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Does college pay? Yes for nursing, engineering and econ, no for 31% of programs
Lifetime return on investment for a Stanford English degree is less than $24,000, just under $4 million for a chemical engineering bachelor's.

Joanne Jacobs
May 312 min read
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Why Johnny can't do math
"Experts" tell teachers that students don't need to memorizes math facts, setting them up for failure.

Joanne Jacobs
May 302 min read
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If English majors can't read Dickens ...
Most English majors at two state universities in Kansas can't read and understand Dickens' Bleak House.

Joanne Jacobs
May 293 min read
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No-zero grading lets no-show students graduate: 'Just crazy'
Passing students who don't show up regularly or do the work is "just crazy," says an "A" students -- and many of her teachers in Chicago.

Joanne Jacobs
May 283 min read
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To boost achievement, stop doing stupid things
The first step in improving education is to stop doing stupid things.

Joanne Jacobs
May 273 min read
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Enforcing the no-phones rule: Boredom for students, 'bliss' for teachers
Teenagers are deeply addicted to their phones. Schools must lock the phones away all day to enable them to learn.

Joanne Jacobs
May 263 min read
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Gen Z wants work to be fulfilling and flexible -- and they don't like deadlines
College students want fulfilling, flexible jobs with no deadlines and plenty of "self-care days."

Joanne Jacobs
May 252 min read
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What's next for high school grads? Fewer choose college, more are 'working toward a career goal'
Fewer high school graduates are enrolling in four-year colleges, and more say they're "working toward a career goal."

Joanne Jacobs
May 241 min read
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Religious charters are out -- for now -- but choice is expanding
Charter advocates are happy the U.S. Supreme Court didn't rule that charters are private schools.

Joanne Jacobs
May 232 min read
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Chaos: Is ADHD an excuse for punching classmate and a teacher?
Special-ed rules make it hard to suspend students for fighting, if parents know their rights.

Joanne Jacobs
May 223 min read
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'Dismantling oppression' meant destroying effective schools
"No excuses" charters were closing achievement gaps, until "equity" crusaders persuaded them to lower academic and behavioral expectations.

Joanne Jacobs
May 212 min read
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Suspension rates vary: Is it racism, poverty or ... ?
Black students are suspended more than whites, but the disparities seem linked to behavior and family poverty rather than racism.

Joanne Jacobs
May 202 min read
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Surprise! It's not OK to punch the teacher or threaten to blow up the school
Attacking a school staffer or making a bomb threat will no longer be treated as a minor offense in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Joanne Jacobs
May 192 min read
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DEI buzzwords trigger huge cuts in STEM ed research
DOGE has ordered $773 million in cuts to STEM education research.

Joanne Jacobs
May 182 min read
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Some things you just can't unforget
If education researchers talk too much about "unforgetting," they won't be able to imagine a future in which their work is funded.

Joanne Jacobs
May 172 min read
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AI can help students improve their writing, without doing it for them, says researcher
AI can critique students' writing and get them to improve without doing the thinking for them, says the designer of "Level Up."

Joanne Jacobs
May 162 min read
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Chromebooks are hot, but not in a good way: Should all devices be banned in school?
It's not just smartphones: Classroom laptops are distracting students, say teachers.

Joanne Jacobs
May 153 min read
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Honors for none
"De-laning" -- dropping honors classes at Silicon Valley high schools -- is "an assault on excellence," tweets liberal Democratic congressman in California.

Joanne Jacobs
May 142 min read
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Are children learning? Politicians don't seem to care
Education isn't on the national agenda: Politicians argue about library books and locker rooms, but not about raising achievement.

Joanne Jacobs
May 132 min read
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Mississippi rising: Look South for progress in reading achievement
Mississippi should be a role model for the nation in how to teach reading, along with Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama, but old stereotypes persist.

Joanne Jacobs
May 132 min read
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