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Don't worry. Be happy. There's no 'reading crisis' -- if we lower expectations
Lowering the definition of "proficient" reading would end the "reading crisis," writes education professor. But one-third of students are very poor readers.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 312 min read


Michigan raised school spending -- a lot -- and fell farther behind
Michigan is spending more on schools and students are learning less.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 302 min read


Who gets the most brains for the buck? Mississippi, Texas and Florida
New York spends a lot on schools and doesn't get much for the money.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 301 min read


Feds will fund job training for all, but will short-term programs pay off?
Federal Pell grants will find job credentials for low-income Americans, but many job programs have weak results.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 292 min read


AI + school is replicating: Is Alpha the future?
Alpha is exporting its AI-empowered "2 Hour Learning" across the country, but will it work if it goes virtual?

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 283 min read


Get computers out of class, and don't let AI in
Digitizing classrooms hasn't improved learning. AI will make it worse.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 272 min read


Teaching kids to serve the collective undercuts ambition, achievement
Taught to serve the collective -- or, at least, the government -- students earned less as adults.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 262 min read


Mystery of the missing middle-schoolers
Seeking stronger academics and less disruption, parents are choosing private schooling and homeschooling over public middle schools.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 251 min read


Teachers back tougher discipline, violent students out of classrooms
Half of Colorado teachers say they've been injured by a student. A report calls for creating alternative spaces for disruptive and violent students.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 242 min read


Loving the liberal arts: Some students want more than a credential
Students want to read great books and talk about the meaning of life, but college administrators don't see the value, writes a philosophy professor.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 232 min read


Physics students learn more from the professor than from each other
Student-led discussions fail less-prepared physics students -- they need the professor -- but work for well-prepared students.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 222 min read


Why Johnny can't calculate: Teachers follow the vibes, not the evidence
Math teachers should focus less on whether students can do math and more on "valuing the community," says leading professional group.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 213 min read


When a kid's BFF is a bot
Kids need to interact with human friends -- not endless supportive bots.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 202 min read


Indiana teens combine high school, apprenticeship -- but programs are “infinitesimally small”
"Earn and learn" programs for high school students are very small.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 192 min read


Food truck lessons: What does a taco cost? How do you turn a profit?
Running a food truck teaches business skills, teamwork and cooking to fifth- and sixth-graders in Texas.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 191 min read


Civility and conformity
Professors teach conformity to progressive orthodoxy.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 182 min read


To get into elite colleges, agree to disagree (but avoid politics)
Diversity is out for college applicants. Civility is in.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 182 min read


Going fuzzy: NY drops exams for 'portrait of a graduate'
A fuzzy "portrait of a graduate" will replace New York's Regents exams.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 172 min read


If AI kills the market value of a degree, how many colleges will survive?
AI is destroying the value of a college degree -- everyone's cheating -- and taking entry-level jobs from new graduates.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 162 min read


You don't have to be Christian (or conservative) to love parental rights
Parental rights to control their children's upbringing apply to progressives, not just to religious parents.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 152 min read
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