In his weekly presidential address to the American public on the morning of January 30th 2016, President Obama asserted, “In the new economy, computer science isn’t an optional skill—it’s a basic skill, right along with the three ‘Rs.’” By claiming that computer science (CS) education should be prioritized with the same importance as reading, writing, and
The full-length American Journal of Education article by Gelber can be accessed here. Founded by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1937, the Future Teachers of America (FTA) was a network of high school clubs that intended to attract teenagers to teaching careers. NEA leaders hoped that FTA clubs could recruit teachers during their adolescence,
This is the fifth contribution in the AJE Forum Election Issues series. Together, these pieces will introduce and analyze relevant issues in education policy and politics that will shape the 2020 Presidential election including the politics of school choice, Black Lives Matter and social justice, reopening schools during a pandemic, prioritizing funding for students with
This is the first contribution in the AJE Forum Election Issues series. Together, these pieces will introduce and analyze relevant issues in education policy and politics that will shape the 2020 Presidential election including the politics of school choice, Black Lives Matter and social justice, reopening schools during a pandemic, prioritizing funding for students with
In December 2016, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released to the public their 2015 Program of International Student Assessment (PISA) results. The results and subsequent analyses occupy a big share of educational discussions, but some educational organizations may be placing unnecessary weight on how countries rank within PISA results. As an educator
Book details: Assigning Blame by Mark Hlavacik. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard Education Press, 2016, 208 pp., $30.00. Policy experts David Tyack and Larry Cuban explained in their seminal work Tinkering toward Utopia (1995) that discussing and debating the institution of formal schooling is “one way Americans make sense of their lives” (p. 42). With this understanding, it is
Image by flickr user Tobi Gaulke What role should private wealth play in shaping public institutions? This highly contentious question is often at the center of policy debates in the United States, and education policy is certainly no exception. As private foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation work to expand their reach
A Democratic Constitution for Public Education by Paul T. Hill and Ashley E. Jochim. Chicago ; London: The University of Chicago Press, 2015. 143pp., $22.50. Katherine L. Arrington The University of Texas, Austin It is no secret that the American education system currently serves some students better than others. There are persistent patterns of low academic
Review by Jesus Tirado, University of Georgia Book Details: Mission High: One School, How Experts Tried to Fail it, and the Students and Teachers who made it Triumph. by Kristina Rizga. New York: Nation Books. 2016. 295 pp., $26.99. Kristina Rizga’s (2015) Mission High presents a deep look at a school and the people who breathe vitality
Within the school setting, children who have experienced maltreatment often exhibit lower academic performance relative to their non-maltreated counterparts (Johnson-Reid, et.al., 2007). Challenges in academic performance are often compounded by or result from decreased school engagement such as increased absenteeism and behavior problems. The picture painted may bring about images of disengaged students who are
