Obama commencement speeches

Who Gets to Make Commencement Speeches (and Why)?

Why are battles over just who gets the honor of toasting new graduates—and what they say—always so heated?
psychology on the radio

Psychologists on the Radio

Americans have tuned their radios for psychological insight and edification since the dawn of the medium.
Oklahoma Sunday school class 1900

Where Sunday School Comes From

Sunday school was just one part of nineteenth century reformers’ efforts to improve children’s lives and morals in this period. But the mission of Sunday schools changed significantly over the years.
WV teachers strike

The Teachers’ Union Boomerang

Today's teacher's strikes in places like Oklahoma and West Virginia are the result of labor battles back in 2010, and the declining presence of unions across the economy generally.
laptops in class

What Should Schools Teach?

American schools produce graduates that have learned to memorize facts, but lack direction in ethics, social skills, adaptability, or knowing how to be happy.
Family reading children's book

In Children’s Books, How Much Reality is Too Much?

While children will undoubtedly counter myriad difficulties as they navigate life--and it does them a disservice to pretend otherwise--exposure is a double edged sword.
librarian obituaries

Overlooked: How the New York Times Covers Librarians’ Obituaries

In 2004, two researchers analyzed the New York Times obit section between 1977 and 2002 in an attempt to understand how the obituary section portrayed American librarians.
Photgraph: Fred Rogers lacing up his iconic sneakers

Source: Grand Communications/The Fred Rogers Company

Long Live Mister Rogers’ Quiet Revolution

Fred Rogers argued by example and in his quiet, firm way that television’s power could be harnessed to shape future generations for good.
School to tech pipeline

The Trouble with the School-to-Tech Pipeline

Anthropologist Elsa Davidson found at a Silicon Valley high school serving “at-risk” Latino and Southeast Asian kids that there are some complicated obstacles to careers in tech.
East LA Student protest

The Activist Students of 1960s East Los Angeles

Over a week and a half starting on March 1st, 1968, more than 10,000 students in mostly Chicano schools took part in what became known as the East Los Angeles School Blowouts.