The GSV Big 10: Remember The Titans

Vinod and Reid live from San Diego, Tutor gets Tik Tok'd, and Big Green athletes say "Show me the money!"

BONUS: 🎥 Talks With Titans: Vinod Khosla And Reid Hoffman | Dash Media

7,200+ people attended the 15th annual ASU+GSV Summit. Additionally, the AIR Show (AI Revolution) was a smash hit, with 15,000 registrants in its inaugural year. In Vinod’s excellent interview with former Forbes publisher Rich Karlgaard, he argued that technology that saves teachers time will give them time to save kids. Reid Hoffman’s discussion with former editor of the Wall Street Journal, Marcus Brauchli, zoomed out to talk about policy frameworks and confidence in institutions (or lack thereof). Notably, he did not provide reflections on Inflection.

1. ASU+GSV 2024 Conference Notes | On Edtech

   An observer’s take on the ASU+GSV Summit and AIR Show. While me, myself, and I thought this year’s event was the best yet and flawless 😉, we appreciate the feedback. Clearly, everybody understood that AI was in the AIR. This was an interesting take on the strong focus on higher education and online learning. We’re just happy when they spell our name correctly.

2. ACT To Become For-Profit, With Investment Firm Collaboration | The Gazette

   So now it’s official…ACT and its perpetual rival ETS have long been “profitable” not-for-profits. What’s recently been a headwind is once again a tailwind, as standardized testing returns an important part of college admissions. Moreover, we expect private equity and its ~$5 trillion AUM to be active in converting not-for-profit entities into for-profit models and privatizing athletic departments.

3. FAFSA Submissions From High School Seniors Are Down 27.1% | K-12 Dive

   As Ronald Reagan famously said, the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: “I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help.”

   Yes, it’s big. Yes, it’s complex. But, it’s also unconscionable that you could put these aspiring college students in the land of limbo when they are in most need of support.

4. Minnesota Parents Are Drowning In High Child Care Costs. Lawmakers Threw Us A Brick This Session. | Minnesota Reformer

   In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, there are plenty of places to drown. Creating options for high-quality, affordable child care is one of the biggest issues preventing equality for kids. Color me skeptical on families routinely spending 50% of their income on childcare, but even the “target” of 7% is not possible for many young families. Providing excellent child care for all families is foundational for giving children equal access to the future. Rich kids have Mary Poppins, poor kids get Miss Trunchbull. Famously progressive Minnesota needs to make some progress on this front.

5. Higher Education Will Take Center Stage In 2024 Presidential Election | Diverse Education

   You say tomato, I say tomáto. Higher education is an increasingly hot topic. One side is focused on forgiving $1.7 trillion of debt for a big swath of potential voters. The other side has employers and donors who see a misalignment of priorities on college campuses. In 2011, 86% of people felt higher ed was “worth it.” By 2023 that number had fallen to 42%. The rallying cry has recently swung from “College For All!” to “College At All?”

6. Tutor.com’s Ownership By Chinese Firm Raises Student Data Privacy Concerns | Higher Ed Dive

   Tutor.com is getting TikTok’d. President Xi has said very explicitly that China needs to win the AI arms race, and to be the victor, he’ll need the data. Florida’s Department of Education has turned up the heat in terms of scrutiny, with the US-China relationship continuing to be a bridge over troubled waters.

7. There’s Already A Solution To The STEM Crisis: It’s In High Schools | The 74 Million

   If you’re not engaged, you are not learning. Finding ways to make learning fun (or at least more interesting) is fundamental. Our themes of Invisible Learning, Hollywood Meets Harvard, and RoboEd are all ways to create a more effective personalized learning experience.

8. Most Student Loan Borrowers Say They’ve Delayed Major Life Events Due To Debt: Gallup | The Hill

   Money doesn’t grow on trees, and in a world of limited resources, people are forced to make choices. Tuition continues to increase – with all-in ticket prices of $105k for public schools, $225k private, and $345k for “Ivy+.” This is contributing to the rise of young people living with their parents (with more than one in three of 18 to 34 year olds in that boat). Disruptor alert: this unsustainable situation is a ripe opportunity for innovators.

9. Dartmouth Will Oppose Its Basketball Team Union | WSJ Opinion

   With all due respect to the Big Green, the reality is that Dartmouth sports doesn’t generate a lot of BIG GREEN. The concept of the student-athlete is under attack by many powerful forces. We’re rooting hard for the Dartmouth administration to hold the line and show some leadership in this upside down World of collegiate athletics.

10. Sticker Prices Increasingly Fail To Capture College Costs, Research Finds | Higher Ed Dive

    The massive difference between list price vs. actual cost of college has been an open secret for years. Transparency issues like these feed into the growing disillusionment felt towards these institutions…Americans’ confidence in higher education has fallen from 57% in 2015 to 36% in 2023.