top of page


Teachers' union takes aim at graduation exam in Massachusetts
Massachusetts could roll back reforms that made it a model of educational excellence.
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 16, 20242 min read
8 comments


Up, up and away: 'Recalibration' is raising AP exam scores
Advanced Placement scores were released this week, and they're higher than ever. But not necessarily because students are learning more....
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 10, 20243 min read
4 comments
NY will graduate critical thinkers and 'global citizens' who can't pass tests
New York plans to let students earn a high school diploma without passing Regents exams.
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 28, 20242 min read
9 comments


$190 billion in federal relief raised achievement -- but not very much
The federal government gave schools $190 billion in emergency funding during and after the pandemic. The extra money helped students...
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 27, 20243 min read
3 comments


Politicizing humanities leaves grads still seeking deep, impractical learning
Colleges have politicized the humanities, leaving graduates feeling cheated of a liberal arts education.
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 22, 20242 min read
4 comments


When 96% pass science, but only 16% meet standards on the test
San Diego 11th-grade students are passing classes, but failing proficiency tests.
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 14, 20241 min read
5 comments


Chicago spends $29k per student for 19% math proficiency
Chicago Public Schools doubled per-student spending since 2012, according to a report by the Illinois Policy Institute. Achievement is...
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 14, 20242 min read
10 comments


'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
17 comments


School's out early: Some students get much less class time than others
Some students get less class time -- and usually learn less.
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 11, 20242 min read
5 comments


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
6 comments


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...
Joanne Jacobs
May 10, 20242 min read
6 comments


How a middle school kicked the phone habit
Smartphones are a major classroom distraction, say nearly three-fourths of high school teachers and a third of middle school teachers in...
Joanne Jacobs
May 5, 20242 min read
0 comments


Principals' problems: 'Hate' transcript is AI hoax, but drag queen at the prom is real
Eric Eiswert was suspended as principal of a Baltimore County high school when an audio transcript was released apparently showing him...
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 26, 20241 min read
1 comment


The 12-hour school (and child care) day
A New York City charter school is boosting enrollment by offering a 12-hour day, including breakfast and dinner, at no extra cost to...
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 13, 20242 min read
1 comment


82% of teachers say K-12 ed is getting worse
Eighty-two percent of teachers say public education has gotten worse in the last five years, according to a Pew survey. Fifty-three...
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 8, 20241 min read
13 comments


Practice works for football -- and math
How do you get to Carnegie Hall -- or a football championship? Practice, right? The same applies to learning math, writes Holly Korbey on...
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 1, 20241 min read
7 comments


Classical ed -- seen as 'a white child's education' -- is thriving in the Bronx
Are the liberal arts conservative?, asks Emma Green in a New Yorker story about the revival of "classical education." A growing number of...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 25, 20242 min read
3 comments


Four years after 'two weeks to flatten the curve' ...
Four years ago, schools across the country closed their doors. It was supposed to be for two weeks or three or . . . Most schools stayed...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 22, 20242 min read
9 comments


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
13 comments


Old school: Strict and safe is making a comeback
"Super strict schools" are "increasingly popular" in England, writes Emma Bubola in the New York Times. She focuses on Michaela, an...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 18, 20242 min read
6 comments
bottom of page