Adversity Score Faces Adversity
From celebrity parents bribing admissions officials, to debates over whether or not to consider race in admissions, it may seem like the rules for how to get accepted into the nation’s top universities are constantly shifting. One of the most controversial admission tools is standardized testing. Recently, the College Board–the company that administers the SAT–tried […]
School Lottery?
Last week, btw brought you the story of a recent college admissions scandal: fifty wealthy (some of them celebrity) parents who downright cheated to get their children admitted to prestigious U.S. universities. This has led to a nationwide conversation about who gets into the “good” colleges and who doesn’t, and how we can do a […]
Teachers Walk Out for Education
Last month, btw brought you the story of a statewide teachers’ walkout in Oklahoma that lasted for nine days. During that time, the striking teachers filled the statehouse, protesting the legislature which has been steadily taking away funding from public education. Despite not getting everything they had hoped for, the Oklahoma teachers did make some […]
Tips for Tests
It’s springtime, and you know what that means: it’s standardized test season again! btw can’t take the test for you, but what we can do is share with you some hints to help you do your best on testing day. Take Your Time Most standardized tests come with time limits, which encourage students to rush. […]
The Battle Over School Vouchers
The argument over private school choice has received a lot of attention in the media lately, with both President Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos expressing full support for the idea. Just in time for the end of the school year, btw takes a look at the fight over private school vouchers in Indiana, the […]
Every Student Succeeds Act Signed Into Law
At the start of the school year, btw brought you a story of this country’s history of education reform. Last week, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This legislation will replace the unpopular No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Law that went into effect in 2001 (which was a reauthorization of […]
Students Force Change at University of Missouri
It’s been more than a year since the shooting death of Michael Brown flared racial tensions in Ferguson, Missouri and led to massive protests. Earlier this month, protestors nearly 120 miles away at the the University of Missouri banded together to raise awareness of many ongoing incidents of racism at the school, as well as growing […]
A History of Educational Fixes
Right about now, more than 55 million kids are starting back to school in the United States. Thirty years ago, our nation’s education system was ranked one of the best in the world. Today, that brag is slipping further out of our grasp as our math rankings in particular continue to fall below our expectations. […]
Stuff YOU Should Know
Tom Hanks Has an App? Best Actor Winner. Movie star. Former sitcom star. All-around nice guy. Technology developer? Tom Hanks, known to many as that guy in Forrest Gump and Castaway, decided to take his love for vintage typewriters to a whole new level. Launched last month, Hanx Writer emulates the clacks and dings of […]
Recognizing Extraordinary Teachers
It’s not easy being a teacher, but they are vital to our society at large. We should really thank our teachers every day, but, in case you forget, you can take advantage of Teacher Appreciation Week coming up May 4 – 10. To honor the occasion, btw would like to highlight the notable accomplishments of […]