top of page


Glittering prizes: Can non-elite college grads become masters of the universe?
It's college application time again. Ambitious 12th-graders are polishing their essays, wondering if mentioning their grandmother's claim...
Joanne Jacobs
Dec 9, 20242 min read
2 comments


What do you want to do when you grow up?
Working-class Americans voted to send Donald Trump back into the White House: He ran strongly with people without college degrees ,...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 7, 20242 min read
5 comments


How schools can help poor kids beat the odds: Consistency, collaboration, priorities
Schools that help disadvantaged students achieve focus on consistently good teaching, a strong, shared curriculum and lots of collaboration.
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 1, 20242 min read
0 comments


Vo-tech is STEM prep: Needy kids can't get in to learn a trade
High-needs students have a hard time getting into vocational-tech schools in Massachusetts, reports the Boston Globe. Most of the highly...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 19, 20242 min read
16 comments


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
10 comments

'Data literacy' will widen STEM gaps
I was willing to swear a solemn vow to not major in math or science in college, I told my teacher. All I asked was to get out of trig....
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 5, 20232 min read
13 comments


Focus on who gets out of poverty, not who gets into Harvard
Obsessing over who gets into elite colleges and universities is an odd preoccupation for progressives, argues Francisco Toro on...
Joanne Jacobs
Jul 25, 20232 min read
7 comments


Leaving college for a factory job gave me dignity, security and opportunity
The U.S. Supreme Court is about to rule on whether President Joe Biden has the authority to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans by...
Joanne Jacobs
Jun 29, 20232 min read
0 comments


Who gets tech internships?
"Big tech" internships offer excellent pay, challenging work and valuable networking opportunities, writes Natasha Singer in the New York...
Joanne Jacobs
Apr 11, 20231 min read
5 comments


Florida Atlantic wins upward mobility tournament
Florida Atlantic University beat Memphis in the closing seconds of the first game of the NCAA tournament, and play Farleigh Dickinson...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 19, 20231 min read
1 comment


Columbia goes 'holistic,' dumps SAT/ACT requirement
Columbia University, know for its core curriculum in humanities, has become the first Ivy League school to drop SAT/ACT scores as an...
Joanne Jacobs
Mar 9, 20232 min read
0 comments


Algebra: Gateway or barrier?
“What is so magical about algebra as a math requirement?” asked Eloy Ortiz Oakley, former chancellor of California’s community college...
Joanne Jacobs
Feb 23, 20232 min read
18 comments


Excluding Ophelia: Here's how to justify bias against Asian achievers
Asian-American students teachers earn high grades in advanced classes because teachers hold them to high expectations, argues Jennifer...
Joanne Jacobs
Nov 3, 20222 min read
1 comment


Why does Kalamazoo Promise work for women but not men?
The Kalamazoo Promise, which guarantees college scholarships to all graduates of the Michigan city's schools, has increased college...
Joanne Jacobs
Oct 10, 20222 min read
32 comments
bottom of page