Biography
I retired to Santa Fe NM in 1999 after 29 years at Kellogg, The Center for Urban Affairs, and Medill where I held several administrative appointments at each, as well as pursuing research and teaching in labor markets, unions, and collective bargaining.
For the last 23 years I have been concerned with PreK-12 education. New Mexico ranks at or near the bottom of state level education and child welfare rankings. There are many reasons for this, but poverty and single parent families are significant contributors to these rankings. Single parenthood causes high levels of tardiness and absenteeism as in the parent must work but a younger sibling is ill, so the older sibling must stay home. As this occurs frequently throughout the school year, learning suffers. Poverty and attendance problems mean many students come to school hungry, tired, and unready to learn. Most students are on free or reduced lunch and many schools send food home on weekends. Failure to learn in grade school leads to high dropout rates early in high school and graduation rates in the high 70’s, low ’80s. Those students who do graduate and go on to community college, must take several remedial English and math classes before they can tackle college-level work.
I have been privileged to engage in hands-on activities in the schools and to serve on not-for-profit boards that are concerned with these issues. To participate, I have had to self-educate on the literature in this field especially the contributions of faculty associated with the successor to the Center for Urban Affairs. Combined with a commitment to opportunities for hiking in the area and the world, and gym membership, I continue to enjoy retirement and look forward to many more years.
h-juris@northwestern.edu