Education Policy | Penn Today

Expert: Retention strategies could help teacher shortage

Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education and School of Arts and Sciences said the majority of teachers who leave the profession do so because of the working conditions. “It’s not about the person,” he says. “It has to do with the schools.”

Photoshop image illustrating online learning

The future of learning is digital

Penn GSE’s Yasmin Kafai, a learning scientist who has designed tools and communities to promote coding, crafting, and creativity, believes we need to change how we think about teaching and learning, while making sure every child has a chance to develop these vital skills.

Teachers have trust issues

Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education spoke about teachers’ increasingly numerous targets for mistrust, which range from philanthropic groups to government agencies. “The skepticism of authority is not new,” he said. “But the skepticism of those authorities is new, because the political realm changed to allow them to exert a whole lot more power and prominence.”

The truth about bilingualism: It’s only for some students

Dual-language programs are on the rise in U.S. schools—and these programs are often concentrated in affluent or gentrifying neighborhoods. Penn GSE’s Nelson Flores, writing for EdWeek’s “10 Big Ideas in Education” report, explains that inequitable participation contributes to a hierarchy between racialized and elite bilingualism, creating challenges for schools and school leaders.

Richard Ingersoll lecturing and pointing at a screen

The transformation of the teaching workforce

Updated research from the Graduate School of Education’s Richard Ingersoll finds new trends in America’s schools.

Philadelphia skyline with view of the Schuylkill River

New fellowship offers undergrads unfiltered, frank access to city leaders

Through the program, offered by the Penn Institute for Urban Research, 14 students will meet with a former Philadelphia mayor, Philly’s current director of planning and development, and more.

six kids in private school uniforms and backpacks running into school

Should tax dollars support private schools?

Penn GSE’s Rand Quinn offers an overview on the state of vouchers under the Trump administration and new research on Americans’ views.

Pa. AG Shapiro claims win vs. Navient student loan servicer

The Graduate School of Education’s Laura Perna spoke about academics’ frustrations with predatory practices in the student loan industry. “We have this structural reliance on loan servicers,” she explained. “If they’re not doing their job, it’s a problem.”

view-of-stage-at-knowledge-for-good-panel-with-amy-gutmann

‘The Power of Penn’ propels forward

In Los Angeles, President Amy Gutmann continues the kickoff of the University’s bold campaign to raise $4.1 billion.

After years of watching top students leave for other states, U. of I. and lawmakers begin to respond

Joni Finney of the Graduate School of Education discussed her work consulting with Illinois legislators on policy development. She advised the state to devote more resources to their underfunded Monetary Award Program, which offers grants to low-income students.

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