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Merit pay is making a comeback
Some teachers are earning bonuses based on student achievement, evaluations, collaboration with colleagues and taking hard-to-fill jobs.

Joanne Jacobs
4 days ago1 min read
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Who gets the most brains for the buck? Mississippi, Texas and Florida
New York spends a lot on schools and doesn't get much for the money.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 301 min read
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Teachers back tougher discipline, violent students out of classrooms
Half of Colorado teachers say they've been injured by a student. A report calls for creating alternative spaces for disruptive and violent students.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 242 min read
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Let educational freedom ring: Voucher families are buying a la carte classes
Choice scholarships let parents pay for a la carte classes, rewarding schools that serve their needs.

Joanne Jacobs
Jul 32 min read
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Most Americans favor school prayer
As Texas requires public schools to post the Ten Commandments, 57% of Americans support teacher-led prayer in schools; half favor Christian prayers.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 272 min read
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What's a 'good' school? Parents have more choices, need more info
As school choice expands, parents need to evaluate test scores to find a "good school."

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 193 min read
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We've hit 'peak public school,' but what comes next?
School choice is becoming the norm.

Joanne Jacobs
Mar 62 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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Who was the Good Samaritan? Let there be Bible stories in Texas schools
Texas' board of education has narrowly approved a new K-5 curriculum that includes Bible stories , reports Shaun Rabb for Fox News....

Joanne Jacobs
Dec 2, 20242 min read
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Bible stories shouldn't be 'forbidden fruit'
Students won't understand what they read if they're not familiar with the Bible, mythology, history and literature.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 23, 20241 min read
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How good is my kid's school? Good luck figuring out state report cards
State report cards do a poor job of informing parents. IDEA charters want Texas parents to see their ratings.

Joanne Jacobs
Sep 6, 20241 min read
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El Paso puts all students on the path to 8th-grade algebra
Students need to believe they can be "math people," writes Lance Barasch, who teaches algebra at the School of Science and Engineering...

Joanne Jacobs
Aug 30, 20242 min read
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Bible stories should be cultural literacy, not forbidden fruit
Teaching students about religion is fine in public schools, writes Natalie Wexler. "Inculcating specific religious beliefs" is not....

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 21, 20242 min read
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It's cultural literacy, not Bible lessons, say Texas educators
Texas will add Bible stories and religious history to its K-5 reading curriculum.

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 5, 20242 min read
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The Great Renaming: Adios to DEI, hello to 'Belonging' bureaucrats
Is DEI dead -- or just disrupted? Texas' state colleges and universities were forced to close diversity, equity and inclusion offices...

Joanne Jacobs
Jan 5, 20242 min read
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The therapist is online
New York City is offering free online therapy to teenagers 13 to 17 years old, reports Michael Elsen-Rooney on Chalkbeat. Teenagers can...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 19, 20231 min read
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Black homeschoolers plan microschool, if Texas OKs ESAs
Texas may provide $10,400 per student for parent-directed education, if Gov. Greg Abbott can push a compromise bill through a third...

Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20232 min read
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How AZ parents spend ESAs: Specialty schools, private schools -- and karate lessons!
How are Arizona parents spending Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) money? They're paying for educational products and services,...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 10, 20232 min read
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Texas tracks for equity: 'I didn't know honors existed'
California progressives are eliminating advanced math in middle school in the name of equity. In Texas, equity means expanding access to...

Joanne Jacobs
Oct 5, 20231 min read
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No sex shows for kids in Texas: Why is this controversial?
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign a bill that would ban staging "sexually explicit shows in front of children," reports William...

Joanne Jacobs
Jun 6, 20231 min read
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