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'Diversity statements' are out in North Carolina, Texas ...
Would-be professors will not be asked to pledge allegiance to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to be considered for a job at the...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 1, 20231 min read


Who gets in? Try dartboard admissions
The college admissions race is a waste of time, argues Rick Hess, education policy director of the American Enterprise Institute. Except...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 28, 20233 min read


Algebra: Gateway or barrier?
“What is so magical about algebra as a math requirement?” asked Eloy Ortiz Oakley, former chancellor of California’s community college...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20232 min read


Mediocrity for all isn't equity
In Culver City (CA), ninth- and tenth-grade honors classes were eliminated, reports Sara Randazzo in the Wall Street Journal. Officials...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20231 min read


Down with the college-industrial complex
Young people believe they need a college degree to be considered for a "good job," writes Rick Hess, education policy director of the...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 6, 20232 min read


Exodus: Achievers' families are leaving
As many New York City middle schools end selective admissions, middle- and upper-middle-class parents are considering private schools or...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 26, 20232 min read


Open doors to challenging academics
Challenging classes can help many students -- not just the "gifted" -- excel, writes Vincent Dotoli on Fordham's Flypaper. He heads...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 23, 20231 min read


School board member tweets: 'Whiteness is so evil'
Tweeting "whiteness is so evil" has proven controversial for Kesha Hamilton, who's on the Jackson (Michigan) school board, reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 22, 20231 min read


'Merit' is not the antonym of 'equity'
Four more Virginia high schools failed to tell students they'd won a National Merit commendation, at least not in time to list the honor...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 16, 20232 min read


Tolerating misbehavior undercuts learning
A six-year-old boy shot and nearly killed his first-grade teacher at a Newport News, Virginia school last week. The teacher was...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 11, 20232 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


Most want more focus on academics, less on gender, sex
The red wave turned out to be a purple haze. Moderates outperformed extremists. Democracy did not end. Trumpery lost its luster. An...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 10, 20222 min read


Excluding Ophelia: Here's how to justify bias against Asian achievers
Asian-American students teachers earn high grades in advanced classes because teachers hold them to high expectations, argues Jennifer...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20222 min read


What will replace racial preferences in college admissions?
Based on yesterday's oral arguments, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority appears likely to reject race-based affirmative...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 1, 20223 min read


Without test scores, college admissions is 'chaotic' -- and still unfair
Without SAT or ACT scores, deciding who to admit is "chaotic, admissions officers told Kelly Slay, a Vanderbilt researcher. It's hard to...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 23, 20221 min read


Woke charters stress 'anti-racism,' but parents want excellence
Urban parents' vision of a good school hasn't changed, writes Robert Pondiscio on Education Next. They want "safety, solid academics,...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 14, 20222 min read


Public schools are losing white, middle-class students
Urban school districts are losing students, writes Matt Welch, a public school parent in New York City, in Reason. White, middle-class...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 4, 20222 min read


Is 'equity' the enemy of excellence?
The "exodus of families from traditional public-school districts is a warning message," writes Jessica Levin on EdPost. Focusing...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 4, 20223 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


If the house is haunted, get out
Absurd "racial equity" policies are hurting students who need help the most, writes a self-described left-wing teacher on Wesley Yang's...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 28, 20222 min read
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