Of late, I keep getting asked why social and emotional learning got so political. “I don’t get what people are even worried about,” is how one superintendent put it. And yet, The Washington Post has proclaimed SEL the “new target” of critical race theory critics, and Salon has termed it…

There’s a lot to like about preschool. Over the years, my kids have used several different preschools — from a cheerful church basement to a hard-core Montessori — and had a number of really positive experiences. You don’t need to convince me that good, affordable, reliable, and convenient preschool is…

We’ve dealt with concerns of a teacher-staffing shortage for most of the past few decades, although much of the blame should perhaps be reserved for licensure systems that create roadblocks to professional entry without ensuring professional competence. The challenge has taken on heightened significance as schools deal with learning loss…

Pedro Noguera, the dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, and I have a podcast (Common Ground: Conversations on Schooling) in which we dig into our disagreements and seek to identify common ground on some of the thorniest questions in education. I thought readers might enjoy…

Last week, a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. It was too horrific for the mind to comprehend, yet unfortunately all too familiar. Tucking in my 8-year-old that night was surreal, as I could only think of all those parents who’d sent their…

I’ve spent two decades arguing that we need rethink the parameters of the teaching job and the paths into the profession. That’s why I’m so intrigued by efforts like what Arizona State University is attempting to do via its Next Education Workforce approach. Of course, as always, the idea matters…

Pedro Noguera, the dean of the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education, and I have a podcast (Common Ground: Conversations on Schooling) in which we dig into our disagreements and seek to identify common ground on some of the thorniest questions in education. I thought readers might enjoy…

Until March 2020, American schooling looked much like it had in 1920. Despite new technologies, ever-increasing outlays, and wave after wave of reform, the rhythms and routines of America’s schools were little changed. Students set out from their homes to school in the early morning, sat in front of a…

For decades, Democrats have enjoyed a big partisan advantage when it comes to education. The party’s support for school spending, energetic embrace of public education, and close ties to teachers’ unions and higher education have played well with a public that’s historically felt warmly towards its teachers, schools, and colleges. …