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Grandin: Educate the visual thinkers too
Our society and our schools aren't designed for "visual thinkers, which so many of us neurodivergent folks are," writes Temple Grandin, a...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 14, 20231 min read


Employer: Don't tell us where you went to college
Rick Singer was sentenced to 42 months in prison this week for helping wealthy parents bribe and scam their children's way into...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 6, 20232 min read


College is 'worth it' for those who want to learn -- which isn't everyone
Students' desire to learn is the key to college success, writes Jonathan Malesic, who teaches writing at the University of Texas at...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 4, 20232 min read


A diploma track for students who say 'no' to college
Indiana's state board of education is allowing districts to create diploma tracks for students who want to enter the workforce...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20221 min read


They earned a diploma, but they need help to succeed in jobs, college
How do you judge a high school's effectiveness? Graduation rates don't mean much: It's easy to raise the graduation rate by lowering...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20222 min read


Poverty is down, but can they fish?
Fewer people are living in poverty, but not because they're earning more, writes Jon Baron on The Hill. We're doing better at giving...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 10, 20222 min read


'Be all you can be' works for black soldiers
Enlisting in the Army raises earnings for blacks, writes Jeff Murray, citing a new study. Army Service in the All-Volunteer Era by West...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 9, 20221 min read


Paid jobs put teens on career paths
Career and technical education (CTE) programs are surging across the country, but most students don't end up in those careers. In...

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 9, 20222 min read


Future jobs: Compete with robots or design them?
Throughout my newspaper career, I asked young people about their career goals. There was a time when the high achievers wanted to be...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 27, 20222 min read


Reinvent high school, but how?
Fordham's 2022 Wonkathon is looking for ideas on how to reinvent high school: What policy barriers get in the way? If we all agree that...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 13, 20221 min read


School choice is a winner
School choice advocates did well in the midterms, writes Mike McShane, national research director of EdChoice, in Forbes. Governors Ron...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 9, 20221 min read


What skills does a web developer need? What about a truck mechanic?
What does it take to be a web developer or a truck mechanic or a personal-care assistant? Texas State Technical College has built a free,...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20221 min read


Students don't know how well they're doing or what their choices will be
Most students are "in the dark about their own learning," according to Data Quality Campaign’s new national poll of high school students,...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 12, 20221 min read


Why does Kalamazoo Promise work for women but not men?
The Kalamazoo Promise, which guarantees college scholarships to all graduates of the Michigan city's schools, has increased college...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 10, 20222 min read


'Ungrading' college
Many colleges have dropped admissions tests to promote diversity and equity: Applicants who grew up with educated (or Asian) parents and...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 7, 20222 min read


Drop college mandates for jobs before the next $400 billion bailout
Forgiving student loans -- if it survives a legal challenge -- is estimated to cost $400 billion to $500 billion or more. That means...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 30, 20223 min read


Career tech pays off in Massachusetts
Students at career-tech high schools in Massachusetts are more likely to go to college and earn more than similar students who take a...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 21, 20222 min read


Low-status, low-cost colleges can be a good deal for low-income students
University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley accepts more than 80 percent of applicants, most of whom come from low-income families. Thanks to...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 8, 20222 min read


Students go farther when they have a plan
Connor Opdahl began planning his future in eighth grade, writes David Tobenkin on The 74. Wisconsin requires students to develop an...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 29, 20222 min read


The Big Blur: Rethink high school, job training, college
Linking high school, work-based learning and college is an idea whose time may have come, writes Javeria Salman in the Hechinger Report....

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 29, 20222 min read
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