Debating the Digital Divide
Yaritza was suspended in seventh grade for punching a boy in the nose. He had called her a dull-witted donkey, not quite in those words.Luckily, her seventh-grade teacher—who was also the debate coach—recognized her...
Reading under Lockdown
Each year, Renaissance releases the What Kids Are Reading report, and each year it grows by leaps and bounds.1 This year’s report looked at the reading habits of seven million students from more than...
Rebuilding a Diverse Edustructure
For some Americans, the federal government investing a single dime in education is considered an overreach of power and an insult to the Constitution, which lays out that the responsibility for all functions not...
Connecticut to Require Science of Reading
Connecticut has become the latest state to pass legislation requiring that reading instruction be based on the science of reading. According to the state’s recently enacted budget bill, every school district in the state...
U.S. Department of Education Focuses on Equity
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education held the first installment of its Equity Summit Series, “Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools.” The program featured First Lady Jill Biden, Secretary of Education Miguel...
Transforming Reading Instruction
1. Millions of people, including me, learned to read with the help of Reading Mastery. Why change such a successful product? Although Reading Mastery has evolved, the instructional design of the program remains the...
Michigan Moves on Preschool for All
As President Biden’s American Families Plan meets opposition in Congress, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer is moving forward with a $400 million dollar plan to expand the state’s Great Start Readiness Program so that it...
Los Angeles Gives Extra $700M to Schools Most in Need
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board has voted 6-1 to distribute an additional $700 million in the 2021-22 academic year to schools using the Student Equity Needs Index (SENI). The SENI is...
Help Fund World Language Education
Funding for the World Language Advancement and Readiness Act (WLARA) Grants Program is critical. Reach out to your Senators and ask them to sign onto the Senate version. This letter is addressed to Senate...
Summer Learning to Help Students Most Impacted by the Pandemic
At the end of April, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) launched the Summer Learning & Enrichment Collaborative, providing support to 46 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Bureau...