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This Superintendent Couldn’t Read as a Kid. Now He Wants to Ensure Every Kid Can

In late July, soon-to-be kindergarteners spent the morning getting their wiggles out at a summer learning program at Robert Bailey Elementary School in Providence. At first, they shyly raised their hands or whispered “that’s me” when their teacher sang an attendance song, but then they jumped up and spent the next hour stretching, dancing and...
By Jessika Harkay | August 26, 2026
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Can Ethnic Studies Bridge the Achievement Gap? San Francisco Program Shows Gains

San Francisco high school students, particularly those with high needs, enrolled in ethnic study courses achieved higher GPAs, stronger academic gains in math and science, and failed fewer courses, according to a new report. A new study from the universities of Pennsylvania and California analyzed a longstanding San Francisco Unified School District ethnic studies program,...
By Jessika Harkay | July 16, 2026
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Report: Nearly One-Third of Teachers Still Use ‘Discredited’ Reading Methods

While reform around reading instruction continues to gain momentum, about a third of teachers are using “discredited” methods to teach kids how to read and aren’t fully committed to the science of reading, a new report found. In a survey of more than 1,200 K-3 educators in the fall of 2025, researchers at the Fordham...
By Jessika Harkay | May 27, 2026
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Many Young Adults Barely Literate, Yet Earned a High School Diploma

One in four young adults across the U.S. is functionally illiterate – yet more than half earned high school diplomas, according to recently released data. The number of 16-to-24 year olds reading at the lowest literacy levels increased from 16% in 2017 to 25% in 2023, according to data released in December from the National...
By Jessika Harkay | October 21, 2025