Displaying 1-30 of 17917 results
College class discussion
Commentary
4.3.2025
Evidence-Based Learning, Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

The best colleges for political diversity

Michael J. Petrilli

It is decision time for the high school class of 2025, with commitments due to colleges by May 1. Among the many factors that students might consider when deciding whether a college is the right fit for them is the political climate on campus. Simply put, are both liberals and conservatives relatively well represented in the student body?

College class discussion
Kevin Stitt
Commentary
4.3.2025
Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

Waiver and out: How red states plan to push the limits of federal ed policy

Dale Chu

Red states are lining up to test just how much leeway they can get from Uncle Sam’s education mandates, with some pushing for block grants that would allow them to consolidate federal aid into a single grant with few spending restrictions.

Kevin Stitt
Fordham Gadfly image
Commentary
4.3.2025

What we’re reading this week: April 3, 2025

The Education Gadfly

Prolonged school closures and shifting rhetoric have undermined Democrats' once-clear commitment to education as a transformative force. To regain their edge, Democrats must refocus on student learning and outcomes, rather than just education spending.

Fordham Gadfly image
Fredrik deBoer
Commentary
3.27.2025
Curriculum & Instruction, Teachers & School Leaders

Freddie deBoer is right about one thing, not everything

Michael J. Petrilli

The writer Freddie deBoer makes one really important point about the ed reform movement: We have overpromised and underdelivered because we ignore the obvious truth that some kids are smarter than others. Where he’s wrong is in thinking that this one good point makes the whole reform enterprise a waste of time.

Fredrik deBoer
Scantron
Commentary
3.27.2025
Accountability & Testing, Curriculum & Instruction, Teachers & School Leaders

New Nation’s Report Card disappoints—but shouldn’t surprise

Martin R. West

The latest Nation’s Report Card dashed hopes that U.S. students might have finally closed pandemic learning gaps. The results show reading scores are down nationally in both fourth and eighth grade, compounding declines on the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP.

Scantron
Students in a classroom
Commentary
3.27.2025
Evidence-Based Learning, School Finance, Governance, Private School Choice

Do education savings accounts increase the cost of private school tuition?

Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.

Education savings accounts (ESAs) are taxpayer-funded spending accounts with differing eligibility requirements and usage guidelines depending on the state. Between the 2021–22 and 2022–23 school years, participation in them nearly tripled nationally, rising to roughly 489,000 total students.

Students in a classroom
Fordham Gadfly image
Commentary
3.27.2025

What we’re reading this week: March 27, 2025

The Education Gadfly

New research shows that Democrat-leaning states saw greater pandemic-related learning loss, especially in math, likely due to longer school closures.

Fordham Gadfly image
Cat
Commentary
3.20.2025
School Finance, Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

LOLCats: A real efficiency effort for our schools

Michael J. Petrilli

Set aside for a moment the debate about whether Elon Musk’s DOGE is an honest effort to cut waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government. Let’s ask a different question: What would a serious effort to get more bang from our education buck look like?

Cat
Road sign with two arrows
Commentary
3.20.2025
Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

Education at an inflection point

Dale Chu

For generations, the traditional public school has been a bedrock institution in American life.

Road sign with two arrows
Lamar Alexander
Commentary
3.20.2025
Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

Trump needs to call Lamar

Andy Smarick

Editor’s note: This was first published on the author’s Substack, Governing Right.

Lamar Alexander
Fordham Gadfly image
Commentary
3.20.2025

What we’re reading this week: March 20, 2025

The Education Gadfly

Reflecting on his own Hasidic education, this author argues that, while cultural preservation is important, public officials should ensure that all children gain basic skills to ensure that they have the freedom to choose their future.

Fordham Gadfly image
U.S. Department of Education building
Commentary
3.12.2025
Governance

11 thoughts about the massive layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education

Michael J. Petrilli

Trump administration officials announced on Tuesday that they are laying off 1,300 employees at the U.S. Department of Education. This is on top of nearly 600 people who had already taken early retirement or buyouts, as well as another 60 probationary employees who had already been fired. This brings the agency’s headcount down from about 4,100 to about 2,200, a major reduction. Here are some thoughts on the situation as we understand it now.

U.S. Department of Education building
Giving money
Commentary
3.12.2025
School Finance, Curriculum & Instruction, Governance, Teachers & School Leaders

Should schools pay students to attend remediation programs?

Alina Adams

When my middle child was in high school, nothing I said or did could keep him from dropping out. But what if I’d tried paying him?

Giving money
Bridge construction and gap
Commentary
3.12.2025
Accountability & Testing, Teachers & School Leaders

The return of accountability

Tim Daly

During a January 29 town hall in Washington to discuss dismal new test results, Harvard professor Marty West—who serves as the vice chair of the board that oversees na

Bridge construction and gap
Student working in a library
Commentary
3.12.2025
Evidence-Based Learning, Curriculum & Instruction, Teachers & School Leaders

Barriers to teaching and assessing “soft skills”

Heena Kuwayama

Academic skills alone are not enough for students to find success later in life, whether in their career specifically or in their broader participation in s

Student working in a library