Education

The Lawyer on the Playground 1
- Education, Family
- September 5, 2023
“Welcome! Play Safe” reads the sign at a Fairfax County Public School playground in Virginia just outside of Washington D.C. It goes on to list a few simple rules — 21, by my count. First off, the playground should never be used when it’s frozen. Or wet. There can be no climbing on things like
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Old Kindergarten Requirements Suggest Today’s Classrooms Are Too Much, Too Soon 7
- Culture, Education
- September 1, 2023
I received a rather frantic email from a friend when school started last fall. Panicking over the number of parents posting first day of preschool pictures, my friend wondered if she had made a mistake by not sending her four-year-old to school. “When did preschool become so popular?” she asked in dismay. She wasn’t imagining
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Charters Receive Far Less Money Than Traditional Public Schools. They Do Better Anyway 1
- Education
- August 31, 2023
If you thought charter schools received anywhere near the same amount of funding as traditional public schools, then think again. A new, massive study from the University of Arkansas finds that “On average, charter schools across 18 cities in 16 states (…) receive about 30 percent or $7,147 (2020 dollars) less funding per pupil than traditional
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The Trivium: The Foundation of Language Arts 6
- Education
- August 29, 2023
There’s a great deal of debate about what constitutes a good education. Our current education system seems to operate on the belief that how children are educated needs near constant tinkering and updating. Meanwhile, the number of individuals choosing education as a profession is on a steady decline, with a 19 percent drop in the
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Compulsory Schooling Laws Have Got To Go 0
- Education
- August 29, 2023
When Massachusetts passed the nation’s first compulsory school attendance law in 1852, parents were mandated to send their children to school under a legal threat of force. Today, that threat remains stronger than ever. Prior to that law, and those that followed in all other US states over the subsequent decades, cities and towns were
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Choosing Excellence Over Equitable Mediocrity 2
- Education
- August 28, 2023
If you, like me, were a student who strove to get work in on time and took advantage of extra credit or other academic perks when offered, then you can be glad you’re past school age—especially if you live in Portland, Ore. That’s because schools in that district are beginning to implement “equitable grading practices.” Just
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