Reasonable people can disagree with what
@benshapiro
argues here. But the fact that his sensible argument is almost invisible in education press, ed schools, & ed advocacy, speaks to the field’s profound ideological bubble.
Ending teacher licensure would enable school leaders to recruit & more fully leverage all available talent.
And it’d allow would-be teachers to bypass the ed-school gauntlet of intimidation & reeducation.
These are good things.
At
@NRO
.
An accomplished NYC charter school leader is labeled a white supremacist & fired for wrongthink. His offense? He insists that *all* students should experience “intellectual joy” . . . We may truly be through the looking glass.
I’ll be curious to see what
@Northeastern
says about a professor openly proclaiming that she hates half of the university’s students. Does this reflect Husky values like “empathy” & “inclusivity”? If so, I trust this standard will be applied consistently.
I wish I’d been introduced to this Frederick Douglass speech back before I taught high school civics.
It’s a glorious meditation on America’s profound ideals, prodigious failures, and towering capacity for self-betterment.
Happy birthday, America.
If Betsy DeVos had tried to quote FDR or JFK to score a political point and wound up fabricating history, the WaPo and NYT would’ve been all over it for days.
Will the stewards of integrity devote similar attention to Cardona’s televised bout of ignorance and ineptitude?
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona:
"I think it was President Reagan who said, 'We're from the government. We're here to help!'"
Here's the actual quote:
"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."
It’s *cheaper* to attend Purdue now than when
@purduemitch
took office. You’d think that’d make him a hero in the world of higher ed. That it hasn’t tells you how much campus bureaucrats actually care about college costs.
At
@Forbes
.
Progressives are defending an avowedly racist college because they don’t think that Eisgruber *really* means Princeton is racist. They think it’s obvious (and exculpatory) that he’s just engaging in ritual genuflection to “anti-racist” dogma.
At
@Forbes
.
So,
@washingtonpost
book reviewer Ron Charles cheers cancellation of six Dr. Seuss books.
He closes by warning, “We will have to get rid of other things, too.”
Geez. I can still remember when book reviewers were generally opposed to banning books.
It’s almost as if Maddow doesn’t know that all these billions are owed to the U.S. Treasury & not to banks . . . as if she doesn’t know that Democrats cut the banks out during the Obama years in order to “protect borrowers.”
Unless, of course, she’s just purposefully lying.
President Biden is intent on using every conceivable ploy— legal or no—to turn student lending program into a “take public money, promise to repay it, & then don’t repay it”program.
Only real solution at this point may be getting feds out of student lending altogether.
Period.
Perhaps surprisingly, am feeling pretty good about the country this morn. Voters checked Trump in House, tossed red-state Senate D’s who’d opposed Kavanaugh, delivered a reasonable mix of gubernatorial outcomes, & ignored Taylor Swift. All in all, a good night’s work.
The critical race theory debate has frequently felt like an exercise in confusion, bad-faith, & talking past one another.
What role has the media played in all of this?
I examined a year’s worth of news coverage to see.
At
@AEI
.
“Our nation cannot maintain its culture of free speech if we continue to reward those who seek to destroy careers rather than rebut ideas.” Typically essential, compelling
@DavidAFrench
.
“Dissenters from campus orthodoxy” need “a rare kind of personal fortitude, including the ability to withstand repeated calls for their termination, repeated disruptions of their work, & . . . outright slander.”
@DavidAFrench
on the Sarah Lawrence debacle.
It’s generally uncontroversial to suggest that gifted child violinists or athletes are well served by access to the support & opportunities that help cultivate their gifts. It’s wrongheaded to deny academically gifted children the same things.
This is appalling on every level.
“The Treasury Department has ordered President Trump’s name be printed on stimulus checks the IRS is rushing to send to tens of millions of Americans, a process that is expected to slow their delivery by several days.”
Anybody see a pattern?
Since 1980s, share of college students working full-time down from 40% to 10%.
College students spend half as much time studying as in 1960s.
Meanwhile, grade inflation is pervasive at selective schls. (Harvard’s average GPA: 3.0 in 1967, 3.8 in 2022.)
Why have elite colleges gone so nuts?
Maybe it’s because students have far too much time on their hands.
A hard look at the toxic consequences of campus sloth.
Clear, concise WSJ piece on some of the problems with the historiography of the NYT’s “1619 Project.”
I’ve been struck by how many in education have touted this exercise to me without acknowledging the concerns regarding its credibility.
There’s so much to mock here, including sheer weirdness of WaPo running an anti-civility screed that relies on rhetorical tropes favored by 7th graders:
“Hitler was an artist, so art is evil. That’s why I shouldn’t do the field trip to that art museum.”
New Trafalgar Group poll finds independents reject Biden’s loan forgiveness scheme by 65-35.
“This is looking like the sleeper issue that may have more impact in November than people suspect,” said Mark Meckler.
Last week, I explored the politics here.
Wow. Just, wow. I recently wrote for
@theammind
of higher ed becoming “implacably, almost comically, hostile to conservative views & values.” Well, in these too-common instances, campuses throw off the veil and truly veer into self-parody.
@CHSommers
President Biden has made clear that Dems now view student “loans” as a bait-and-switch that exist to subsidize future lawyers & bloated college bureaucracies.
No principled lawmaker should support another nickel for colleges or college-goers until this illegal heist is reversed.
I’ve little patience for universities which adopt “policies that stifle inquiry, speech and discourse—and then expect to collect taxpayer funds to conduct research in compromised environs.” Contemplating an executive order on campus speech, at
@forbes
.
The 2019
#NAEP
results are just out, and it’s yet *another* dismal tale:
4th graders down in reading & math.
8th graders down a point in reading & up a point in math.
The decade-long stagnation continues.
Okay, *now* everyone can start spinning the results to suit.
200+ progressive orgs want a massive student loan jubilee that:
- wouldn’t provide stimulus or aid those in need
- would make suckers of all who played by the rules
- does far more for their staff than for those they purportedly serve
At
@thedispatch
.
During Kavanaugh confirmation, a
@USouthernMaine
prof created a for- credit course for students to oppose Kavanaugh. To its credit, USM insisted political advocacy is not coursework. Unfortunately, WaPo reporter has trouble grasping that distinction. Sigh.
There’s scant evidence that the “massive” Cuban literacy program which has so enamored Bernie Sanders was effective. The problem is not only that Sanders is morally obtuse about means, but that the end here was hardly worth the fuss.
“Only the federal government could devise a predatory loan that loses money.”
-
@AEI
’s Michael Brickman e-mails with the most telling take on this entire, years-long debacle
It’s almost as if Maddow doesn’t know that all these billions are owed to the U.S. Treasury & not to banks . . . as if she doesn’t know that Democrats cut the banks out during the Obama years in order to “protect borrowers.”
Unless, of course, she’s just purposefully lying.
The real question of the Nikole Hannah-Jones imbroglio should not be why the UNC trustees had reservations about granting her tenure, but why so many in media & academe chose to treat any criticism of her professional conduct as illegitimate.
At
@NRO
.
“At the elite levels . . . work is often a calling—an utterly inseparable component of your identity—and don’t we want to pursue our callings with people we like?” Typically thoughtful, challenging
@DavidAFrench
on the nature of workplace intolerance.
When asked whether calling for “the genocide of Jews” was consistent with Harvard’s rules governing conduct, president Gay said “we embrace a commitment to free expression… even of views that are objectionable, outrageous, & offensive.”
Umm, really?
Just today,
@PedroANoguera
and I delivered to
@TCPress
the final manuscript for our book “Common Schooling,” in which we do our best to talk through some of the toughest issues in K-12 education.
Anticipated pub date: Early 2021.
Why have elite colleges gone so nuts?
Maybe it’s because students have far too much time on their hands.
A hard look at the toxic consequences of campus sloth.
When it comes to closing—or not closing—schools in response to the coronavirus, it’s easy to second-guess. But fuming at school leaders as they grapple with COVID-19 can get in the way of sensible analysis & good judgment.
At
@Forbes
.
Civics education today seems less intent on teaching about political institutions than encouraging political engagement.
Ironically, this leaves students ill-equipped to make change, ultimately turning them into frustrated, passive observers.
At
#RHSU
.
“Indeed, our relentless focus on ‘What works?’ has rewarded those programs, policies, and practices designed to yield short-term bumps in test scores, while distracting attention from more fundamental and complex efforts.”
Classic, inspiring, timeless but timely
@DavidAFrench
. If you can read this column without feeling fortunate that this nation produces thinkers and leaders like French, I fear we live in disparate moral universes.
I’m continually astounded that so many “anti-racists” deal so readily in sweeping racial caricature. Thanks
@JonahNRO
for making the obvious but critical point—that reducing people to “the color of their skin . . . [is] close to the definition of racism.”
So, a call to encourage grade inflation in the hard sciences because women supposedly care more about grades . . . & thus are chased from STEM fields by C’s.
Spun any other way, this would be dismissed as sexist. But looks like it’s now forward-thinking.
Relative to student enrollment, we’ve nearly doubled the number of teachers since 1970.
Set aside admin spending. If we’d instead put just those dollars into teacher salaries, average teacher pay in the U.S. today would be over $140,000.
Yup.
At
@NRO
.
Yesterday’s NYT featured a student’s compelling essay that she prefers remote learning to her disorderly school.
Others disagree. Who’s right?
The research is pretty clear: Today’s online learning works for disciplined students but not for most learners.
As an American, yesterday’s riotous assault on the U.S. Capitol was a horrific, seditious display. As a parent, it was a terrifying one. As an educator, it was a call to duty.
At
@Forbes
.
“Given all this, here’s a modest proposal: Maybe elite colleges should put their money where their mouth is when they pontificate about the need to democratize opportunity, take a page out of the K-12 charter school book, and switch to lottery admissions.”
I find myself wondering if we’re turning civics into narcissism. Perhaps we ought spend less time urging high school & college students to “change” a world they’ve barely encountered . . . and more teaching them to understand & become civil members of it.
Civics lesson time.
The president "is wrong to say that the election was rigged, corrupt or stolen — doing so damages the cause of freedom here & around the world [and] weakens the institutions that lie at the foundation of the Republic.”
- Sen. Mitt Romney
Yep.
Parents are overwhelmed. Lives are at risk. It’s going to take cooperation & sacrifice to get through this together. That makes this a terrible time to see people—particularly those around schooling—asking what COVID-19 can do for them.
At
@forbes
.
“It’s time to put away the harsh rhetoric, lower the temperature, see each other again, listen to each other again. And to make progress, we have to stop treating our opponents as our enemies. They are not our enemies, they are Americans.”
- President-elect Biden
Damn straight.
Those proponents of anti-racist education troubled by the pushback they’re seeing would do well to consider that it may be a serious, principled response.
If they do, it just may surface ground for constructive engagement around shared values.
At
#RHSU
.
It’s so troubling to see the Biden Dept of Ed hold up Ibram X. Kendi as a model of civics education because he’s an icon of illiberalism.
@jgrantaddison
& I explain.
At
@theammind
.
It seems reasonable to ask whether colleges have an obligation to students who got a *lot* less than they paid for.
Simply telling students they should feel “appreciation for everything” colleges have done is an underwhelming response, to say the least.
Typically sharp, on-point
@DavidAFrench
. You know, I’ve often wondered why people didn’t think to warn the Obama administration that enabling campus kangaroo courts was a terrible, destructive idea. Oh, yeah, wait a minute . . .
As with snooty golf clubs, private colleges have a free association right to pad their coffers via legacy admissions.
But the public has no obligation to subsidize this.
Lawmakers should require colleges to choose: Legacy admissions *or* access to aid, grants, & student loans.
Grade inflation sends a false signal to students and families, making it tougher for educators to encourage students, acknowledge hard work, or give honest feedback.
At
@Forbes
.
Is “critical race theory” actually found in America’s schools? While one can play at semantics, the short answer is “Yep”.
Indeed, influential advocates & educators have spent years insisting that schools embrace CRT dogmas like “white supremacy culture”.
The odd thing about the legacy admissions furor is that it’s so damn unnecessary.
All those elite college presidents who like to lecture the nation about social justice could end the practice tomorrow.
What’s the hold-up?
I fear that I find myself questioning their sincerity.
“For the life of me, I've never understood why we spend so much time and energy pursuing grand strategies to promote learning, retain teachers, and create positive school cultures—and so little in tackling simple stuff that might help that happen.”
At
@NRO
,
@DavidAFrench
tackles an issue that looms remarkably large in contemporary schooling with his customary insight, grace, & nuance. For those inclined to dispute his premise, it’s worth taking the time to read the piece first.
Congratulations to President-elect Biden. He assumes the leadership of a divided nation; we need him to help bridge those divisions. Like so many, I wish him success in that task and hope that we might all find our own ways to further that cause.
Many have asked about my response to Secretary DeVos’s resignation. Here it is:
“Her resignation was an appropriate response to President Trump’s seditious behavior. I admire Secretary DeVos for refusing to serve any longer under an irresponsible, dangerous executive.”
I’m very pleased to announce that, as of February 1, the inimitable
@DrBethAkers
has joined us here at
@AEIeducation
. We’re delighted to have her, especially given the critical debates that lie ahead when it comes to the future of higher education.
Unless campus leaders defend free inquiry, robust debate, & fearless teaching, universities are universities in name only.
Unfortunately,
@TheFIREorg
’s annual “worst” list shows that too many leaders have betrayed that charge.
At
@Forbes
.
When it comes to education research,
@dylanwiliam
observes that everything works somewhere & nothing works everywhere.
Thus, the key question: “Under what circumstances might this work?”
Those closest to learners are best-positioned to judge.
At
#RHSU
.
Even as real teacher pay fell from 2012 to 2022, real per-pupil spending increased by 16%.
So, for me, the question isn’t, “Why won’t taxpayers pony up more dollars?”
It’s, “Why aren’t more dollars translating to more pay?”
20 years ago this week, Chris DeMuth brought me to
@AEI
to launch
@AEIeducation
.
I owe an extraordinary debt of gratitude to Chris,
@arthurbrooks
, and
@RobertDoar
for providing an unrivaled scholarly home & free rein to tackle the whole of American education.
Thank you.
Putting a wrap on Twitter for the holidays. Will be back in the new year.
In the meantime, wishing everyone—whatever your politics or pedagogy—a happy, healthy 2021.
#1
in education history & theory
#1
new release in ed leadership
#1
new release in parent participation in education
Great to see there’s actually an appetite for the book; you just never really know until rubber meets road.
@Harvard_Ed_Pub
My collaboration with
@PedroANoguera
brought home just how much the form of discourse can shape its substance.
Today’s hyper-polarized shoutfests have much to do with *how* we’ve learned to talk.
In education, especially, we need new habits.
At
#RHSU
.
Why do so many schools seem enamored of toxic doctrines?
It’s a mistake to blame educators.
Rather, much of the blame should fall on the nation’s inept but incendiary professional developers.
It’s time to defund them.
At
@NRO
.