Looking Around at the Milestone Markers: Where Have We Come?

It is graduation time. After the celebration and the well-wishing for our graduating students, let’s take a few minutes to assess where education is. I know, we are all very interested in taking off, going for summer, sitting by a pool; but just a minute, let’s see how we as educators and administrators are doing.…

The Self-Esteem Movement in Teaching: Results?

There has been a movement for at least 20 years to boost self-esteem in children. Why did this ever get going? Baumeister et. al. trace the literature to California Assemblyman John Vascocellos arguing that raising self-esteem in youth would reduce crime, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, school underachievement and pollution (p.1) but even after nine years…