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Merit is not a myth
If I wanted to prevent disadvantaged or "marginalized" students from doing well in school, succeeding in college, learning a career or...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 27, 20222 min read


Data science vs. calculus
California's proposed math guidelines claim to promote equity by offering a data-science alternative to the traditional...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 19, 20222 min read


An 'incomplete' for 'equity grading'
What does an "A" mean? Does "C-" signify "almost satisfactory" or "learned very little but got some extra credit points?" The push to...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 6, 20222 min read


How Asians excel: It's the culture
Harini Logan, 14, of San Antonio, Texas holds the National Spelling Bee trophy with her family. Photo: Reuters Don't tell Asian-American...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 5, 20222 min read


A vote for merit in San Francisco
San Francisco Mayor London Breed replaced the recalled school-board members with three parents (clockwise from top left): Lisa...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 5, 20222 min read


Mayors: Don’t limit new charters
Families want and need new charter schools, write a bipartisan group of mayors in an open letter to Education Secretary Miguel Cardona....

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 15, 20221 min read


‘Diversity’ is required, but it must be ‘critical’
Northern Arizona University will require all students to take four Diversity Perspectives courses in Global Diversity, U.S. Ethnic...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 6, 20221 min read


Feds: No free lunch without LGBTQI+ conformity
School cafeterias are not segregated by gender or sexuality in any state in the union. School sports teams, restrooms and locker rooms,...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 2, 20222 min read


CA school officials must report threats — or not
Photo: Pixabay California school officials would be required to report any “perceived threat” of a mass shooting to law enforcement under...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 1, 20221 min read


Multiple math paths to where?
California’s proposed new math framework offers a “choose-your-own-adventure approach” that is “fundamentally flawed,” argue Jennifer...

Joanne Jacobs
May 24, 20222 min read


Teach students to meet deadlines, handle stress
When schools closed and classes went online, expectations fell. Some students had trouble accessing classes or younger siblings to tend...

Joanne Jacobs
May 19, 20222 min read


Trying is not the same as achieving
Grading students based on effort rather than achievement is spreading from P.E. class to academic classes in high schools, but...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 20, 20222 min read


‘Rigor’ is a Potemkin village
High school rigor is often a facade, writes Natalie Wexler on Forbes. It’s a “Potemkin village.” High school graduates in the class of...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 20, 20222 min read
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