Part 2 of this series can be read at: Washington K–12 Return to Basics and Core Competencies – A Reform Plan For more than two decades, American education has accumulated reform after reform: standards-based education, testing reform, personalized learning, social-emotional learning, project-based learning, competency-based education, technology integration and, most recently, artificial intelligence. Many of these ideas have merit. The problem is that reform has too often been additive. We keep adding new objectives without removing old ones or asking the most basic question: Are students actually learning what they need to know? Washington should begin answering that question with … [Read more...]
‘A painful reality’: School closures follow shrinking enrollment across the country
This article comes from https://www.idahoednews.org/top-news/a-painful-reality-school-closures-follow-shrinking-enrollment-across-the-country/?brid=YWdncwE40l_v_VDBnKWzuqunWOFp BALTIMORE – School districts around the country are facing a painful reality as enrollments decline. For many districts, there are too many schools for the number of kids they’ll serve in a few years, according to Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University. It’s not a matter of if schools will close but when, as lower birth rates have led to smaller incoming kindergarten classes. “We have this misalignment and it’s making it really painful for districts,” Roza … [Read more...]
Students can’t read
The crisis of students being unable to read is a measurable, generational collapse in literacy that extends from elementary students lacking phonics to high schoolers who cannot comprehend complex texts. 40% of fourth graders cannot read proficiently, and 32% of twelfth graders scored below Basic on the 2024 NAEP reading assessment, the lowest level since the test began in 1992. Key factors contributing to this decline include: Neurological Impact of Technology: The mere presence of smartphones reduces working memory and fluid intelligence, while reading on screens suppresses comprehension-related neural activity compared to paper reading. Reliance on AI: Early use of … [Read more...]
Do lower school suspensions lead to increases in violence?
We asked Gemini the question and here is the response. Do you agree or disagree? The weight of current educational and sociological research suggests that suspensions in lower school (elementary and middle school) do not reduce violence; instead, they are strongly linked to increased aggression, future misconduct, and long-term involvement in the justice system. This phenomenon is often described as the "School-to-Prison Pipeline." Rather than acting as a deterrent, early exclusionary discipline frequently serves as a "turning point" that sets a child on a path toward further antisocial behavior. 📈 The Link Between Suspension and Violence Longitudinal studies indicate that … [Read more...]
Empower Students Through Ownership: How School-Wide Projects Ignite Confidence and Engagement
Today Emily, at www.mightymoms.net shares her newest article When students are given meaningful roles in shaping their school’s initiatives, something powerful happens: engagement soars, confidence strengthens, and learning feels real. Educators who create structures where students own parts of school-wide projects — whether creative showcases, communications teams, or community events — see classrooms transform into ecosystems of agency and collaboration. Quick Takeaways Student ownership turns passive participation into active leadership. Real-world collaboration, like managing school events or designing communications, develops vital life and career … [Read more...]