What we're reading this week: June 3, 2021
The Education GadflyA RAND report finds that fully remote students were more likely to fail courses and be absent than peers who attended in person, among other adverse effects. —Education Week Forbidding remote learning: Why some schools won’t offer a virtual option this fall.
Fast break: Instilling emotional safety and engaged learning in high schools
Barry E. Stern, Ph.D.Editor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
A student-centric school design must be the rule if we are to build sustainable support for children, families, and educators
Shelton L. JefferiesEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
Partnering with culturally-specific community organizations to provide consistent, expansive, and adaptive mental health services
Christine Pitts, Elizabeth GilkeyEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
SEL for all begins with SEL for educators
Sulina Mohanty, Genesis KellerEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
The common ground on race and education that’s hiding in plain sight
Michael J. PetrilliIn the latest skirmishes in education’s never-ending culture wars—the tussles over critical race theory, “anti-racist” education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in the classroom—common ground is there to be found. Here, for example, are five promising and praiseworthy practices that most of us could get behind, regardless of our politics or our views on other issues, while doing a lot of good for millions of kids.
To address mental health, think systemically about social, emotional, and academic learning
Justina SchlundEditor’s note: This was the third-place submission, out of twenty-five, in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, in which we asked participants to answer the question, “How can sc
A new look at the question of the effectiveness of school turnarounds
Amber M. Northern, Ph.D.Turnaround efforts for low performing schools have been the subject of research interest since their advent in the No Child Left Behind era.
How remote instruction affected learning at the college level
Jeff MurrayStories of successful remote teaching and learning experiences during the pandemic are heartening. But more and better data around those successes are required.
What we're reading this week: May 27, 2021
The Education GadflySchools are struggling to entice students to return to classrooms and build trust with parents from low-income families.
The Education Gadfly Show #771: Same old, same old: How districts are spending federal relief dollars (so far)
We need to admit that school is alienating
Jeff McGuireEditor’s note: This was the second-place submission, out of twenty-five, in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, in which we asked participants to answer the question, “How can schools best address students’ mental-health needs coming out of the
Choosing “all of the above” serves all
Dr. Alex Casillas, Dr. Bonnie A. HainHow can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction? Question #1: Schools can best address the needs of whole learners coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic by:
Relationships are where learning happens
Jennifer L. SteeleEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
Lessons learned from 10 years of pioneering blended learning
Jeff Kerscher, Emily GilbrideIn 1908, the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Model T and introduced a reliable, affordable automobile for the middle class. While revolutionary, the Model T also took twelve hours and 7,882 tasks to assemble 1,481 parts, and increased production time meant increased costs. In 1913, Ford introduced an assembly line and cut production to ninety-three minutes.
Reimagining teacher teams to address students’ mental health
Angela JerabekEditor’s note: This was the first-place submission, out of twenty-five, in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, in which we asked participants to answer the question, “How can schools best address students’ mental-health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
How schools can establish a culture and instructional strategies that benefit all students
Laurie GardnerEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
As schools commence plans to address unfinished learning, here’s how to sequence implementation
CAO CentralHelping students recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the other crises of the past year is likely the greatest challenge that most of today’s educators will ever face. It will take extensive time, skill, and collaboration between leaders, teachers, staff, and families. And it will look different from community to community—and even from school to school.
The primacy of trust: How to create an environment that promotes social emotional learning and academic success
Brooke Mabry, Elliot Ransom, Nina Ryan, Lauren WellsEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
Addressing students' mental health: Early is good, earlier is better
Laura Weeldreye, Margo Candelaria, Ph.D., Douglas LentEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
Four ways schools can expand mental-health supports for students and staff post-pandemic
CAO CentralEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”
Preschool support, sure. Biden’s plan, no.
Chester E. Finn, Jr.The overriding problem with President Biden’s education scheme, as presented in his grandiose “American Families” package, is its focus on more schooling rather than more learning.
The Education Gadfly Show #770: Hooray for Florida’s new school choice legislation
On this week’s podcast, Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up for Students, joins Mik
Was Eli Broad right to try to improve urban districts or should he have focused solely on charter schools?
Dale ChuEli Broad, who passed away late last month at the age of eighty-seven, long sought to rectify the excessively bureaucratic, overly politicized, and woefully underperforming big city school district. But should he have pivoted instead to charter schools?
The effects of immigrant students on the educational performance of their U.S.-born peers
Jeff MurrayAccording to U.S. Census data, 23 percent of students in America’s K–12 schools were either first- or second-generation immigrant children in 2015. That was up from 11 percent in 1990 and 7 percent in 1980.
What we're reading this week: May 20, 2021
The Education GadflyHere’s what these high school students went through as they tried to weather life during the pandemic. —New York Times Universal preschool, if not implemented correctly, could have unintended, negative consequences.
Promoting student well-being is an investment in academic growth
Turnaround for ChildrenEditor’s note: This essay is an entry in Fordham’s 2021 Wonkathon, which asked contributors to address a fundamental and challenging question: “How can schools best address students’ mental health needs coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic without shortchanging academic instruction?”