Parents crusade against children being exposed to screens in school, questioning the use of AI and social media. Here’s a problem. Many states have mandated the Science of Reading for young children in the name of scientific evidence; they and local school districts have invested millions in programs that often involve heavy screen use. The […]
The New York Times Mistaken Ideas About NCLB!
Recent reports lamenting poor test scores seem to suggest returning to the good old days of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The New York Times recently led the way, reporting, Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline.’ Bring NCLB back? When did it leave? Isn’t it a big part of why public schools […]
Recess: Still Denied!
I recently had to double-check the report’s date. American schools have been quietly killing recess to focus on test scores—and pediatricians are warning it’s a mistake, by Laura Ungar, which began in the late 1980s. But there it was, 2026. Children are still not getting the academic breaks they need to be healthy. Weren’t the […]
Teachers! Appreciate Them Now. They Soon Could Be Gone!
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! While the treats and accolades teachers get this week are, I’m sure, welcome, public school teachers deserve better. Let’s examine what has been done to the teaching profession, roadblocks to great teaching, and how conditions could be improved. Corporate school reform has reshaped Americans’ thinking about public school teachers, pushing for […]
America’s Students Need Great Public Schools for Science!
Do Americans understand that great public schools are necessary for scientific advances? While many worry about serious science issues or marvel at amazing scientific accomplishments, who’s looking at the science instruction children receive in school today? Ask students what did you learn about science today? Are they excited? If they don’t seem to have an […]
Robert Sweet’s Early Influence on The Science of Reading
Today’s Science of Reading (SOR) was born of a right-wing conservative phonics focus. A Nation at Risk helped advance that messaging, and one of the messengers was Robert Sweet, Jr. As the country mandates the Science of Reading (SOR) and invests heavily in unproven programs, marketing disputes flourish over which best align with so-called evidence. […]
Grade Retention: The Debate Had Its Day, Now End It!
The permanency of retention and the message it sends students may have long-term effects on self-esteem and school attachment that may override even short-term academic benefits (1995). ~Melissa Roderick, the Hermon Dunlap Smith Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, the University of Chicago Sometimes failing at a task or endeavor […]
The Science of POOR Kindergarten Reading Instruction
The push to have kindergarteners read through standardized drilling of sounds is one of the main reasons I distrust the Science of Reading (SoR). It’s hard to disregard how children develop, their age, and any disabilities they may have. It seems like poor reading instruction. The74 recently gave a good example, even though they likely […]
About that School Trump Referred to in the State of the Union Address…
Donald Trump never mentioned public schools in his State of the Union Address, though February 23-27 was designated to celebrate them. A good President would have tipped their hat to the 3.8 million teachers who take up the challenge of teaching most of America’s students in their public schools. Instead, Trump, who has always appeared […]
A New National Reading Panel? It Depends
… I believed that because of its weaknesses, the report was dangerous in its potential for misuse. ~ Joanne Yatvin, from Education Week (2003). Educator, former president of the National Council of Teachers of English, and member of the National Reading Panel (1997-2000). In 2021, I advocated for a New National Reading Panel (NRP). It […]