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Presto chango! You're 'graduation ready'
New Jersey just doubled the percentage of students who are "graduation ready" in reading, writes Chrif Cerf, the former state...

Joanne Jacobs
May 17, 20231 min read
3 comments


Americans like merit, but Democrats aren't so sure
Most Americans -- "ordinary people" rather than academics -- believe in merit, writes Ruy Teixeira on Liberal Patriot. They want to help...

Joanne Jacobs
May 16, 20232 min read
15 comments


'Book bans' sound bad, but so does graphic sex in school libraries
President Biden keeps talking about "book bans," writes Andrew Rotherham on Eduwonk. It's become "a nervous tic" for Education Secretary...

Joanne Jacobs
May 15, 20232 min read
6 comments


This time it isn't hype: How AI will change education
Like the web browser and the smartphone, AI will transform society, writes John Bailey on The 74. It's not quite there yet, but it's...

Joanne Jacobs
May 14, 20232 min read
2 comments


Sad, sleepy teens: Will starting school later improve mental health?
Worried about the teen mental health crisis, nine states and a number of major cities are considering mandating later start times for...

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20231 min read
9 comments


Cellphone bans spread: 'This has got to stop'
Schools across the country are banning cell phones in hopes of reducing distractions and refocusing students on academics, writes Donna...

Joanne Jacobs
May 12, 20232 min read
0 comments


Set up to fail: In real life, you've got to show up and do the work
"Equitable grading" is supposed to be fairer to students who have trouble completing homework, getting to school on time and studying for...

Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20233 min read
7 comments


Red, green, yellow, blue: Write a thesis, show it's true
The 3-3-3 paragraph had a thesis sentence with a "subject and attitude," supported by three topic sentences, each of which was supported...

Joanne Jacobs
May 10, 20231 min read
2 comments


It's 'our fault' Johnny and Juanita can't read, says NYC chancellor
New York City's public schools have been teaching reading badly for decades, ignoring research on how children learn to read, said...

Joanne Jacobs
May 10, 20232 min read
2 comments


Why kids need to know 3 x 9 = 27
The ninth-grader needed to multiple 3 x 9 to answer an algebra problem. She didn't have a calculator, and I wouldn't let her go look for...

Joanne Jacobs
May 9, 20232 min read
9 comments


Math wars: What does the 'science of math' say about what works?
Jayden can't read a simple story problem. Mia can't subtract, if she knew that she should be subtracting. Peyton could no more find a...

Joanne Jacobs
May 9, 20232 min read
22 comments


Colorado teachers' union comes out against capitalism
Capitalism exploits "children, public schools, land, labor and/or resources," declared the Colorado Education Association in a resolution...

Joanne Jacobs
May 8, 20231 min read
6 comments


Segregating medical school
Separating medical students into racial affinity groups supports the "antiracist and anti-oppression curriculum," argues an article in...

Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20231 min read
5 comments


Evanston High backs off on segregated math classes
I'm so old I remember when segregation was considered a bad thing. Evanston Township High (ETHS), just north of Chicago, created...

Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20232 min read
16 comments


Texas limits 'action civics'
Civic activism can't be required in Texas public schools if it requires communicating with federal, state or local officials, reports...

Joanne Jacobs
May 6, 20232 min read
4 comments



Joanne Jacobs
May 5, 20230 min read
2 comments


History, civics and reading comprehension go together
The more students know about the world, the better they can understand what they read, writes Susan Pimentel in Education Week. The...

Joanne Jacobs
May 5, 20231 min read
3 comments


Educating citizens: We can do better, but will we?
"The new National Assessment of Educational Progress civics and history results are as deplorable as they were predictable," writes...

Joanne Jacobs
May 4, 20232 min read
10 comments


40% of 8th-graders are 'below basic' in history
Eighth-graders don't know much about U.S. history and civics, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which...

Joanne Jacobs
May 4, 20232 min read
3 comments


The culture war matters
The "culture war"matters for public education, writes Daniel Buck. It's not a distraction, not as the National Education Association...

Joanne Jacobs
May 3, 20231 min read
1 comment
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