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'Dismantling oppression' meant destroying effective schools
"No excuses" charters were closing achievement gaps, until "equity" crusaders persuaded them to lower academic and behavioral expectations.

Joanne Jacobs
May 212 min read
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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
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How virtual learning broke a top high school's culture of excellence
Eighteen months of remote schooling broke the culture of excellence at Baltimore's City College high school.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 101 min read
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The way back: Refocus on things schools can do
Schools need to focus on teaching academics rather than trying to end injustice or combat climate change.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 52 min read
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Students need clear expectations, honest feedback
If schools can't hold students accountable, nobody's going to learn anything.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 72 min read
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Teens are doing less homework, earning higher grades
Teenagers are working less and earning higher grades. Everybody's "phoning it in."

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 18, 20242 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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How schools can help poor kids beat the odds: Consistency, collaboration, priorities
Schools that help disadvantaged students achieve focus on consistently good teaching, a strong, shared curriculum and lots of collaboration.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 1, 20242 min read
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'No excuses' model rebounds: 'A lot of anti-racist practices don't work'
Achievement fell in charters that replaced the "no excuses" model with "anti-racist practices."

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 12, 20242 min read
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As absenteeism soars, schools want money for no-show students
Funding schools based on enrollment rather than attendance would be "more equitable," a superintendent told Rick Hess as they waited to...

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 21, 20242 min read
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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
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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
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'No excuses' school guru passes on: Will excellence survive?
Linda Brown, who trained hundreds of charter leaders as leader of (Building Excellent Schools (ES), has died at the age of 81. Many of...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 24, 20242 min read
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Detracking in Shaker Heights: 'Honors' for all, lower expectations
All Shaker Heights students take honors classes -- or classes with an "honors" label. The "enriched" and "advanced" tracks are gone,...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 17, 20232 min read
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'We took care of our kids' -- but they lost a year in reading, math
Juab School District in Utah focused on supporting students emotionally when schools reopened in fall of 2020. “We took care of our...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 7, 20232 min read
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Set up to fail: In real life, you've got to show up and do the work
"Equitable grading" is supposed to be fairer to students who have trouble completing homework, getting to school on time and studying for...

Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20233 min read
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'If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life' ...
My husband says this is "our song." I interpret it as: Have realistic expectations.

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 28, 20231 min read
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Failing college: Covid kids can't do the math
For a year or more, their high school classes were online. Perhaps they returned to an on-and-off schedule with frequent quarantine...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 4, 20222 min read
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Excluding Ophelia: Here's how to justify bias against Asian achievers
Asian-American students teachers earn high grades in advanced classes because teachers hold them to high expectations, argues Jennifer...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20222 min read
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When teachers believe, students achieve
"All students can learn" was the school district's slogan, printed on the stationery back in the era when mission statements were new....

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20222 min read
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