To the Editor:
The Daily Orange recently published a story about job prospects for School of Education graduates ("Graduates face uncertain job prospects," Feb. 11). The story, by Abram Brown, asserts that the School of Education "has the lowest job placement rate of any college at SU." That assertion is based on questionable interpretation of data from a 2007 placement survey by Syracuse University's Center for Career Services (CSS), and to proclaim that the School of Education has the lowest placement rate based on that data is misleading at best. Here's why: The information in the CCS survey is based on a very small sample of 2007 School of Education graduates (less than 50 percent). While 47 percent of the students who responded (13 in number) indicated they found jobs in their fields, another 47 percent said they would be attending graduate school, a typical and often necessary career path in the field of education. According to CSS, for the purposes of their survey, graduate school is regarded as full-time placement; therefore, a more accurate reflection of School of Education placement for the class of 2007 is 94 percent. Given the current state of the economy, these are daunting times for anyone - not just recent college graduates - seeking employment. However, to suggest that graduates in education face a more challenging route to job placement than graduates of other schools and colleges is simply not true, and it would be most unfortunate if students considering careers in education were dissuaded by stories like Mr. Brown's that misrepresent the reality of the situation.
Patrick Farrell
Director, Communications
Syracuse University School of Education
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