Proud father, husband, educator, policy wonk, pragmatist, warrior. Fighting for educational excellence, equity, and opportunity.

Denver, Colorado
Joined January 2011
A Democratic win in Texas or Ohio? A GOP upset in Oregon? Three governors’ races could reshape the future of education reform. My latest for @educationgadfly:
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“Just do things” is great advice for state education agencies. Provided you trust the people doing them. That’s where I often get stuck.
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Don't tell kids they're smart. Teach them so they KNOW they're smart.
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Repeat after me: Charter schools are public schools.
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If a child is behind, every lost minute is a crisis. Zig Engelmann called learning deficits “academic child abuse” and preached one relentless standard: “Use time with desperate efficiency.”
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The education establishment on Direct Instruction:
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Birth rates have fallen in 49 states since 2007. And according to one expert, it’s nothing compared with what’s coming. “The decline feels extreme now, but it’s really not extreme to the level that it’s going to be in about 15–20 years.”
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The Four Corners have this on lock.
Which State has the best flag? Be honest.
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The Houston Chronicle calls #HISD’s state takeover “harmful.” Meanwhile, D- and F-rated campuses fell from 120 in 2023 to 13 in 2026. A-rated campuses rose from 36 to 92. Those results don’t settle every question about the takeover. But they deserve more than a passing acknowledgment of its “seeds of good practice.”
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The reaction to @ElissaSlotkin's comments raises a question that matters well beyond politics: When did accountability become synonymous with retribution?
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28 out of 30 kids learned the concept. Most educators might call that a success. Zig Engelmann didn't. “There were still two kids who hadn’t learned it.” For Engelmann, it only worked when everybody got it. What if our education system took that standard seriously?
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