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 This blog is no longer being updated.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 Rating Schools of Education
Schools of education should require that all candidates observe actual classrooms before they take courses in philosophy and psychology.
Walt Gardner, August 16, 2013
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2 min read
Education Opinion Textbook Selection
Students of American history are best served by presenting them with original sources in addition to a textbook.
Walt Gardner, August 14, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Lewd Speech in Public Schools
What is disruptive to learning when students wear bracelets with a message about "boobies"?
Walt Gardner, August 12, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Why Teacher Assignments Matter
Although random assignment of students is the sine qua non of teacher evaluation, it's not how the system works.
Walt Gardner, August 9, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion College Admissions Advice
The most important thing for applicants to remember is that college is only the most convenient place to learn how to learn.
Walt Gardner, August 7, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion What Makes an Academic Superpower?
When it comes to intellectual capital, the U.S. is No. 5 in the world, with South Korea No. 21.
Walt Gardner, August 5, 2013
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2 min read
Education Opinion What Price Racial Diversity?
Racial composition of schools is not always the fault of school officials.
Walt Gardner, August 2, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Positive Signs for Foreign-Language Acquisition
Learning a foreign language pays off both economically and psychologically.
Walt Gardner, July 31, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion As North Carolina Goes, So Goes the U.S.
Out-of-school factors play an inordinate role in what students can achieve.
Walt Gardner, July 29, 2013
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3 min read
Education Opinion How Safe Are Teachers' Pensions?
If we ever expect to recruit and retain top talent to schools, it's time to stop portraying public school teachers as leeches that suck the financial blood out of states.
Walt Gardner, July 26, 2013
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2 min read
Education Opinion Changing Leaders No Panacea for Failing Schools
Substituting one level of control for another has done little to improve student performance.
Walt Gardner, July 24, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Pay-for-Performance Hypocrisy
Corporate reformers speak with forked tongue about performance pay for teachers.
Walt Gardner, July 22, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion Certificates vs. Degrees
For students who have neither the interest, aptitude or means for a bachelor's degree, a certificate program can be the best choice.
Walt Gardner, July 19, 2013
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1 min read
Education Opinion A Better Way to Prepare New Teachers
Why not hire unemployed actors and actresses to play the various roles of students to better prepare new teachers?
Walt Gardner, July 17, 2013
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1 min read
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