By Matt Reed. This isn’t my first first day of school, but every single one brings fresh hope with it. More...

By Matt Reed. 9/11 memories.
September 11 is a generational marker in my house; The Wife and I remember it vividly, but The Boy was only three months old at the time, and The Girl was just a twinkle in someone’s eye. More...

By Matt Reed. What if we rebuilt the financial aid system around the ways that students actually live? Sara Goldrick-Rab takes an admirable shot in Paying the Price. More...

By Matt Reed. Although the title of the blog refers to confessions, there isn’t a lot of confession in it. But here’s one: many of my best ideas in life have come from other people. More...

By Matt Reed. I don’t know if regional accrediting agencies have the equivalent of SWAT teams. I don’t mean cops rappelling down buildings yelling “hup!” like in The Blues Brothers -- though that would be cool -- but rapid-response teams. More...

By Matt Reed. How the Chicago debate differs from the realities of a community college student body. More...

By Matt Reed. I know that back-to-school advice often falls on deaf ears, but I feel honor-bound to give it a shot. I’ll outline a very common scenario, offer some thoughts, and ask my wise and worldly readers for theirs. More...

By Matt Reed. “How many students does a section need to have to run?” 
Even after all these years, small-section triage is one of the worst parts of the countdown to a new semester. It’s complicated and probabilistic, and nobody notices when you get it right. More...

By Matt Reed. Pro tip from someone who learned the hard way: If you want to annoy a fifteen-year-old, just say “Drake sings like his voice is changing.” More...

By Matt Reed. Star Trek’s 50th anniversary just passed. I’ve enjoyed introducing it to the rest of the family. The Girl really enjoys the Kirk/Spock version, as do I, and it’s fun to see which ones she responds to. More...