Americans just do not know their history. Yes, we’ve suspected this for quite some time. Now that the much-anticipated NAEP U.S. history scores are out, what we suspected is now proven true. Eighth grade history knowledge is now at its lowest levels in 30 years. This shouldn’t come as a…

Hate is the most powerful emotion we face. Hate driven by fear, doubly so. If we look to the Old Testament, we can see the strength of fear-driven hate in Psalms, in calls for vengeance and the need to hate one’s enemies. Those who allow their hate to manifest itself…

As a society, we like to talk about the need to combat intolerance. Despite all of this talk, though, we still seem to be fairly tolerant of antisemitism. When tropes and hate are expressed by people like Kanye West and Kyrie Irving, we hear the excuses and the justifications for…

We often credit the TV series The West Wing with being a harbinger of politics in the United States, with the later seasons foreseeing the optimism and potential of the Obama Administration. …

Practical experiences or formal classroom learning? For today’s college students, which is more valuable as they look toward life after graduation? A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to speak to a large group of Latino students at my alma mater, the University of Virginia. That evening, those students…

After far too many years, the fights continuing to rage under the banner of “science of reading.” For decades now, educators, policymakers, parents, and communities have battled fiercely over how best to teach reading — phonics, whole or balanced language, and scientifically based reading. While we have seen pockets of…

Five years ago, I was disgusted by the terrorist actions we saw in Charlottesville. As a proud graduate of the University of Virginia, I was horrified to see the institution that has meant so much to me for so many years being used as a backdrop for hate. …

In today’s 24–7 media environment, it is no surprise that non-profit organizations often think public relations is the “holy grail” that will solve all that ails it, programmatically, operationally, and financially. …

All the science — We must be guided by science. For two years now, American society has demanded that our decisions be guided by science. The economy and inflation. Vaccines. Masks. Even school operations. …