By Tyler Durden Reading and math scores in the US have suffered 'historic' declines since most states implemented the Common Core curriculum standard six years ago, according to a new study from the Pioneer Institute. While Common Core was promoted as improving the international competitiveness of U.S. students in math, our international standing has remained low while the … [Read more...] about Study Finds “Historic” Drop In Math, Reading Scores Since Adoption Of Common Core
Education
Harvard Magazine Calls for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling: Here Are 5 Things It Got Wrong
By Kerry McDonald Author's Note: This is a copy of my submitted Letter to the Editor of Harvard Magazine regarding its recent article,“The Risks of Homeschooling.” Dear Editor: As a Harvard alum, longtime donor, education researcher, and homeschooling mother of four children in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I was shocked to read the article, “The Risks of Homeschooling,” … [Read more...] about Harvard Magazine Calls for a “Presumptive Ban” on Homeschooling: Here Are 5 Things It Got Wrong
Homeschooling Mother and Author: 6 Ideas For Parents While Schools Are Closed
By Kerry McDonald As schools shut down indefinitely across the country due to coronavirus concerns, many parents are wondering how to get through the coming weeks at home with their children. This is new territory for all of us, especially as “social distancing” becomes the new normal and virtual working and learning spaces replace the real thing. As a homeschooling mother … [Read more...] about Homeschooling Mother and Author: 6 Ideas For Parents While Schools Are Closed
City Schoolhouse: The Innovative School That’s Helping Low-Income Families Educate Their Children
By Kerry McDonald When her daughter began kindergarten in the public elementary school to which she had been assigned in Louisville, Kentucky, Emily Duke quickly realized it was not a good fit. The environment was very stressful for the five year old, whose parents had recently divorced. The rigidity and top-down instructional methods, combined with her emotional turmoil … [Read more...] about City Schoolhouse: The Innovative School That’s Helping Low-Income Families Educate Their Children
Coronavirus Reminds Us What Education Without Schooling Can Look Like
By Kerry McDonald As the global coronavirus outbreak closes more schools for weeks, and sometimes months—some 300 million children are currently missing class—parents, educators, and policymakers are panicking. Mass compulsory schooling has become such a cornerstone of contemporary culture that we forget it’s a relatively recent social construct. Responding to the … [Read more...] about Coronavirus Reminds Us What Education Without Schooling Can Look Like
Low-Cost Private Schools Are Revolutionizing Education for Millions of Children in Developing Nations
By James Tooley Twenty years ago this week—on Indian Republic Day, 26 January 2000—I wandered into the slums behind the Charminar, in the Old City of Hyderabad, and my life changed forever. Building on my PhD at what is now the UCL Institute of Education, I had become an expert on private education. Twenty years ago, everyone knew that private education was just for the … [Read more...] about Low-Cost Private Schools Are Revolutionizing Education for Millions of Children in Developing Nations
Coronavirus May Lead to “Mass Homeschooling”
By Kerry McDonald As fears of coronavirus mount around the globe, cities and countries are taking action to prevent the new respiratory virus strain from spreading. While the virus has not yet hit hard in the United States, government officials and health agencies have enacted response plans, corporations are halting travel abroad, and education leaders are grappling with … [Read more...] about Coronavirus May Lead to “Mass Homeschooling”
Why I Chose To Un-School My Son
By Nikki Gray Now more than ever before our society is seeing the need to take matters into our own hands and not rely on others to get the job done for us. The topic of un-schooling has become quite popular and with good reason. According to Wikipedia: Unschooling is an educational method and philosophy that advocates learner-chosen activities as a primary means for … [Read more...] about Why I Chose To Un-School My Son
Yale Study: Vast Majority of High Schoolers Unhappy at School
By Kerry McDonald Most high school students are not happy at school. A new study by Yale researchers finds that nearly three-quarters of high schoolers report negative feelings toward school. The study surveyed more than 20,000 high school students in all 50 US states and found widespread dissatisfaction at school across all demographic groups, with girls reporting slightly … [Read more...] about Yale Study: Vast Majority of High Schoolers Unhappy at School
Families Today Have More Schooling Options Than Ever, But Nowhere Near Enough
By Kerry McDonald I am a glass-half-full kind of person, so while we could focus on the criticisms and some of the setbacks related to expanding educational freedom to more families, there is much more to celebrate than to lament. As National School Choice Week kicks off, it’s a great time to spotlight the growing variety and abundance of education options available to … [Read more...] about Families Today Have More Schooling Options Than Ever, But Nowhere Near Enough
Dear Gen Z: Learn from Millennial Mistakes and Say No to Student Loan Debt
By Brittany Hunter Gen Z is growing up fast. With the older end of the “Zoomer” generation now in their early- to mid-twenties, many are finishing their undergraduate degrees and moving on to grad programs before trying their luck in the workforce. Others are just beginning their college careers. According to the Pew Research Center, the post-millennial generation is on … [Read more...] about Dear Gen Z: Learn from Millennial Mistakes and Say No to Student Loan Debt
93 Vermont Towns Have No Public Schools, But Great Education. How Do They Do It?
By Laura Williams In just a couple of weeks, 50 boys with learning disabilities will take to a stage in Vermont, one after the other, to recite the Gettysburg Address from memory. It’s a daring experiment undertaken each February at the Greenwood School and its population of boys who’ve struggled in public schools. Diagnosed with ADD, dyslexia, and executive function … [Read more...] about 93 Vermont Towns Have No Public Schools, But Great Education. How Do They Do It?