Opinion Blog


Rick Hess Straight Up

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Read more from this blog.

Education policy maven Rick Hess of the American Enterprise Institute think tank (AEI), author of books like The Same Thing Over and Over, Letters to a Young Education Reformer, and A Search for Common Ground, offers straight talk on matters of policy, politics, research, and reform. Rick’s takes are his alone and do not represent AEI or Education Week. Follow Rick on Twitter at @rickhess99.

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Social Studies Opinion DeSantis’ Take on AP African American Studies Was Principled. The Media’s Response Was Not
News coverage characterized the concern as an unwillingness to teach about racism rather than how to teach it.
Rick Hess, March 13, 2023
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5 min read
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Policy & Politics Opinion Are Cultural Clashes Over K-12 Normal?
An examination of education reform throughout the decades reveals that value-laden debates, not technocratic ones, seem to be the rule.
Rick Hess, March 8, 2023
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2 min read
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Teaching Profession Opinion A Conservative Teacher’s Take on 'What Is Wrong With Our Schools'
An English teacher and author discusses his ideas for returning to the principles of classical liberalism and American exceptionalism.
Rick Hess, March 2, 2023
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7 min read
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Policy & Politics Opinion Tips and Cautions for Educators and Policymakers From Influential Scholars
What some of the nation’s most influential education scholars have to say about practice, policy, and research.
Rick Hess, February 27, 2023
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4 min read
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Social Studies Opinion Teaching the Complicated Legacies of the Founding Fathers
These are hugely significant, fascinating, complex figures. We must prepare students to grapple with the facts of their lives.
Rick Hess, February 21, 2023
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4 min read
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School Choice & Charters Opinion A Charter Academy Delivering a ‘Classical’ Education Grows in Popularity
At its core, Great Hearts Academy seeks to foster virtuous human beings, explains the schools' CEO.
Rick Hess, February 16, 2023
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5 min read
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Federal Opinion Is This the Key to Unlocking Breakthrough Education Research?
An innovative federal R&D program for education is getting underway. Rick Hess and Jal Mehta discuss their mixed feelings about it.
Rick Hess, February 13, 2023
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5 min read
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School Choice & Charters Opinion How Are Charter Schools Faring in Our Polarized Political Era?
There are several distinct and passionate school communities that reside under the charter school banner. Can they work alongside another?
Rick Hess, February 9, 2023
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6 min read
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Student Achievement Opinion How Much Faith Should Educators Have in High-Dosage Tutoring?
What matters is less whether schools or systems spend money on high-dosage tutoring than how they do it.
Rick Hess, February 6, 2023
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4 min read
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Early Childhood Opinion What K-12 Can Learn from Pre-K
Early-childhood education has valuable lessons to share with K-12.
Rick Hess, January 31, 2023
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5 min read
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Artificial Intelligence Opinion Will ChatGPT Unflip the Classroom?
21st-century technology helped flip the classroom, and now, ChatGPT may make the case for having students write in class again.
Rick Hess, January 26, 2023
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4 min read
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Policy & Politics Opinion What the Last Two Decades Have Taught Us About School Reform
In a time with pandemic, hyperactive news cycles, and culture war, it’s worth taking a moment to step back in search of context.
Rick Hess, January 24, 2023
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3 min read
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Teaching Profession Opinion You're an Educator With a Story to Tell? What to Do?
The education novel is a well-trodden road. Strive to make it novel.
Rick Hess, January 18, 2023
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6 min read
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Social Studies Opinion What Did the House Speaker Fight Mean? An Education in Civics Can Explain
Teaching students why the House speaker fight mattered—and how to judge the stakes and claims—is the harder part of civics education.
Rick Hess, January 11, 2023
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3 min read
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