But some—particularly students from families with low educational attainment or incomes—don’t get it at all. And it hobbles their ability to make good choices.

A teacher in Ohio has designed a course to tackle that gap, and it’s gaining national notice. Sure, it hits some of the same notes as the federal GEAR UP and TRIO programs, and other schools have designed similar courses. So it ain’t rocket science, right?

But still, here is a former home economics teacher and softball coach who expanded her role into college counseling when she saw a need. When I read the story about her, I couldn’t help but smile and say to myself, You go, girl.

A version of this news article first appeared in the High School Connections blog.