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Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
What is the future of teacher activism?
Frederick "Rick" M. Hess from the American Enterprise Institute and Emily Anne Gullickson of A for Arizona believe activism can be effective if teacher movements are focused on what matters for students....
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Issue 06 / Insights
Political Discussion in the Classroom: What should educators be trying to do?
North Carolina State University’s Paula McAvoy says teachers need to address polarizing social and cultural issues in the classroom rather than shy away...
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Selected Articles
Betsy DeVos on Teacher Freedoms
Issue 06 / Insights
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos makes the case for teachers to chart their own course when it comes to career...
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A Graduate Student’s Perspective from the Civil Discourse Dinner at Pepperdine University
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse Dinners
Talking through our differences with one another to reach common ground is critical to finding solutions for a way forward....
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Civil Discourse in Action — with John Deasy and Derrell Bradford
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
Stockton USD Superintendent John Deasy and Derrell Bradford of 50CAN engage in dialogue, sharing their thoughts on elevating the teaching...
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Leader Spotlight: Rodney Robinson and Dr. Curtis Jones
Issue 06 / Leadership
The Line interviews 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson and 2019 National Superintendent of the Year Dr. Curtis...
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Teacher Voices – Attracting and Retaining Qualified Teachers
Issue 06 / Hiring Practices
2019 Maine, Missouri and New York state Teachers of the Year give their thoughts about how to recruit qualified teachers...
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Is it Time to Retire Traditional Teacher Pension Plans?
Issue 06 / Funding
Chad Aldeman advocates unconventional approaches while Nari Rhee points out the impact on teacher retention....
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Parent Voices
Issue 06 / Opportunity
Parents from urban, suburban and rural districts share their ideas for ways parents can work with teachers on behalf of...
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Social Impact: Changes to the Teacher Workforce in America
Issue 06 / Insights
A Look Back at key moments in U.S. history that changed the teacher workforce from the 18th Century to today....
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What Cultural Shifts Need to Happen to Professionalize Teaching?
Issue 06 / Insights
TNTP’s Daniel Weisberg and Andreas Schleicher of the OECD agree that society demands a lot from teachers but doesn’t give...
read more
What is the future of teacher activism?
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
Frederick "Rick" M. Hess from the American Enterprise Institute and Emily Anne Gullickson of A for Arizona believe activism can...
read more
Political Discussion in the Classroom: What should educators be trying to do?
Issue 06 / Insights
North Carolina State University’s Paula McAvoy says teachers need to address polarizing social and cultural issues in the classroom rather...
read more
The State of Teacher Talent Practices
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
The Frontline Research & Learning Institute shares teacher evaluation trends through the lens of policy and practice....
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Current State of Teacher Workforce
Issue 06 / Case Study
Research from University of Pennsylvania GSE professor Richard Ingersoll points to the growing, yet unstable state of the current teacher...
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A Letter From Mark Gruzin
Issue 06 / Letters
Mark Gruzin shares his thoughts about his inaugural issue of The Line, civil discourse and the teaching profession....
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How will professionalization impact teaching?
Issue 06 / Leadership
Maddie Fennell from the Nebraska State Education Association and National Council on Teacher Quality’s Kate Walsh discuss and agree that...
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Q&A with Betsy DeVos and Michael Johnson
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Q&A with Deborah Gist
Deborah A. Gist is the superintendent of Tulsa Public Schools and a proud graduate of Memorial High School. She holds...
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Issue One
Always Free Articles
Teacher Evaluation Under ESSA
Issue 01 / Web Exclusive
The impossibly high aim of the No Child Left Behind Act, all students proficient by 2014, paved the way for...
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Civil Discourse in Action with Ben Austin & Chris Cerf
Issue 03 / Civil Discourse
The Line endeavors to fulfill its purpose of encouraging civil discourse through both what we say and do. To that...
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Voices: with Sydnee Dickson and Karla Estrada
Issue 03 / Insights
How do we balance the rights of individual students with those of the larger school community? We asked the same...
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Delivering on the Promise of Education for All
Issue 03 / Liberty
For students who are undocumented or whose family members may be, they go to school with a gnawing fear that...
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Matching Cultural Relevance to Curriculum
Issue 03 / Liberty
If what we teach and how we teach are to have ongoing value, then we must reconsider all the components...
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Superintendent or Constitutional Scholar?
Issue 03 / Leadership
If we are to manage the liberties of the individual while providing an education in a non-threatening, respectful environment, we...
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Winners & Choosers
Issue 03 / Insights
Retired two-time NBA world champion M.L. Carr gives his perspective on current civil rights issues. Carr played for the Detroit...
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Key Learnings from the Civil Discourse Dinner in Las Vegas
Issue 05 / Web Exclusive
To improve educational outcomes for our students and ensure every child has access to a high-quality education, collaboration among those...
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Charter Schools are Public Schools, but do They Serve the Public Interest?
Issue 05 / Web Exclusive
This essay pairing features two vocal supporters of charter schools, both of whom strongly believe that the promise of education...
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A New Approach to College Readiness
Issue 05 / Web Exclusive
Remarkably, more than half of incoming community college students, and approximately 20% of incoming students at four-year institutions, are academically...
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A Letter from the Editor
Issue 01 / Insights
This publication, an initiative of the Frontline Research & Learning Institute, is neither left, right nor center. Instead, it stands...
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A Snapshot: Equity & Opportunity in Rural, Suburban, & Urban America
Issue 04 / Insights
An estimated 50.7 million students are enrolled in America's public schools, most in cities and suburbs. Not surprisingly, that's where...
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Hanna Skandera on the Promise of Education
Issue 05 / Letters
Within these pages we will reflect on the goals and values of education throughout our history, wrestle with what our...
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Betsy DeVos on Teacher Freedoms
Issue 06 / Insights
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos makes the case for teachers to chart their own course when it comes to career...
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A Graduate Student’s Perspective from the Civil Discourse Dinner at Pepperdine University
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse Dinners
Talking through our differences with one another to reach common ground is critical to finding solutions for a way forward....
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The Genesis of The Line
Issue 01 / Insights
Dear Readers, It may seem odd that a technology company that espouses efficiency and effectiveness has taken up the cause...
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Leader Spotlight: Robert Runcie and Hadi Partovi
Issue 05 / Leadership
Robert Runcie leads Broward County Public Schools in Broward County, Florida. Hadi Partovi is founder and CEO of Code.org. Each...
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Civil Discourse in Action — with John Deasy and Derrell Bradford
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
Stockton USD Superintendent John Deasy and Derrell Bradford of 50CAN engage in dialogue, sharing their thoughts on elevating the teaching...
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States Take the Wheel
Issue 01 / Federal Policy
With the Every Student Succeeds Act in place for more than a year, what does the evolution to a more...
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Empowering Families Through Educational Freedom
Issue 02 / School Choice
Ensuring the American Dream does not become an American myth is as great a challenge as any we face today....
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Research & the Road to Common Ground on Choice
Issue 02 / Common Ground
Robert E. Slavin, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Research and Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University, School of Education...
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Walking the Line with Andre Spencer and Ana Ponce
Issue 03 / Liberty
Most education leaders pledge their steadfast dedication to addressing the needs of all students. But what does that commitment look...
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Suburban: When Challenges to Equity and Opportunity Are Hiding in Plain Sight
Issue 04 / Suburban
A suburban public school in 2019 is part of an education infrastructure and culture vastly different than in times past....
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Urban: City Districts Demonstrate Agility Amid Evolving Needs
Issue 04 / Urban
Many urban districts are demonstrating agility amid an evolving environment that has surfaced new and unique needs. For example, when...
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Rural: Education in Mississippi’s Delta
Issue 04 / Rural
Historically, Mississippi hovers at the bottom of national rankings for education quality and student achievement. For students in the Delta...
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About the Value of Education
Issue 05 / Value of Education
Aaron Pallas, Eric A. Hanushek and Grover J. “Russ” Whitehurst explore what has shaped American beliefs about education....
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Leader Spotlight: Rodney Robinson and Dr. Curtis Jones
Issue 06 / Leadership
The Line interviews 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson and 2019 National Superintendent of the Year Dr. Curtis...
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Walking the Line with Kaya Henderson
Issue 01 / Curriculum
On October 1, 2016, Kaya Henderson stepped down from six years as chancellor of District of Columbia Public Schools. Shortly...
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Walking the Line with Barbara Jenkins, Pedro Martinez and Evan Meyers
Issue 02 / Common Ground
The story of school choice is evolving across the United States. But how that story plays out is influenced by...
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Dr. Anthony Carnevale and Roberto Rodriguez Discuss the Proposed Merger of the Department of Education and Department of Labor
Issue 04 / Civil Discourse
We’ve invited Dr. Anthony Carnevale and Roberto Rodriguez to talk through a very big idea — the administration’s proposed merger...
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Voices: with Margaret Spellings
Issue 05 / Opportunity
Last year, the investigative reporters at ProPublica produced a searing string of articles on inequality in American schools. They chronicled...
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Teacher Voices – Attracting and Retaining Qualified Teachers
Issue 06 / Hiring Practices
2019 Maine, Missouri and New York state Teachers of the Year give their thoughts about how to recruit qualified teachers...
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Common Ground on School Funding
Issue 01 / Funding
In a time when American society seems more polarized than at any time in the recent past, the question of...
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Is it possible to have strong public schools and choice?
Issue 02 / School Choice
Education clearly has not escaped the partisan polarization that has long besieged so many issues in America. Still, when The...
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Modeling Civil Discourse
Issue 02 / Common Ground
What happens when the head of the nation’s largest teachers’ union and a noted reformer and a resident scholar from...
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Leading Change: Empowering Students for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Issue 05 / Leadership
The Fourth Industrial Revolution poses new demands on leaders to make schools more relevant. Education leaders need to develop a...
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Is it Time to Retire Traditional Teacher Pension Plans?
Issue 06 / Funding
Chad Aldeman advocates unconventional approaches while Nari Rhee points out the impact on teacher retention....
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Solutions: Boston Public Schools
Issue 01 / Charter Schools
It’s mid-winter in the Bay State and Boston Public School (BPS) teachers are participating in a district-wide institute comprised of...
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Do More Choices Mean Better Choices?
Issue 02 / School Choice
Featuring // Tom Boasberg, Superintendent, Denver Public Schools / Bruce Fuller, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Education...
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Infographic: Delivering on the Promise of Education
Issue 05 / Insights
Here’s a look at what some of the data says about the promise of American education....
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Parent Voices
Issue 06 / Opportunity
Parents from urban, suburban and rural districts share their ideas for ways parents can work with teachers on behalf of...
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Civil Discourse in Action
Issue 01 / Curriculum
Not terribly long ago, letter-writing was a cornerstone of our communication. It was a genre that nurtured the expression of...
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Talent Acquisition in a Teacher Economy Squeezed by Shortages and School Choice
Issue 02 / Case Study
By Alison Coker, Executive Director, Human Resources, Guilford County Schools, North Carolina; Dale Fisher, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources,...
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Leader Spotlight with Mandy Manning, Jorge A. Aguilar and John White
Issue 04 / Leadership
Whether it’s called an equity gap, achievement gap or opportunity gap, these education leaders clearly have nuanced views about what...
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Educating Good Citizens
Issue 05 / Curriculum
John B. King Jr. and Louise Dubé advocate for stronger civics education and solid ELA and STEM programs too....
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Social Impact: Changes to the Teacher Workforce in America
Issue 06 / Insights
A Look Back at key moments in U.S. history that changed the teacher workforce from the 18th Century to today....
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A Letter To the 45th President
Issue 01 / Curriculum
Many aspects of our national conversation on education have become politicized. Yet while we may dispute the best means to...
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A Letter from the
Editor-in-Chief
Issue 02 / Letters
Ideas Wither without Civil Discourse. John E. Deasy, Editor-in-Chief I was recently thinking about the “motto” of the Washington Post:...
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John E. Deasy on Liberty
Issue 03 / Letters
A Letter from the Editor-in-Chief The construct of liberty and the gifts of the freedoms that emanate from it go...
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Understanding the Suburban Student View
Issue 04 / Suburban
In spite of a seemingly rich educational experience in most suburbs, evolving demographics and economics have given way to new...
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Understanding the Urban Student View
Issue 04 / Opportunity
What happens when, instead of allowing perceived barriers to education tell a tale of haves and have-nots and drive wedges...
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Can One System Prepare Students to be Ready for Both College and Career?
Issue 05 / Curriculum
David Coleman and Ryan Craig agree that students are not prepared for whichever comes next....
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What Cultural Shifts Need to Happen to Professionalize Teaching?
Issue 06 / Insights
TNTP’s Daniel Weisberg and Andreas Schleicher of the OECD agree that society demands a lot from teachers but doesn’t give...
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Last Word: Why Civil Discourse
Issue 01 / Insights
Among the most guiding and editorial principles of The Line is to model, promote and engage in civil discourse. One...
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Let’s Focus on
the Students
Issue 02 / Letters
A Letter from the Frontline Education CEO Dear Readers, In advance of this second print issue, The Line editorial...
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“Wait, what? and Life’s Other Essential Questions”
Issue 02 / Insights
A review by // Will Austin, Founder & CEO, Boston Schools Fund Will Austin is the founder and CEO of...
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Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Civil Engagement
Issue 03 / Liberty
A Letter from the Frontline Education CEO Dear Readers, At any given moment, you’ll find today’s education leaders courageously standing...
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Virginia CTE Program Embraces Multiple Pathways to Success After High School
Issue 05 / uncategorized
With increasing expectations for high school seniors, the pressures over what comes next are mounting. Those that choose to continue...
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What is the future of teacher activism?
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
Frederick "Rick" M. Hess from the American Enterprise Institute and Emily Anne Gullickson of A for Arizona believe activism can...
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How One Student Protest Went
Issue 03 / Liberty
What you can do when wrestling with students' freedom of expression featuring Meira Levinson, Ph.D., Professor, Harvard Graduate School of...
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Do Suburban Hiring Practices Limit Diversity?
Issue 04 / Insights
In its recent report, “A Leak in the Pipeline,” the Frontline Research & Learning Institute shared some unexpected findings about...
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Do the Fundamentals of K-12 Education Still Matter?
Issue 05 / Civil Discourse
So, do the fundamentals still matter? Ruszkowski and Hoffman would agree that the answer is “yes.” But what exactly are...
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Political Discussion in the Classroom: What should educators be trying to do?
Issue 06 / Insights
North Carolina State University’s Paula McAvoy says teachers need to address polarizing social and cultural issues in the classroom rather...
read more
Crossing the Line: Exploring Equity in Special Education Across the United States
Issue 03 / Insights
The goal of the Frontline Research & Learning Institute "Crossing the Line" series is to provide actionable insights that provoke...
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Hanna Skandera on Equity & Opportunity
Issue 04 / Letters
This issue of The Line grapples with the expectation that education must be delivered to students no matter where they...
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Understanding the Rural Student View
Issue 04 / Rural
The statistics paint a picture of what rural education looks like in smallish districts near tiny towns and those in...
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The Imperatives and Casualties of College Readiness
Issue 05 / Curriculum
Do students need to earn a college degree in order to be successful in life? The answer, of course, is...
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The State of Teacher Talent Practices
Issue 06 / Civil Discourse
The Frontline Research & Learning Institute shares teacher evaluation trends through the lens of policy and practice....
read more
Bridging The Gap
Issue 02 / Civil Discourse
T he public discourse surrounding professional learning has, for many years, been characterized by a combination of disgust and paralysis....
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Last Word on School Choice
Issue 02 / Insights
Upon reading every article and written contribution to this issue, I am struck by one thing: not one contributor was...
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Last Word on Liberty
Issue 03 / Liberty
Throughout our national history, the ideal of democracy has been a touchstone of what we mean when we talk about...
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Last Word on Equity & Opportunity
Issue 04 / Equity
Clearly there are many dimensions to an equity discussion as it pertains to redefining education, but the focus of this...
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Public Schools Can’t Solve America’s Crisis of Purpose, But We Can Do A Lot More
Issue 05 / Civil Discourse
America’s education system is not the train wreck some claim, yet I’m always baffled when people argue that we’re doing...
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Current State of Teacher Workforce
Issue 06 / Case Study
Research from University of Pennsylvania GSE professor Richard Ingersoll points to the growing, yet unstable state of the current teacher...
read more
A Letter From Mark Gruzin
Issue 06 / Letters
Mark Gruzin shares his thoughts about his inaugural issue of The Line, civil discourse and the teaching profession....
read more
How will professionalization impact teaching?
Issue 06 / Leadership
Maddie Fennell from the Nebraska State Education Association and National Council on Teacher Quality’s Kate Walsh discuss and agree that...
read more

I like the way this is approached and the outcome of that shown in her words. Its sad that our entire society is so not modeling this rational way of handling polarization. Its one thing to be polarized, another to…
In Response to: Political Discussion in the Classroom: What should educators be trying to do?More needs to be said about this issue. Many college students may have no idea about what course in life or job they would like to pursue truly is. Perhaps taking a gap year to explore potential interests or participate…
In Response to: Can One System Prepare Students to be Ready for Both College and Career?Promoting respect for the profession of teaching is a must. We cannot let disrespect for teachers get by after everything they do and all of the hard work they put in. We need to have a balance between giving teachers…
In Response to: Last Word on Coming TogetherIf we are failing to meet standards but have policies in place that are not being enforced, then we must find ways to bridge the gap between policy and classroom teaching. The article mentions cultural fit being a higher priority…
In Response to: The State of Teacher Talent PracticesInteresting conversation between Mr. Bradford and Mr. Deasy. A point they both agree on is that we must make our teachers feel valued. Mr. Deasy said we must strive for teachers to feel like “I am contributing, and I matter.”…
In Response to: Civil Discourse in Action — with John Deasy and Derrell BradfordI could not agree more with the conclusion of this article. I am hopeful that we will develop our policymaking in ways that advances the needs of educators to better suit their abilities in the classroom. It is true that…
In Response to: Last Word on Coming TogetherThis seems so backwards. If anything, teachers should be prepared above and beyond what they might end up facing in the classroom. As policymakers we need to create high-rigor experiences to prepare teachers. Of course, authentic classroom settings are hard…
In Response to: How will professionalization impact teaching?Anastasia brought up some very important points in this article. One that stood out to me the most was, “An ecosystem of supportive coalitions is instrumental in promoting lasting transformation in education.” This is such a vital part of growth…
In Response to: A Graduate Student’s Perspective from the Civil Discourse Dinner at Pepperdine University