Educator. Author. Director @AEIeducation. Executive editor @educationnext. Blogger @educationweek. Contributing editor @NRO. Mean-spirited SOB.
Washington DC
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AI Changes NOTHING About What Students Need to Learn
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/ai-changes…
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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. nationalreview.com/2018/10/t…
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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. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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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. nationalreview.com/2019/10/a…
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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. washingtonpost.com/opinions/…
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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. thenation.com/article/archiv…
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Brutally honest take from former U.S. SecEd @BetsyDeVos as to what the U.S. Department of Education actually does:
“It shuffles money around; adds unnecessary requirements and political agendas via its grants; and then passes the buck when it comes time to assess if any of that adds value.
“Here’s how it works: Congress appropriates funding for education . . . The department’s bureaucrats take in those billions, add strings and red tape, peel off a percentage to pay for themselves, and then send it down to state education agencies. Many of them do a version of the same and then send it to our schools. The schools must then pay first for administrators to manage all the requirements that have been added along the way. After all that, the money makes it to the classroom to help a student learn—maybe.
“In other words, the Department of Education is functionally a middleman. And like most middlemen, it doesn’t add value. It merely adds cost and complexity.”
Yup. It’s a point I’ve made before— but few can make it more pointedly than someone who helmed 400 Maryland for 4 yrs.
Just what does the Department of Education actually do anyway? Mostly, it writes rules, houses an expansive bureaucracy, and funnels dollars to states and institutions of higher education.
Contrary to the claims of the teachers unions and aggrieved Democrats, it doesn’t educate anyone — and a glance at its thousands of regulations is a reminder that most have much more to do with accounting than with learning. When it comes to K–12 schooling, the federal government only contributes about 10% of what the United States spends each year (the lion’s share is supplied by states and localities).
The bulk of the department’s work boils down to throwing vast sums at higher education, mostly by issuing, managing, and (not) collecting payments for student loans. That’s why insiders have long described the department as a gargantuan bank with a second-rate policy shop attached.
Meanwhile, the department employs an army of 4,000 bureaucrats — including 86 senior executive service employees, who earn over $200,000, and more than 1,000 GS-15 managers, all of whom earn more than $160,000 if they work in Washington, D.C. Heck, there are more than 100 staff members just in the office of communications, at an average salary of over $100,000 and an annual cost to taxpayers of more than $13 million.
If this description makes hysterical defenses of the department seem a little unhinged, you’ve got the idea.
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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."
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Thank you @JonahNRO for this furnace blast of sanity and decency. It was a welcome break from an insane, indecent week. nationalreview.com/g-file/th…
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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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. washingtonpost.com/entertain…
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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.
Republicans are suing, in multiple states, to make sure that Americans have to pay more to banks on student loans. In an election year.
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This is funny as hell (thx @rpondiscio!). "Police Calm Millennial Protesters By Handing Out Participation Trophies." babylonbee.com/news/police-c…
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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.
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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.
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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. aei.org/research-products/re…
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“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. nationalreview.com/2019/03/t…
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I offer a few first-person reflections on “The Claudine Gay Affair” aei.org/education/the-claudi…
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“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. nationalreview.com/2019/03/p…
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Hmm, @Mark_J_Perry just keeps surfacing data that complicates the simple narrative around gender gaps in STEM. How inconvenient. @CHSommers aei.org/publication/gender-g…
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90% of white conservatives, 70% of Latinos, & nearly 60% of African-Americans think U.S. is the greatest country in the world.
Among white progressives? It’s 30%.
It’s a problem when schools accept the worldview of that dyspeptic rump. edweek.org/policy-politics/o…
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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. nationalreview.com/2019/09/i…
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TL;DR version: When they had the upper hand, DEI enthusiasts refused to have a reasonable conversation about the problems with DEI.
So, now that they’re in power, DEI critics have decided that the time for talking is past.
Funny how that works.
Addressing some questions I’ve been frequently asked about Trump's anti-DEI push
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/faq-trump-…
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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.” washingtonpost.com/politics/…
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Just what does the Department of Education actually do anyway? Mostly, it writes rules, houses an expansive bureaucracy, and funnels dollars to states and institutions of higher education.
Contrary to the claims of the teachers unions and aggrieved Democrats, it doesn’t educate anyone — and a glance at its thousands of regulations is a reminder that most have much more to do with accounting than with learning. When it comes to K–12 schooling, the federal government only contributes about 10% of what the United States spends each year (the lion’s share is supplied by states and localities).
The bulk of the department’s work boils down to throwing vast sums at higher education, mostly by issuing, managing, and (not) collecting payments for student loans. That’s why insiders have long described the department as a gargantuan bank with a second-rate policy shop attached.
Meanwhile, the department employs an army of 4,000 bureaucrats — including 86 senior executive service employees, who earn over $200,000, and more than 1,000 GS-15 managers, all of whom earn more than $160,000 if they work in Washington, D.C. Heck, there are more than 100 staff members just in the office of communications, at an average salary of over $100,000 and an annual cost to taxpayers of more than $13 million.
If this description makes hysterical defenses of the department seem a little unhinged, you’ve got the idea.
President-electTrump has promised to abolish the US Dept of Education.
It’s a sensible idea. Unfortunately, Republicans lack the votes to make it happen.
But that’s OK.
I explain, at @dcexaminer. aei.org/articles/putting-the…
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This is 2017. Left rallies daily, unhassled. Conservative visits campus, leftist violence cancels speech. @CHSommers chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/b…
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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. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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I’m thankful today to work in education where, no matter the idiocy & arrogance on display, I believe nearly everyone is trying to do good.
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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. wsj.com/articles/the-1619-pr…
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When feds spend $8 mil in extra security for Secretary of Education, taxpayers deserve more explanation than this. washingtonpost.com/local/edu…
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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.” washingtonpost.com/outlook/2…
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“Reason can’t cede the public square to rage.” Thankful, as always, for @DavidAFrench. nationalreview.com/2018/05/h…
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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. thedispatch.com/p/why-democr…
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I keep giving the same answers to the same queries about the Executive Order on the Department of Ed. So, as a time-saver, here’s my take:
1. In principle, I think downsizing or eliminating ED is sensible. As always, though, what really matters is whether the practical result works as promised.
2. As written, the EO is careful to respect Congressional authority. This is good.
3. That means, as written, the EO doesn’t really change anything. It tells the EdSec to keep doing what she’s doing and asks Congress to abolish ED.
4. The R’s don’t currently have the Senate votes, so ED isn’t getting abolished unless they get at least 7 D’s.
5. Today’s announcements about moving student lending to SBA or special ed to HHS appear inconsistent with statute. That means this is headed to court.
6. None of what’s been proposed involves cuts to funding for major programs (like Title I, IDEA, or Pell). The only cuts are to federal staff and organizational boxes. That means the claims about how much all this matters for students are grossly exaggerated.
7. Meanwhile, if you really want to empower states, we need to not just cut staff or abolish ED but repeal rules, revamp requirements, issue waivers, or overhaul legislation. Otherwise, all the accumulated red tape actually remains, whether it’s supervised by ED or someone else.
8. The only thing that the EO really changed is that it put Trump squarely into the “abolish ED” push— publicly and viscerally. This will energize supporters and opponents alike.
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What If Boys Like the “Wrong” Kind of History?
What’s going on? Why have these books been such a quiet success?
The key may be the unapologetic decision to offer books about “great battles for boys” in an era when that’s largely absent from classrooms. educationnext.org/what-if-bo…
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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 reason.com/2019/06/10/santa-…
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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.
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I’ve heard a *lot* of late about why taxpayers should fund education research.
In theory, I’m sympathetic. In reality?
Here’s what the American Ed Research Assoc is focused on (when it’s not busy hiring the former head of U. Mich’s now-shuttered DEI debacle as its next chief).
And You Thought AERA Couldn’t Get Any More Vacuous?
The world’s largest association of education researchers tackles the vital work of “unforgetting” and “futuring”.
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/and-you-th…
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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Reporters have been asking what kind of challenges the next Secretary of Education will inherit. This is my default response:
Cardona has made a mess of FAFSA, bullied and alienated loan servicers, broken the machinery of student loan repayment, told borrowers they shouldn't expect to repay loans, failed to seriously address campus antisemitism, ignored higher education institutions which have pocketed foreign funds but failed to comply with federal disclosure rules, poisoned ED’s relationship with the Hill, politicized federal data releases, overseen an unprecedented series of failed audits . . .
I could go on but, honestly, it's easier to list the things that don’t need to be fixed. I mean, my understanding is that the elevators and bathrooms are still generally in working order. But that may be it.
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Miguel Cardona is the worst secretary in the 45-year history of the U.S. Department of Education, and it’s not particularly close.
I recount the gory details in the new issue of @NRO. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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We saw this coming. U-Redlands bans party mocking PC Halloween rules...bc satire causes "emotional harm." thecollegefix.com/post/29730… @CHSommers
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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. thedispatch.com/p/the-oddest…
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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.
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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. washingtonpost.com/education…
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Classic, timely @GeorgeWill. "Higher education is awash w/ hysteria. That might have helped elect Trump." @CHSommers washingtonpost.com/opinions/…
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Student govt VP at U-Houston suspended from office, punished by stu govt for tweeting 'All Lives Matter.' thecollegefix.com/post/28326… @CHSommers
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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. nationalreview.com/2020/03/b…
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Well, this isn't good. UC-San Diego routinely hides witnesses who could exonerate accused students. thecollegefix.com/post/28548… @CHSommers
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Sigh... Polling suggests that college Republicans are as hostile to free speech as college Dems are. @CHSommers washingtonpost.com/news/ramp…
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“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.
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We Need a Post-BS Civics Education
Cut the crap and get back to the business of teaching young citizens about rules, processes, & institutions.
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/we-need-a-…
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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. nationalreview.com/2021/07/t…
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Irony overload. "Student denied permission to post flyers questioning UW's ‘Orwellian speech policing’." thecollegefix.com/post/29488… @CHSommers
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“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. nationalreview.com/2019/02/t…
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Per usual, @JonahNRO nails it. Plus, you rarely see “cage full of poo-flinging monkeys” used this nimbly. Kudos. latimes.com/opinion/story/20…
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Teachers are today told to teach about the U.S. in a manner at odds with how they’re urged to teach about every other land.
When it comes to students from Nicaragua or Nigeria, Syria or Sri Lanka, teachers are (sensibly enough) told to respect their heritage, honor their traditions, & not belittle their homeland.
Yet, when it comes to how American teachers are advised to teach America’s students about our nation’s founders, traditions, and history, the rules suddenly change. All too often, ed schools, PD workshops, and popular texts seem to imagine our republic as a sordid “slavocracy” and pride in our shared story as proof of ignorance.
Indeed, it’s fair to say that students in our schools are showered today with one-sided caricatures of the U.S. that’d be deemed irresponsibly simplistic if the subject were any other nation on earth.
Schooling Steeped in Gratitude
This Thanksgiving, let’s recommit to honoring Lincoln’s “mystic chords of memory”.
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/schooling-…
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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? forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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Stellar piece, agree or not. "I hate Donald Trump. But he might get my vote." @smarick wapo.st/29a7LSo
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Top Public Policy Programs Have Almost No Conservative Faculty
I mean, if there’s one place where serious professional preparation really *requires* engaging thinkers from left and right, it’s policy schools.
And yet . . .
Me, at @ManhattanInst. manhattan.institute/article/…
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The ugly NAEP results are a reminder that schools have lost the plot.
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/ugly-naep-…
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In response to the queries about Linda McMahon’s expected appointment as Secretary of Education, here’s my take:
“I don’t know McMahon. I’m looking forward to learning more about her views in the weeks to come. Those seeking reflexive celebration or condemnation should look elsewhere. That said, after the admirable performance of “outsider” Betsy DeVos and the profound ineptitude of veteran school administrator Miguel Cardona, I’d avoid gross assumptions based on biography. Moreover, after the media’s appalling treatment of DeVos and the free pass granted Cardona, I’m hoping to see a more measured, even-handed assessment of McMahon’s qualifications and, if she ultimately assumes office, her performance in it.”
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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.
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Trump's "manufactured, self-inflicted, & pathological need for drama" is torpedoing his purported policy agenda. nationalreview.com/g-file/44…
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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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. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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For those asking about my take on the Jim Ryan/UVA situation, here’s my take:
As one who was bullied out of the University of Virginia 23 years ago, I find this a very personal dispute. We need to address campus misconduct. I have written at length on that topic and am, in general, broadly supportive of the Trump administration’s higher ed agenda.
But I have profound concerns about what the Trump administration is doing in this case. I have known Jim Ryan for 25 years; always found him a serious, upstanding man; and would need to see compelling evidence to believe that he was seeking to flout federal law.
While I have not been privy to the private exchanges between DOJ and UVA (and may revise my opinion if additional information surfaces), I find it deeply troubling that the DOJ appears to have conditioned access to federal funds on Ryan’s resignation. That is a hugely troubling precedent. I’d have been appalled if the Biden administration had tried this and the same applies here.
For those who’d draw a parallel to the wholly appropriate firings of Claudine Gay or Liz Magill, I think they’re mistaken. In those cases, the U.S. Congress conducted oversight of publicly-subsidized universities, allowed the leaders to beclown themselves, and triggered a healthy institutional response. That was not about federal officials trying to dictate staffing decisions.
The goal of higher ed reform should not be the collection of scalps but the pursuit of principled, sustainable change. This is not that. Rather, this is overreach that will inevitably give rise to tit-for-tat payback when the next Democratic administration decides to target the leaders of red-state flagships. That’s not a win for anybody.
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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. edweek.org/teaching-learning…
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Striking. One wouldn’t necessarily guess this to be the case, given the public discourse
Check this out: Child poverty rates according to the supplemental poverty measure, by race and year. (Credit to @MathematicaNow's Laura Nolan, et al.)
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“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.” mobile.edweek.org/c.jsp?cid=…
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I’m delighted to announce that @MrDanielBuck starts today as the next director of the Conservative Education Reform Network (CERN).
Dan is a sharp thinker, talented writer, & passionate educator, and I’m thrilled to have him in this role. hello.aei.org/index.php/emai…
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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. nationalreview.com/corner/de…
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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. insidehighered.com/news/2019…
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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.” nationalreview.com/2019/07/i…
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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. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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Boys don’t spend much time reading.
One big problem: What they read in school may not speak to their passions.
Joe Giorello, author of the “Great Battles for Boys” books, offers something very different.
And the take-up has been remarkable. edweek.org/teaching-learning…
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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. nationalreview.com/2020/05/e…
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HuffPo piece by collegian charges "The Word ‘Too’ Is Sexist and Hurts Women." Have things gotten stupid enough yet? natl.re/tWvbWc
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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“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.” forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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I’m getting a handful of “But you’re praising government schools!” responses to the @NRO Southern Surge piece.
I’ll keep it simple: School choice is a very good thing. But so is teaching kids to read.
Parents get that. Advocates should, too.
The Southern Surge in Education
These four states have a lot to teach the country about teaching.
Me, at @NRO. nationalreview.com/magazine/…
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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. the74million.org/article/how…
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I’m confident this @JonahNRO critique of “social justice” will be read in education circles with interest and care. Or perhaps not. nationalreview.com/2019/02/s…
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Emily Hanford’s podcast “Sold a Story” helped usher in an overdue revolution in how schools teach reading.
Why has it had so much impact? And what’s she make of “science of reading” laws?
@ehanford and I discuss, at @educationweek. edweek.org/teaching-learning…
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Actually, Student Movements Are Often Wrong. In Every Era. aei.org/education/actually-s…
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I shall miss you, my friend. "Godspeed, Mitchell Chester." blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick…
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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.
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I keep seeing stories on Linda McMahon, Trump’s SecEd nominee, with headlines like, “Being a Pro Wrestling Executive Isn’t Like Running a K-12 School.”
This may be true but is also irrelevant. In fact, the claim that she lacks relevant experience is silly. Why?
First, the Secretary of Education doesn’t run schools or oversee educators. The SecEd runs a Department of 4,000 federal bureaucrats who hand out money, track forms, and write rules.
Second, little of this activity actually has much to do with K-12. Mostly, it’s about managing loans and financial aid to students in post secondary education.
Third, given the FAFSA fiasco, a series of failed Departmental audits, and the need to clean up the shambolic state of student lending, business and mgmt acumen is more essential than ever.
In fact, I’m tempted to argue that McMahon’s experience building a multibillion dollar business and her successful tenure as head of the Small Business Administration make her extraordinarily well-suited for the position. And she’s far better prepared than former K-12 officials who were quickly hailed as inspired nominees.
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Me: Any sources of advice of whom the new SecEd should be wary?
DeVos: “I think the biggest risk is taking counsel from the ‘experts’ that populate the alphabet soup of D.C.’s education lobby. Many are bought and paid for by the unions and will do anything to protect the current system and their power. Washington is full of people who will tell you ‘how things are supposed to be done,’ but that advice is almost always in the service of systems, not kids.”
Betsy DeVos has some hard-won advice for Trump’s next Secretary of Education.
I talk with @BetsyDeVos at @educationweek. edweek.org/policy-politics/o…
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“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.
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Betsy DeVos gets nod as Trump Sec of Education. A good choice, I think. Smart, serious, a principled conservative. It's a promising sign.
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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. edweek.org/leadership/opinio…
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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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 . . . nationalreview.com/2019/07/h…
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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. americanmind.org/salvo/the-c…
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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. insidehighered.com/news/2020…
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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.
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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. forbes.com/sites/frederickhe…
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How to Resist the Destructive Self-Indulgence of Teachers on a Soapbox
Four lessons to help educators conscientiously object to the culture wars.
Me, at @EducationNext. educationnext.org/how-to-res…
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