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 This blog is no longer being updated.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
Private Schools Are Losing Students
The latest data show that not all parents have given up on traditional public schools.
Education
Opinion
Substitute Teacher Shortage Is No Surprise
One way to attract qualified subs is to put them on a retainer and pay them a supplement when they are summoned.
Education
Opinion
Lowering Standards to Attract Teachers
Subject matter expertise is no substitute for pedagogical competency.
Education
Opinion
Failing to Teach Students How to Read
Failing to teach students how to read handicaps them for life.
Education
Opinion
Student Absenteeism Solution
High absenteeism will persist as long as students see little connection between their studies and their future plans.
Education
Opinion
University-School District Partnerships Offer Hope
University-school district partnerships provide a forum for helping teachers become more effective in the classroom.
Education
Opinion
Equal Opportunities No Guarantee of Equal Outcomes
The achievement gap can never be eliminated but only narrowed.
Education
Opinion
Charter Schools on Corporate Campuses
When public schools accept an offer to move into a new building on corporate land, they open the door to interference on curriculum and faculty hiring.
Education
Opinion
Out-of-Control Schools
Teachers have become so sensitized about being accused of prejudice that they tend to overlook behaviors resulting in suspensions in the past.
Education
Opinion
Computer Literacy's Proper Place in Schools
Basic computing skills are important, but the public has been oversold on their indispensability.
Education
Opinion
Why Are Graduation Rates Rising?
It's premature to conclude that high teacher expectations are the cause of record high graduation rates.
Education
Opinion
Does Inclusion Trump All Other Education Concerns?
Fully integrated schools are no assurance of a quality education.
Education
Opinion
Evaluating Success Academy Charter Schools
Eva Moskowitz's personality makes it difficult to objectively evaluate Success Academy charter schools.
Education
Opinion
The Price of Academic Success
The fundamental question is whether academic achievement is worth endangering physical and mental health.