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Joanne Jacobs
May 17, 20242 min read
Schools in England will teach 'biological sex' -- not 'gender spectrum'
Schools in England will not teach students about "gender identity," under a new government draft guidance, reports Andrew McDonald for...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 16, 20241 min read
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,...
4 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 16, 20241 min read
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...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 15, 20242 min read
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...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 15, 20242 min read
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...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 14, 20242 min read
Berkeley middle-schoolers march on Jewish preschool
My granddaughter will start day care in a few months at a Jewish community center. It was my daughter's first choice, but she also...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20241 min read
College is a good bet -- with financial aid -- for lower-income CA students
Earning a degree at a California community college or state university is a good bet for students from low- and moderate-income families,...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 13, 20242 min read
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...
3 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 12, 20242 min read
Columbia faces suit for not protecting custodians from 'bratty' agitators
When pro-Palestine protesters broke into a building at Columbia University, they told custodians they couldn't leave, charged the...
3 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 12, 20241 min read
Disrupted graduations create a feel-bad moment for higher ed
College commencement ceremonies are supposed to be joyful, writes Hechinger's Liz Willen. This year, some students will graduate on...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 11, 20242 min read
Teaching depression: Mental health programs can make students feel worse
Mental health awareness campaigns aimed at teenagers may backfire, writes Ellen Barry in the New York Times. While the truly troubled may...
4 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 10, 20242 min read
California voters may require 'financial literacy' class
The banker told the college-bound students how to open a checking account, write a check, make a deposit and balance the account, and...
6 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 9, 20241 min read
$1 million for boys kicked out of high school for greenface photo
Two 14-year-old boys were kicked out of their Catholic high school in 2020, because a three-year-old photo of them in green acne masks...
6 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 9, 20241 min read
Gaza war is not top issue for college students
Only 8 percent of college students have protested the war in Gaza -- on either side -- according to a new Generation Lab survey, reports...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 8, 20241 min read
Include Jews -- or dismantle DEI?
The proposed Antisemitism Awareness Act is "profoundly misguided,"argue Christopher F. Rufo and Jenin Younes. The bill would allow...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 8, 20242 min read
Don't trust the speech police
Jews must defend free speech, including hate speech against Jews, argues an editorial in Tablet, a Jewish publication. Jews "have an...
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Joanne Jacobs
May 8, 20242 min read
New university creates space for debate, but it's not 'safe'
The new University of Austin -- the first class of 100 undergrads starts in fall -- wants to be a "pluralistic community" for discussion,...
5 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20242 min read
'Balderdash'
Brian Conrad, a math professor and director of undergraduate math education at Stanford, is guilty of "academic and professional...
3 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 7, 20243 min read
It's 'MATH-ish' -- but is it math?
Stanford will not investigate a complaint accusing Education Professor Jo Boaler of “reckless disregard for accuracy” by misrepresenting...
6 comments
Joanne Jacobs
May 6, 20241 min read
Kids can learn a lot more math -- and have fun -- in kindergarten
Kindergarten math may be too easy, writes Holley Korbey for the Hechinger Report. The focus is on reading. Math expectations are low. In...
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