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'Teachers don't want combat pay,' they want an end to combat
Raising teacher pay won't raise student achievement or keep teachers from quitting if working conditions are bad.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 24, 20242 min read
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Teachers can ignore curriculum, push their own ideology
Even when schools adopt a well-designed, balanced curriculum, many teachers will ignore the curriculum and do their own thing, writes...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 20, 20241 min read
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Always mediocre, teacher prep is now politicized too
Future elementary teachers get a lot of training in "equity pedagogy" at the University of Florida, writes Scott Yenor in City Journal....

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 19, 20242 min read
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Ready to teach? Unions fight tests, assessments for new teachers
Teachers' unions don't like skills or knowledge tests for teachers -- unless everyone passes. They're too stressful. They're not aligned...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 13, 20242 min read
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Sold a story problem: Start simple, build mastery, says Jump Math founder
Jamal and Maria don't have any apples. Aidan has three Fujis from the supermarket and Olivia has five Honeycrisps from Trader Joe's....

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 4, 20242 min read
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Teachers should keep their politics to themselves, say parents
Parents overwhelmingly say teachers should keep their politics out of the classroom.

Joanne Jacobs
May 31, 20241 min read
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If teachers ban AI for students, can they use it for grading?
Can teachers ban AI for students' writing but use it for grading?

Joanne Jacobs
May 26, 20242 min read
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Ethnomath: Will kids learn more math if it's culturally relevant?
In an attempt to make math "more engaging and inclusive," some teachers are teaching what's called ethnomathematics, writes Hechinger's...

Joanne Jacobs
May 23, 20242 min read
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Deep, rich math: Is it chocolate cake every day?
Students should learn "foundational concepts" in math "deeply and conceptually" through engaging, "rich" tasks, write Jo Boaer and Cole...

Joanne Jacobs
May 23, 20242 min read
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The great reading rethink: What does it mean?
Once students have learned phonics, what's next? Reading comprehension relies on a blend of decoding, vocabulary and general knowledge,...

Joanne Jacobs
May 22, 20242 min read
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Johnny can't read, and he's not in K-3 any more
Students who don't learn to decode quickly and automatically do not improve their reading comprehension.

Joanne Jacobs
May 21, 20243 min read
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Democrats care about equality, but not education, say voters
Black and Hispanic parents may switch from Biden to Trump. Democrats value equality but don't deliver on quality, they say.

Joanne Jacobs
May 18, 20242 min read
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Teacher fired for misgendering gets $360K
School district pays $360K to Christian teacher fired for refusing to follow transgender policy on pronouns, restrooms.

Joanne Jacobs
May 17, 20241 min read
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Degrees for all: How to make day care more expensive, less available
Requiring day-care workers to earn a college degree would backfire, critics said. It would drive experienced people out of the field,...

Joanne Jacobs
May 16, 20241 min read
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Bad teachers: We can get rid of bad rookies, but we're stuck with the veterans
Teacher-evaluation reforms were a flop, explains Tim Daly, who worked hard in his days at TNTP to get bad teachers out of schools. Using...

Joanne Jacobs
May 16, 20241 min read
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Teachers say students' behavior is bad, and getting worse
Half of U.S. teachers say most of their students exhibit poor or fair behavior, according to a Pew survey. The numbers are almost...

Joanne Jacobs
May 15, 20242 min read
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Education degrees don't pay: What can we do about it?
"Majoring in education has a near ZERO return on investment for lifetime earnings," notes Matthew Kraft, citing a new report that...

Joanne Jacobs
May 15, 20242 min read
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Does college pay? Just barely for ed majors, not at all for half of master's degrees
Alex majors in engineering at a public university, while Chris earns a nursing degree. Their return on investment (ROI) -- the increase...

Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20242 min read
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DIY math: Many high school teachers rewrite the curriculum
Many teachers are creating -- or downloading -- their own math materials, according to a recent survey, writes Hechinger's Jill Barshay....

Joanne Jacobs
May 6, 20241 min read
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Mathalicious: 'Out with negative numbers, in with positive feelings'
Numbers, multiplication and "right" answers are obsolete, 22nd-century-skills guru Paul Banksley tells Rick Hess. They're "not...

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 12, 20242 min read
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