Joanne Jacobs
Why are Dept of Defense schools so good?
The highest-scoring school district in the country isn't a school district, reports Sarah Mervosh in the New York Times. The "Defense...
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Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 30
- 2 min
Scared of Halloween: Ghoulies, ghosties and DEI beasties
Halloween has been canceled at schools in New Jersey's South Orange-Maplewood School District. No costumes, no parades, no...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 29
- 2 min
Shut up, they explained
Cancel culture -- "campaigns to get people fired, disinvited, deplatformed, or otherwise punished" for dissenting from orthodox views --...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 28
- 1 min
Cursive! Taught again in California
California students will be taught to write in cursive, reports NPR. A new law signed -- in cursive -- by the governor takes effect in...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 27
- 1 min
SAT scores fall, as the number of test takers rebounds
Despite the surge in colleges going "test optional," the number of students taking the SAT "is growing back to pre-pandemic figures,"...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 27
- 2 min
Rich kids, smart kids
Wealthy parents raise high-scoring children, according to new SAT and ACT data, reports Claire Cain Miller in the New York Times....
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 26
- 2 min
America needs strivers
Rewarding mediocrity is a losing strategy for America, writes Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion 3.0, on Education Next. U.S....
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 25
- 2 min
'A' is for 'awesome,' 'awful' and 'average'
"The most popular high school grade in America" is "A," writes Tim Donahue, who teaches high school English at Greenwich Country Day...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 24
- 2 min
Oregon keeps grad requirements low: No need for reading, writing, math competency
Oregon won't require students to show mastery of reading, writing or math to collect a high school diploma, reports Sami Edge in The...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 24
- 2 min
'Mastery learning' means lots of testing, and choices about what's essential
U.S. students should get a high school diploma when they meet state standards in core subjects, writes Checker Finn. It doesn't matter...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 23
- 2 min
To help left-behind students, get 'butts in seats'
You can't win if you don't play. The only way to improve student achievement is to "get butts in seats," writes Jessica Grose in the New...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 22
- 1 min
How to say you're sorry -- not 'sorry, you misunderstood me ... '
Rayna Freedman, who teaches fifth grade in Massachusetts, teachers her students how to apologize, reports Kara Newhouse for KQED's...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 21
- 2 min
When inclusion isn't enough: The new buzzword is 'belonging'
"Belonging" has joined "diversity," "equity" and "inclusion" (and sometimes "access") as the newest buzzword on college campuses, writes ...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 20
- 1 min
'Smartphones are kryptonite for learning'
Schools are going phone free to remove distractions in class and encourage students to socialize in their free time, report Meg Oliver...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 20
- 2 min
Teens need shop class - not 'technology ed'
Students need to get up from their desks, away from their screens and into shop, home ec and other hands-on classes, opines Pamela Paul...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 19
- 2 min
Teens spend 4.8 hours a day on social media, says Gallup
U.S. teenagers average 4.8 hours a day on social media apps such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter),...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 18
- 2 min
Repeating a grade can help elementary students succeed
Holding kids back if they're way behind in reading is very controversial, but new research shows that repeating a grade in elementary...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 17
- 1 min
You can't give 'Hop on Pop' to a 7th-grader
Middle schoolers who read at the first, second and third-grade level won't read "baby books" and can't read grade-level books, says...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 17
- 2 min
Why so many parents mistrust schools: They didn't teach our kids to read
"When schools fail to teach reading, it harms the public's trust in schools," writes Kendra Hurley in Slate. Her children's Brooklyn...
Joanne Jacobs
- Oct 16
- 1 min
'Diversity' officials widen racial gaps, harm minority students
Hiring a "chief diversity officer" doesn't close achievement gaps, concludes an analysis by Jay P. Greene and Madison Marino of the...
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