Guest comment: I’m a high school teacher; here’s why the latest education trend doesn’t lead to more learning

Guest comment: I’m a high school teacher; here’s why the latest education trend doesn’t lead to more learning

After 28 years of teaching, I still get excited about the first day of school. The desks may be the same. Hamlet is still Hamlet. But when 180 students walk through the door, the world gets created again. The week before students arrive is less exciting. It’s a time when districts roll out the next “big idea,” often in language that sounds vaguely pharmaceutical. What really works is far removed from these mandates—things like smaller classes. S…