An Education Worth the Price?

Q. So where do professors who want to teach go today?

A. We have noticed that a lot of good teaching professors have ended up at the community colleges. Some community colleges that we've seen are really a lot better than people think, and might even be better, in many cases, than the four-year colleges or universities. One school we visited — Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg, N.J. — had very small, intimate classes and teachers who really cared.

Q. What else do you hope people take away from your book?

A. Most of us value education so highly that we haven't asked questions; we are a little intimidated. In the past, people didn't question their doctors or the health care system, and now we do. That same kind of change needs to happen in higher education.

Betsy Towner lives in California.