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Train teachers to teach -- not to be guides on the side
Teach teachers how to teach effectively or the robots will take over.

Joanne Jacobs
Apr 152 min read


The great disenchantment: Does edtech help kids learn?
There little evidence learning tech aids learning, and many complaints that it's bad for students' attention spans.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 131 min read


NEA trains teachers in activism, self-care and 'the future of trans'
The NEA's online courses favor progressive fads over teaching.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 30, 20251 min read


A radical idea to improve schools: Do what works
Doing what works -- and avoiding fads and ideology -- would improve learning dramatically.

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 28, 20252 min read


Math teacher was trained on equity, culture, but not how to teach math
At a well-respected graduate school of education, a former engineer learned about equity, culture and identity, but very little about how to teach math.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 29, 20253 min read


To win back public-school parents, be like Mississippi
Education reforms are working in the South, and they can work in blue states too, if there's political leadership.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 26, 20253 min read


Why 45% of 12th-graders are 'below basic' in math
Nearly half of 12th-graders do not have basic math skills. Many teachers aren't well trained in how to teach math.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 18, 20252 min read


Civics teachers 'don't know what they can and can't say'
Civics teachers don't agree on the goals of teaching civics, and fear controversy.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 9, 20252 min read


Public schools must be neutral on politics (and religion)
Public schools must work to regain public trust by focusing on academics, not politics.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 28, 20252 min read


Alabama is leading the way on math teaching: How states can improve
Alabama shows how a very poor state can improve math achievement.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 4, 20251 min read


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 13, 20252 min read


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 21, 20252 min read


Covid broke public schools: Let's build a 'future-ready' system
Education's "new normal" is horrifying. Let's build a new education system out of the ashes.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 17, 20252 min read


What did we get for $190 billion in school aid? Very little
Pandemic learning loss averaged half a year for most students, but the neediest students lost more in reading and math.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 12, 20252 min read


Getting better: How Louisiana is raising reading and math scores
How Louisiana is raising reading scores and hoping to improve math achievement.

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 3, 20253 min read


New teachers 'don't understand how kids learn to read'
A majority of Wisconsin students -- about three out of five -- score below "proficient" on state tests, write Danielle DuClos and Kayla...

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 12, 20242 min read


Let teachers learn from teachers -- not ed profs -- in the classroom
Education schools are doing a poor job preparing new teachers for K-12 classrooms, writes Beanie Geoghegan of Freedom in Education in...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 26, 20241 min read


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


Reading revolution: It's a lot more than 'back to basics'
States are jumping on the "science of reading" bandwagon, writes Sarah Schwartz for Education Week. New York, Massachusetts, Indiana,...

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 2, 20242 min read


Do teachers learn how to teach reading? 19 states are 'weak' or worse
There will be no reading "miracles" without effective teachers, warns the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in a new report....

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 16, 20242 min read
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