education

What Time Should School Start?

Hamilton Nolan · 03/14/14 10:12AM

Teenagers whining about getting out of bed for school in the morning are actually on to something. High school start times are an outrageous burden. For the grownups, most of all.

Insane New Education Reform Would Require Kids to Learn Things

Hamilton Nolan · 03/11/14 12:54PM

Our system of "public education" is at least partially successful at serving its primary purpose, which is to provide free babysitting for children and keep teenagers from prowling the streets during daylight hours. Now, some high-minded reformers threaten to clog up the entire setup by mandating learning.

Wealthy Parents Keep Trying to Starve Public School Districts

Hamilton Nolan · 02/06/14 10:14AM

The wealthier portion of Baton Rouge, Louisiana wants to spin itself off into its own little school district, leaving the poorer portion of the city with far less revenue for schools. This is, sadly, a trend that shows no sign of abating.

You Can't Fix Higher Education Without Fixing Lower Education

Hamilton Nolan · 01/27/14 11:09AM

Many elite colleges and universities make a real effort to recruit (some) students from low income backgrounds who went to relatively poor high schools. New data shows that's not enough to remedy the damage that bad high schools do.

J.K. Trotter · 12/30/13 12:14PM

Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has named Carmen Farina as the new chancellor of New York City’s Department of Education. Farina, who previously served as deputy chancellor under Bloomberg, has helped steer de Blasio’s plan to implement a city-wide universal preschool program.

Hamilton Nolan · 11/15/13 12:53PM

A study finds that almost all community college students drop out at least once, but most come back to school. However: "If you leave twice," the researcher said, "you're not going to come back."