Opinion Blog


Rick Hess Straight Up

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Read more from this blog.

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank (AEI), author of books like The Same Thing Over and Over, Letters to a Young Education Reformer, and A Search for Common Ground, offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Rick’s takes are his alone and do not represent AEI or Education Week. Follow Rick on Twitter at @rickhess99.

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Student Well-Being Opinion School Sports Matter. How to Make Them Matter More
The skills we hope sports will teach are the very ones that help produce successful graduates and responsible citizens.
Rick Hess, March 18, 2024
8 min read
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Student Well-Being Opinion How Bad Journalism Encourages Bad Education Research
Favorable accounts of lackluster studies corrode the credibility of both researchers and reporters.
Rick Hess, March 11, 2024
3 min read
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Student Achievement Opinion This Nonprofit Runs the Nation’s 3 Largest Tutoring Programs. Here's What It's Learned
Post-pandemic, tutoring is all the rage. How can it be done well?
Rick Hess, March 4, 2024
6 min read
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Student Achievement Opinion Traditional Grading May Not Be as Straightforward as It Seems
It can demotivate students, reflect inaccurate learning, and be biased against slower learners, argues an equitable grading advocate.
Rick Hess, February 26, 2024
9 min read
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Student Achievement Opinion Chronic Absenteeism Could Be the Biggest Problem Facing Schools Right Now
If we are serious about overcoming learning loss, chronic absenteeism should be our first priority.
Rick Hess, February 21, 2024
5 min read
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Families & the Community Opinion Chronic Absenteeism Has Exploded. What Can Schools Do?
The key to addressing this issue is rebuilding the relationship between families and schools.
Rick Hess, February 15, 2024
8 min read
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Policy & Politics Opinion Scholars’ Writing Is Often Unclear. Why That Matters for the K-12 Field
Academic writing is often incomprehensible. Public-facing writing can help scholars break bad habits.
Rick Hess, February 12, 2024
9 min read
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Teaching Opinion How to Facilitate Student-Centered Instruction: One Nonprofit Leader Shares Lessons
Most educators want rigorous, differentiated, student-centered classrooms. The trick is actually creating them.
Rick Hess, February 5, 2024
8 min read
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Student Achievement Opinion What Many Advocates—and Critics—Get Wrong About 'Equitable Grading'
Traditional grading encompasses more than academic performance. Is that what we want?
Rick Hess, January 29, 2024
12 min read
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School Choice & Charters Opinion What's the State of Charter Schools Today?
Even though there's momentum behind the charter school movement, charters face many of the same challenges as traditional public schools.
Rick Hess, January 22, 2024
10 min read
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Teaching Profession Opinion What Should Schools Do to Boost Teacher Pay?
Hiking teacher pay is one issue that both progressives and conservatives can get behind.
Rick Hess, January 16, 2024
8 min read
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Classroom Technology Opinion More Than 12 Million Students Have Used This New Study Aid. What’s the Deal?
There is a near-constant stream of new ed-tech tools. What makes this one unique?
Rick Hess, January 11, 2024
5 min read
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Assessment Opinion To Replace Skill Mastery for Seat Time, There Are 3 Requirements
Time for learning and student support take on a whole new meaning in the mastery-based learning model.
Rick Hess, January 8, 2024
4 min read
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Policy & Politics Opinion 2024 RHSU Edu-Scholar Public Influence: Top 10 Lists
Where scholars rank within their discipline may be more telling than where they are in the overall rankings.
Rick Hess, January 5, 2024
1 min read