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Surprise! It's not OK to punch the teacher or threaten to blow up the school
Attacking a school staffer or making a bomb threat will no longer be treated as a minor offense in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Joanne Jacobs
2 days ago2 min read
11 comments


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 132 min read
1 comment


Hands on, minds off: Constructing confusion
"Discovery" students are busy and engaged, but not necessarily learning.

Joanne Jacobs
May 72 min read
3 comments


Merit pay is coming to Houston under Mike Miles' go-big-or-go-home plan
Merit pay raised students' scores in Dallas. Now Superintendent Mike Miles is bringing it to Houston.

Joanne Jacobs
May 62 min read
4 comments


How 'anti-racist' ideology hurt the students it was supposed to help
"No excuses" urban charters were closing achievement gaps, until they adopted "anti-racist" and "social justice" ideology, argues a charter founder fired for backing high expectations.

Joanne Jacobs
May 42 min read
8 comments


College students don't spend much time studying
College students don't spend much time studying or working for pay, but expect high grades for little effort.

Joanne Jacobs
May 21 min read
9 comments


Students don't need to like their teachers to learn from them
Students don't need to like their teacher to learn, but they tend to like teachers who teach well.

Joanne Jacobs
May 12 min read
0 comments


More math, more learning in Tennessee
Tennessee districts that analyze student data and reteach topics students didn't understand are boosting middle-school math scores.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 302 min read
2 comments


Georgia tackles 'literacy crisis' -- Will California be next?
Reading scores are up in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee . Other states are trying to follow the leaders. Only one in...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 212 min read
5 comments


Houston's comeback: Structure, direct instruction are paying off
Students are learning more at Houston schools that stress teacher-guided classrooms, structure and order.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 212 min read
6 comments


Scripted lessons are replacing DIY teaching: Will kids learn more?
Schools are moving to scripted, structured lessons and "high-quality" (they hope) learning materials.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 72 min read
2 comments


Don't blame parents for things they can't control
Parents can send children to school rested and ready to learn, but schools have to do their part too.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 32 min read
3 comments


Schools are becoming social services hubs with a little reading and math on the side
Schools are trying to solve every student's every problem, but neglecting their academic mission.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 281 min read
2 comments


If a student isn't learning, who's responsible?
Teaching students to be responsible for their actions is back in fashion.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 272 min read
5 comments


Academia tilts very far to the left: Restoring balance won't be easy
Renaming DEI departments and ending diversity statements won't fix academia's intellectual monoculture.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 242 min read
15 comments


Dump the devices and bring back textbooks
Good, old-fashioned printed textbooks are valuable learning guides.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 202 min read
6 comments


Data-loving district sees big learning gains: Is there too much testing?
Math and reading scores are way up in a high-poverty California district, but some teachers say there's too much testing.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 183 min read
1 comment


How 'Bama got better in math: Crunching numbers, coaching teachers pays off
Fourth-grade math scores are way up in a rural Alabama county that's turned to data analysis and coaching to improve learning.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 182 min read
0 comments


Teachers can't do it all: Let them focus on teaching
Teachers should focus their time and energy on teaching, not DIY curriculum design.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 132 min read
1 comment


Phonics is the first step: What else do students need to become good readers?
Reading comprehension is based on decoding, vocabulary and knowledge, say "science of reading" advocates.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 272 min read
16 comments
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