Leadership Blog

Walt Gardner's Reality Check

Walt Gardner taught for 28 years in the Los Angeles Unified School District and was a lecturer in the UCLA Graduate School of Education. This blog is no longer being updated.

Education Opinion Goodbye and Thanks
Education in this country will be unrecognizable in the years ahead.
Walt Gardner, February 16, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Fixation on Metrics Has Unintended Consequences
Measurement is important, but it does not trump judgment.
Walt Gardner, February 14, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Performance Pay Won't Deliver What It Promises
Pay for performance will do little to induce college graduates to opt for a career in the classroom.
Walt Gardner, February 12, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion School Safety Hypocrisy
Embarrassment and humiliation caused by wanding are small prices to pay for student safety.
Walt Gardner, February 9, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Vouchers Are Still an Issue in Milwaukee
So many years after vouchers began, we still can't agree on their benefits.
Walt Gardner, February 7, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Gifted Students Are Unnecessarily Sacrificed
Only in the U.S. are gifted students treated so poorly.
Walt Gardner, February 5, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Is Burnout Inevitable in Teaching?
Burnout will become more pervasive in the years ahead as pressure mounts on teachers to produce ever-increasing outcomes.
Walt Gardner, February 2, 2018
2 min read
Education Opinion Preschool Teachers Are Not Babysitters
If we're serious about preschool, we have to treat teachers as professionals, rather than as babysitters.
Walt Gardner, January 31, 2018
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Education Opinion Smartphone Addiction in School
Mobile devices are addictive, which distracts from learning.
Walt Gardner, January 29, 2018
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Education Opinion Guidance Counselors Deserve Recognition
For some students, guidance counselors are the only adults who are successful in establishing a bond.
Walt Gardner, January 26, 2018
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Education Opinion The Plight of Homeless Students
The precarious situation of homeless students has direct implications for the accountability movement.
Walt Gardner, January 24, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Achievement Gap No Proof of Equal Protection Violation
Disparate outcomes occur for many reasons over which schools have no control.
Walt Gardner, January 22, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Home Schooling Needs Better Oversight
Annual inspections of home schools are needed to determine that children are not being denied their right to a basic education.
Walt Gardner, January 19, 2018
1 min read
Education Opinion Nude Classical Paintings Are Taboo
If classical nude paintings are available in a school library, why are they not permitted in a school classroom?
Walt Gardner, January 17, 2018
1 min read