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Learn from Mississippi (really) how to improve learning and equity
Black fourth-graders in Mississippi, one of our poorest states, are two-and-a-half times more likely to be proficient in reading as black students in California.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 112 min read
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The Left thinks poor kids can't learn
"Progressives" don't want to believe education reforms can help poor children learn more.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 15, 20253 min read
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Schools that work: Juanito can read at Hoover Street Elementary
Let's learn from schools where disadvantaged children are becoming proficient readers.

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 6, 20251 min read
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University will 'validate' students, lower academic standards
Professors will be asked to relax deadlines, attendance policies and grading standards to help low-income, minority and first-generation students at University of Nebraska Kearney.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 15, 20253 min read
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AFT tells teachers: Don't report child neglect -- or chronic absentees
Teachers are being encouraged not to report suspected child neglect or abuse -- or chronic absenteeism -- to keep families together.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 30, 20253 min read
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Chicago schools get $500K for services: Success won't be judged by student outcomes, says mayor
The success of a "community school" is whether it hires staff and offers programs -- not whether extra services lead to student success -- says Chicago's mayor.

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 5, 20251 min read
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One step forward, one step back: Why ed reform donors are frustrated
Education reformers -- and donors -- have lost heart because it's so hard to create and scale long-term change

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 23, 20252 min read
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Open the door to new worlds: Poor kids have a right to Shakespeare, Bach, Plato
To offer a demanding, powerful curriculum to every child is not elitist. It is egalitarian.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 2, 20251 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 20, 20252 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 13, 20252 min read
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EdChoice vouchers boost college-going and degrees -- but not test scores
Ohio's EdChoice vouchers are under legal attack: A new study says they help disadvantaged students.

Joanne Jacobs
May 9, 20252 min read
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Zuckerbergs give up on holistic, trauma-informed, culturally responsive schools
What if a school provided help with parenting, health and wellness and social services? A Zuckerberg-funded experiment is closing, an apparent failure.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 26, 20252 min read
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Colleges can admit 'diverse' students without racial preferences
Universities can enhance diversity by giving an admissions break to disadvantaged students of all races. It's legal and it's good politics.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 2, 20252 min read
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In a rustbelt city, disadvantaged students are proficient readers
Steubenville's families are struggling to make a living -- but their children are excellent readers.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 21, 20252 min read
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Honesty is the first step to higher achievement, and it's a doozy
As achievement falls, the "honesty gap" grows.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 20, 20252 min read
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What did we get for $190 billion in school aid? Very little
Pandemic learning loss averaged half a year for most students, but the neediest students lost more in reading and math.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 12, 20252 min read
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If the scores are bad, should we dump the test?
A majority of black, Hispanic and low-income fourth-graders have "below basic" reading skills. Does it matter?

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 11, 20253 min read
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Mississippi vs. Masssachusetts: Which state has the best schools?
When states are judged by how well students overcome disadvantages, Mississippi is a winner and high-scoring Massachusetts is mediocre.

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 16, 20241 min read
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Edumania! McMahon is tapped as education secretary
Pro wrestling executive and former Small Business Administration chief Linda McMahon will be the next and possibly last Education...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 21, 20242 min read
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Who's truly disadvantaged? Look at single parenting, not race or poverty
Growing up in a single-parent family is a huge disadvantage in life, writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli in Forbes. If racial preferences...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 25, 20242 min read
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