Well, it’s been another tumultuous year. The Russian invasion of Ukraine. Midterms. Inflation. Ugly, ugly NAEP results. Before we step into the new year, it’s worth considering what we might glean from all this noise. In that spirit, I figured it was worth taking a look back at the top RHSU columns of 2022—as determined by readership, feedback, and personal preference.
There are always a few pieces that don’t necessarily make the cut of “top 10” but still seem worth noting. This year, those include What Does the Future Hold for School Accountability? (February 28, 2022), What Might Prevent Yet Another Tragedy Like Uvalde? (May 31, 2022), and What’s the Point of Civics Education? (October 31, 2022).
Now, without further ado, here are the top 10 RHSU columns of 2022.
- A Closer Look at NAEP Declines: What a Leading Ed. Researcher Finds Surprising (October 24, 2022): A NAEP expert puts the results of “the nation’s report card” in context for students, parents, and schools.
- 20 Years Ago, NCLB Kinda, Sorta Worked. That’s the Problem (October 3, 2022): NCLB’s political success gave rise to a more complicated reality of lax academic standards and public cynicism.
- Have We Raised the ‘Dumbest Generation’? (February 17, 2022): Mark Bauerlein makes the case about the long-lasting psychological and intellectual effect of growing up digital.
- The Not-So-Certain Science of Pre-K (May 24, 2022): Much of the support for universal preschool proceeds with a blind assurance that leaves difficult questions aside.
- Is Petting a Guinea Pig SEL? It’s Time to Call Out the Quacks (November 14, 2022): More serious proponents should be careful about who is selling their wares under the SEL shingle.
- Schools Need to Reclaim Lost Learning Time. Here’s How to Start (October 17, 2022): To maximize learning time, we need to consider how time in the school year is currently being used and whether it is the best use possible.
- A Search for Common Ground: Navigating Tough Classroom Conversations (June 6, 2022): Should parents or legislators have a say in what subjects educators teach?
- From A Nation at Risk to CRT. How’d We Get Here? (July 25, 2022): How did a bipartisan school reform movement give way to a series of heated culture clashes?
- Rethinking Talent, Technology, and the Shape of Post-Pandemic Schooling (May 9, 2022): The disruption born of this once-in-a-century pandemic could yield a once-in-a-century opportunity to rethink K-12 schooling.
- What Is School Reform, Anyway? (April 26, 2022): Too often, reform is a spinning wheel of one change after another, serving to exhaust educators and breed cynicism.
OK. Time to erase the board and find out what 2023 holds. Personally, I’m upbeat. I mean, it feels like we’re all due for a good year, wouldn’t you say? Let’s see what we can do to make that happen.
