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82% of teachers say K-12 ed is getting worse
Eighty-two percent of teachers say public education has gotten worse in the last five years, according to a Pew survey. Fifty-three...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 8, 20241 min read


Why I quit teaching: Pay was OK, but not the loss of autonomy
Ben Stein quit teaching after 20 years as a teacher and coach in the West Des Moines school district, he writes on USA Today. He was...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 2, 20242 min read


Maybe the cure to math anxiety is to teach kids math
Timed tests cause math anxiety, according to Jo Boaler, a Stanford math education professor who's been charged with "reckless disregard...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20242 min read


Is there a good-teacher gap? Maybe not
Measuring teacher quality is tricky, and that makes it hard to tell if there's a good-teacher gap, writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli in...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 27, 20242 min read


Teachers aren't unhappy or underpaid
Most teachers like teaching, enjoy the flexible work schedule, live comfortably and are no more likely to quit their profession than...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 26, 20241 min read


Lowering expectations doesn't lead to 'equity'
It's easier to get A's and harder to get an education, writes Fordham's Michael Petrilli. Expectations started falling and grades...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 20, 20242 min read


Old school: Strict and safe is making a comeback
"Super strict schools" are "increasingly popular" in England, writes Emma Bubola in the New York Times. She focuses on Michaela, an...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 18, 20242 min read


Teach the children: 'Is the Soviet Union a country?'
Teaching is "oppressive." Teachers should "guide" students to discover things on their own, based on their interests, but shouldn't...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 16, 20242 min read


Quitters rarely prosper: Most ex-teachers earn less
Most teachers who leave their jobs don't earn more eight years later, reports Sarah D. Sparks in Education Week. Most who left a large...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 14, 20241 min read


School funding is up a lot, but teacher pay is not
Public school spending rose by 25 percent per student in inflation-adjusted dollars from 2002 to 2020, reports the Reason Foundation....

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 14, 20241 min read


Teaching science and social studies improves reading (and math)
After a long battle to persuade educators they need to teach phonics, systematically and explicitly, the science of reading has moved on...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 12, 20242 min read


Top marks for low expectations: 'Rate your teacher' surveys could backfire
Asking students to rate their teachers is a dubious way to evaluate teachers' competence, writes Vladimir Kogan, a Ohio State political...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 8, 20242 min read


Schools need more male teachers, mentors, role models
More boys are growing up without fathers, and fewer men are becoming teachers, writes Richard V. Reeves, president of the American...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 5, 20241 min read


How to teach math well: There are wrong answers
Engineering, computer science, accounting, finance and medicine will not be options for people who couldn't find the lowest common...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 4, 20242 min read


AI tutoring is ready for prime time
Artificial intelligence is generating laughs -- but not much respect -- due to the implosion of Google's Gemini tool. (It's not just the...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 2, 20242 min read


'Don't say gay' when you're supposed to be teaching fractions
One out of three classroom teachers are working under "gag orders" that limit their speech on gender, sexuality and critical race theory,...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 26, 20242 min read


What about math? Schools focus on reading, not so much on math
Many schools are training teachers, hiring tutors and changing curricula to improve reading instruction, writes Holly Korey on The 74....

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 22, 20242 min read


Teach old, 'problematic' books
Teach old books, argues Daniel Buck, author of author of What Is Wrong with Our Schools?, on Fordham's Flypaper blog. Yes the language...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 19, 20241 min read


Rewarding good behavior works -- but what about the love of learning?
Awarding "points" for good classroom behavior improves behavior -- without destroying intrinsic motivation, writes Emily Oster on her...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 13, 20241 min read


No extra credit for Kleenex: 'Equitable grading' is honest -- not easy, says advocate
"Equitable grading" isn't a strategy to inflate grades and lower expectations, argues Joe Feldman, author of Grading for Equity and CEO...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 13, 20242 min read
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