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'D' is for 'didn't show up or do the work'
“You’ll have a kid who does nothing for the whole semester, and then last two weeks of May or June, they’ll do a couple assignments and...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 4, 20231 min read
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Take a deep breath: NYC schools will spend $31,434 per student
New York City schools are spending more while enrolling fewer students, reports Kristina Watrobski for Crisis in the Classroom. Since...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 1, 20232 min read
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'Like a Surgeon'
Teachers in Houston's turnaround schools will be treated like surgeons, pledges Superintendent Mike Miles.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 31, 20231 min read
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Houston school plan: No disruptive kids in class -- and no librarians
Teachers will earn more and have "apprentices" and aides to handle mundane chores. They'll use scripted curricula instead of spending...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 31, 20232 min read
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Traumatizing math students
There's no evidence that "trauma-deformed pedagogy" (oops, "informed") helps students learn more, writes Max Eden, an American Enterprise...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 27, 20233 min read
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What works in teaching English (discussion) may not work in teaching math
The most effective use of class time depends on the subject, concludes a study conducted in high-poverty English high schools, reports...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 26, 20231 min read
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Trouble with teachers: Why there's no post-Covid rebound
A crisis in classroom teaching quality is forcing school systems to "abandon once-ambitious student recovery plans," concludes a report...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 26, 20232 min read
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Chaos: I tried to teach for America, and I failed
"Too many teachers mistake the generally sound advice to not provide a stand off with a student during class with "don't assert authority...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 18, 20233 min read
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Doing more of what wasn't working won't help kids catch up
"If we really want to narrow gaps and make up for pandemic-related learning loss, we need to change what and how we teach -- especially...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 13, 20231 min read
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ACE worked in Dallas -- till the money went away
You get what you pay for, writes Hannah Putnam on the NCTQ blog. Bonuses persuaded highly effective teachers to take jobs at...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 12, 20231 min read
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Why I won't hire a tutor for my daughter
Alina Adams' daughter didn't learn any Spanish in ninth-grade Spanish 1. Her New York City school couldn't find a permanent teacher, so...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 11, 20231 min read
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NX in NYC: No show, no work, no test, no problem
When New York City schools closed in March 2020, students struggled to log on to remote classes and complete assignments. So education...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 11, 20232 min read
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Good news in Tennessee
Tennessee's focus on tutoring and summer school is paying off, report Marta W. Aldrich and Kae Petrin on Chalkbeat. Scores are up for the...

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 3, 20231 min read
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Set a bot to monitor a bot: Is the TA hallucinating?
Are two bots better than one? Georgia Tech is hoping its old-tech AI tutoring bot will keep its new-tech AI chatbot from "hallucinating,"...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 28, 20232 min read
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What does the green light on the dock mean? Ask Gatsby
"Persona chatbots" emerging on platforms like Character.AI can let students talk to James Madison about the U.S. Constitution, writes...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 28, 20232 min read
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Why Johnny can't read in Oregon
Oregon schools, which once outdid national averages, produced "jaw-dropping declines in student outcomes" during the pandemic, and now...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 27, 20232 min read
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Ya gotta believe in 'the other CRT' if you want to teach
"Culturally relevant teaching" has spread rapidly, but it's getting some push back, writes Michael Torres on City Journal. "Families,...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 21, 20232 min read
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'It's heartbreaking to realize I never taught my students to read'
Hoping to share her love of reading, Bridget Scanlan became an "intervention" teacher working with struggling readers and special-ed...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 20, 20232 min read
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38% of ed schools get 'F' in prepping teachers to teach reading
Thirty-eight percent of teacher-education programs are failing to prepare future teachers to teach reading using the most effective...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 20, 20232 min read
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Teachers are thriving in charter, private schools
Teachers, Facing Increasing Levels of Stress, Are Burned Out, according to a March story in the New York Times. That seems to be true for...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 13, 20231 min read
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