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 This blog is no longer being updated.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 Random Student Searches Cross a Line
Students have a reasonable expectation to personal privacy when they are on school grounds.
Walt Gardner, November 10, 2017
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Education Opinion The Surest Way to Be Admitted to One's Dream College
The surest way to get admitted to a dream college is to have parents who are mega donors.
Walt Gardner, November 8, 2017
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Education Opinion Why Writing College Application Essays Is So Hard
Effective writing cannot be taught in the traditional way.
Walt Gardner, November 6, 2017
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Education Opinion The Douglas County School Board Election Harbinger
If voters want their dollars to be used at Catholic schools, they first need to amend their state Constitution.
Walt Gardner, November 3, 2017
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Education Opinion Vocational Education Awards Are Needed
Vocational education would gain greater respect if the media gave more coverage to the world championship of vocational skills.
Walt Gardner, November 1, 2017
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Education Opinion Forcing Teachers to Reapply for Their Jobs
Even the best teachers by themselves cannot turnaround persistently failing schools.
Walt Gardner, October 30, 2017
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Education Opinion What About a Bar Exam for Aspiring Teachers?
Performance assessment has better predictive value than any standardized test now in existence.
Walt Gardner, October 27, 2017
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Education Opinion Censorship of Classics Still Exists
It's time to get real about students today if we expect them to respect teachers.
Walt Gardner, October 25, 2017
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Education Opinion Why Parental Choice is Essential
Only parents should be able to decide which school best meets the needs and interests of their own children.
Walt Gardner, October 23, 2017
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Education Opinion College Rankings Hurt by Graduates Choosing Teaching
It's a sad commentary that evaluating higher education has been reduced to the size of its graduates' paychecks.
Walt Gardner, October 20, 2017
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Education Opinion Teachers No School Wants
There has to be a time limit on how long teachers can remain in reserve rooms.
Walt Gardner, October 18, 2017
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Education Opinion Charter Schools Demand Exception to the Law
As long as charter schools can play by their own rules, comparisons between their outcomes and those of traditional public schools are futile.
Walt Gardner, October 16, 2017
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Education Opinion The Controversial Pledge of Allegiance
Allowing students to abstain from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance may ironically help teachers achieve their ultimate goal by showing that the U.S. is free enough to permit disagreement.
Walt Gardner, October 13, 2017
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Education Opinion The Right Place for Remedial Education
Don't students in credit-bearing classes have a reasonable expectation that the instruction they receive is truly college level?
Walt Gardner, October 11, 2017
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