In schools, don't place form above function

My latest op-ed, "In schools, don't place form above function," appeared today in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and online at ajc.com. 

In it, I tell the story of Bachar Sbeiti, a student who finished eighth grade three years ahead of schedule, but whose school district refused to allow him to advance because of his age. I argue that it is time to abandon the practice of sorting students according to age and imposing a near-uniform curriculum on every student in a particular age cohort.

You can find the article at http://www.ajc.com/opinion/in-schools-dont-place-731869.html. If you enjoy it, please consider passing it along to others who might be interested.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

"Highly qualified teacher" rules protect the status quo

My most recent education policy op-ed, "The myth of the 'highly qualified' teacher," appeared today in the Michigan Education Report, a publication of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.  In it, I discuss No Child Left Behind's mandate that all public school teachers be labeled 'highly qualified,' and illustrate how this mandate operates in practice.  I argue that this is yet another example of the triumph of show over substance in education policy.  You can read the article here.

If you enjoy the article, please pass it along to others who might be interested.  Thanks, as always, for reading.

Teacher licensing tests don't tell us enough about quality

An education policy article of mine appeared today in the Michigan Education Report, a publication of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

The article - "Teacher certification tests don't tell us enough about quality" - can be found here. Thanks, as always, for reading.