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Collapse of for-profit giant ITT Tech leaves high school students in the lurch, too.
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As college students look to transfer credits or get refunds on loans, teens at two charters were suddenly left scrambling for a new plan. - photo by Eric Schulzke
Just as classes were about to start earlier this month, the widely advertised ITT Tech, a for-profit technical college, left 35,000 college students at 127 campuses scrambling for new plans after it announced it was closing down under pressure from the Department of Education.

The sudden announcement came after the Department of Education forbade the company from enrolling students using federal financial aid because it had "significant concerns" about the company's financial stability.

The demise of ITT Tech came after years of outside pressure stemming from the company's enrollment and tuition practices, the Los Angeles Times reports. In 2014, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau sued the company, alleging predatory lending that involved pressuring students to accept high-cost, high-risk private loans, and in 2015 the SEC filed fraud charges against ITT for allegedly hiding financial difficulties from investors.

Most attention focused on the 35,000 college students were left in limbo. Last week, the U.S. Secretary of Education published an open letter to ITT students explaining the regulatory action, outlining their loan forgiveness and transfer options, and urging them not to give up on their education.

"In recent years, ITT has increasingly been the subject of numerous state and federal investigations," Secretary John B. King wrote. "In August, ITTs accreditor, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools determined that ITT 'is not in compliance, and is unlikely to become in compliance with (ACICS) accreditation criteria.' This came amid increasingly heightened financial oversight measures put in place by the Department over the past two years due to significant concerns about ITTs administrative capacity, organizational integrity, financial viability, and ability to serve students."

But college students weren't the only ones affected. Parents of students at two high school charter schools, called Early Career Academy, with one in Michigan and the other in Arizona, were also shocked to learn that their public charter schools were caught up in the maelstrom.

Were at a complete loss. What is our kid supposed to do? the parent of one ECA student told The 74. I think were going to ride this week out to see what happens by the end of this week. In the meantime, were looking into trying to find out what credits he has and where he sits at this point as far as graduating from high school.

As of Monday, the ITT Early Career Academy website was still online, urging students to "Earn a Diploma & an Associate Degree at No Tuition Cost."
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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