Leadership Blog

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 This blog is no longer being updated.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 Did Sex Ed Go Too Far, Too Soon?
Allowing parents to remove their children from class when instruction deals with controversial matter is still the fairest way.
Walt Gardner, January 27, 2014
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1 min read
Education Opinion Student Rights Lawsuit Worries Teachers
Teacher effectiveness varies greatly in the Los Angeles Unified School District, but using standardized tests as the basis is unfair and unreliable.
Walt Gardner, January 24, 2014
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2 min read
Education Opinion Bad News for Charter Schools
Time is running out on the argument that charter schools can do a better job than traditional public schools in educating similar students.
Walt Gardner, January 22, 2014
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1 min read
Education Opinion Do Teachers Have Right to Private Life?
We have to make allowance for the occasional lack of good judgment by teachers off campus when they have otherwise been effective in the classroom.
Walt Gardner, January 20, 2014
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Education Opinion Vocational Education Still a Stepchild
I question if a salary premium attached to a four-year degree on average will persist in the years ahead because of student debt and offshoring of jobs.
Walt Gardner, January 17, 2014
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Education Opinion To Track or Not to Track?
Placing students in honors classes when they don't have the ability to meet the rigors will only frustrate them.
Walt Gardner, January 15, 2014
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2 min read
Education Opinion Riskiest Subjects to Teach
Certain school subjects carry a high risk of injury or death.
Walt Gardner, January 13, 2014
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1 min read
Education Opinion Adequate Funding of Public Schools
Financial resources that are adequate for advantaged students are inadequate for students from impoverished backgrounds and for those speaking little English.
Walt Gardner, January 10, 2014
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1 min read
Education Opinion Blame It All on Teachers' Unions
If teachers' unions are the villain, why do states where they are strongest post the highest NAEP scores and conversely why do states where they are weakest post the lowest NAEP scores?
Walt Gardner, January 8, 2014
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2 min read
Education Opinion Heretic View of Pre-K
The evidence to date does not support the view that pre-K programs can produce lasting academic and social benefits.
Walt Gardner, January 6, 2014
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2 min read
Education Opinion Movies Distort Realities of Teaching
We do a terrible disservice to teachers who are compared to heroes on the big screen.
Walt Gardner, January 3, 2014
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1 min read
Education Opinion Get Real About School Chiefs
I wish Carmen Fariña well as chancellor, but far too much is expected of her in light of the realities of the city she serves.
Walt Gardner, January 1, 2014
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Education Opinion Non-College Recruitment Not So Bad
I wonder if seniors who opt for a trade instead of a degree are not going to have the last laugh.
Walt Gardner, December 30, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Income Distribution and School Outcomes
Social Darwinism and the trickle-down theory have not helped the majority of parents get a better education for their children.
Walt Gardner, December 27, 2013
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1 min read
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