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Matt Barnum is Chalkbeat's ideas editor. Previously, Matt covered K-12 education for the Wall Street Journal.
Ideas
Sep 24, 2026
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4 min read
Plus: Mark Zuckerberg's latest ed-tech hope, the value of virtual schooling, and more
Sep 22, 2026
3 min read
De-emphasizing admissions tests seems to bring in more students from low-income families — but not many
Sep 15, 2026
Schools have hired more people rather than raised teacher pay — but is that the best use of funds?
Sep 10, 2026
Initial hopes that in-school tutors could drive massive learning gains didn’t pan out. But the real story is more complicated than simple failure.
Sep 8, 2026
American 15-year-olds now score well above average in science and reading, but the global decline is alarming.
Sep 1, 2026
2 min read
Research suggests career education can engage students, but expanding CTE may not be easy.
Aug 27, 2026
A new Chalkbeat analysis shows that 1 in 80 public school students is in a fully virtual school, a sharp increase since 2019
Aug 25, 2026
A new study of Khan Academy confirms Sal Khan’s concern: Most students aren’t taking advantage of an AI tutor.
Aug 18, 2026
A new paper traces how family income, test scores, and educational spending rise together.
Aug 11, 2026
Also: the origins of digital testing, the reality of “college for all,” and interpreting teacher turnover trends
Aug 6, 2026
ISTE’s Richard Culatta says screen restrictions are a bad idea, but he says that there’s a lot of bad ed-tech use.
Aug 4, 2026
Prior studies suggest that even many students who struggle in high school benefit from a four-year college education.
Jul 30, 2026
5 min read
The cumulative loss of teachers has left a weakened profession and destabilized schools, an extensive new Chalkbeat analysis finds.
Jul 28, 2026
The students who needed the most help in math were often assigned to the teachers least confident teaching it, according to a new study
Jul 21, 2026
Ary Amerikaner says racially and economically diverse schools are still essential, and she has a vision for making that happen.
Jul 16, 2026
Is that a good enough reason?
Jul 14, 2026
One reason: Voters aren’t prioritizing it either.
Jun 30, 2026
An internal estimate from a school choice group suggests it could be challenging and pricey to grow the program.
Jun 25, 2026
Programs in South Carolina and Texas appear to have paid off. It’s worth trying to understand why.
Jun 23, 2026
Politicians say that students can skip a four-year degree and still earn a solid living. That’s true, but the odds are lower.
Jun 18, 2026
What I learned from talking to two state education chiefs
Jun 11, 2026
Girls’ scores have fallen faster than boys’ on major tests, and the gap has not gone away. The latest NAEP results make the pattern impossible to dismiss.
Jun 9, 2026
Also: growth vs. proficiency, surprising support for federal education funding, enrollment declines, and more in this Chalkbeat Ideas roundup
Jun 4, 2026
For over a century, the onset of new technology has meant more demand for education. Will AI be different?
Jun 2, 2026
Iowa Auditor Rob Sand is making opposition to the state’s voucher-like program a centerpiece of his campaign for governor. Will it work?
