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Joanne Jacobs
3 days ago3 min read
Five years to destroy public faith in schools
Public schools' response to the pandemic has caused permanent damage.
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Joanne Jacobs
6 days ago2 min read
Catholic schools are closing: Can tax credits or ESAs save them?
Catholic schools are struggling to compete with tuition-free charter schools.
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 62 min read
We've hit 'peak public school,' but what comes next?
School choice is becoming the norm.
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 52 min read
Ignorance isn't bliss: We need testing to know what students don't know
Testing is essential to improve schools and inform parents.
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Joanne Jacobs
Mar 32 min read
Brits do it. Dutch do it. Even down in Oz they do it. Why can't US have public funding for private schools?
Starting this fall, Minnesota public schools will be required to teach third-graders to use non-binary gender pronouns in their writing ,...
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 283 min read
Teachers: Overparented students are less independent
Students are less independent, more likely to ask their parents to protect them from any effort.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 171 min read
Charter network trains -- and pays -- parents to teach reading
A Denver charter network has trained parents to work as reading tutors.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 173 min read
Johnny, Jelani and Juan can't read: Is it Mom and Dad's fault?
Don't blame parents for children's reading struggles.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 132 min read
Ban phones: Teens spend a quarter of the school day on their phones, says study
Teens average 90 minutes each school day on their phones.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 113 min read
If the scores are bad, should we dump the test?
A majority of black, Hispanic and low-income fourth-graders have "below basic" reading skills. Does it matter?
5 comments

Joanne Jacobs
Feb 101 min read
How do homeschoolers turn out?
Long-term homeschoolers are less likely to earn a bachelor's degree and earn less than non-homeschoolers, but they're happier.
12 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Feb 101 min read
The pandemic's over, but homeschooling is still rising
Homeschooling soared when schools were closed, dropped for two years, and is now increasing again.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 82 min read
Schools' gender, DEI policies pushed parents to the right
Parents have moved to the right, fed up by transgender and DEI policies.
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Joanne Jacobs
Feb 62 min read
81% of teachers, 56% of parents want 4-day week -- but students will learn less
The four-day school week is popular with teachers and parents, but research shows students learn less.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 291 min read
Parents say kids are learning in school, but students say 'meh'
Parents overestimate how well their children are doing in school.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 262 min read
Who's scaring immigrant kids away from school?
"Activists" are spreading hysteria and scaring immigrant kids away from school.
1 comment


Joanne Jacobs
Jan 212 min read
Meritocracy 2.0: Can we celebrate weird geniuses and jocks?
Can we create a merit-based society that's more than a rat race?
8 comments


Joanne Jacobs
Jan 131 min read
Students want A's for trying hard, B's for (mostly) showing up
Gen Z students expect to be graded on effort, not achievement.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 122 min read
Too many toys, not enough fun
American families have lots of toys, but kids get the most play value from the basics, such as blocks.
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Joanne Jacobs
Jan 62 min read
'Give yourself a break' is bad advice: Do difficult things!
Young people need to believe they can do difficult things. Don't tell them they're fragile.
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