mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum
@mattbarnum.bsky.social
4.9K followers 410 following 90 posts
Ideas editor at Chalkbeat [email protected]
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 11d
thanks, Doug, that's very nice and I do indeed plan to dive back into some more research-focused topics.
mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 11d
thank you, that's very kind, Gail!
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 12d
My last piece at WSJ looks at how traditional public schools are trying to win back students and the public in the face of intense political pressure, declining birth rates, and more competition.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
At the Epicenter of School Choice, Arizona Public Schools Battle Existential Crisis
Educators fight back against falling enrollments and rising competition. One idea: mimic restaurant-industry focus on customer service.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 15d
it's not quite right that scores have gone down even further since the pandemic ended. (Two data points between 2019 and 2024 can't speak to this!) Depending on which data you look at things have probably gotten worse in reading, but notably better in math.
mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 16d
thanks, Larry, that's incredibly kind.
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 16d
Leaving the Journal—the job of a lifetime with so many terrific colleagues—was a difficult decision. Yet I'm convinced we need fresh, clear thinking about the various challenges facing U.S. schools. Hard news coverage is not always conducive to that. I’m excited to try something new at Chalkbeat.
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 16d
This is my last week at the Wall Street Journal.

I'll be returning to Chalkbeat to launch a new section focused on the big ideas and debates in American education. More on this soon!

You can sign up to keep following my work here:
www.chalkbeat.org/newsletters/...
Chalkbeat
A free newsletter from Chalkbeat with the most important education news across America — sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every week.
www.chalkbeat.org
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · 29d
New: A look at the latest 12th grade test scores, which paint a grim picture.*

*Officials acknowledge, though, that rising graduation rates could complicate the longer-run interpretation of these results if more low-performing students are now taking the test.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Twelfth-Grade Math and Reading Scores in U.S. Hit New Low
The declines deepen slides that began before the pandemic.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Aug 25
New: The Trump administration is now targeting race-neutral efforts to achieve racial diversity. This marks a striking shift from what some opponents of affirmative action had previously argued. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
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Reposted by Matt Barnum
laurameckler.bsky.social
Laura Meckler @laurameckler.bsky.social · Aug 18
Our look at huge changes to civil rights enforcement for schools:
-A reversal in what's considered discrimination w/ reverse racial discrimination and transgender sports cases prioritized
-Severe staff cuts leaving thousands of others unresolved.
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Under Trump, the Education Dept. has flipped its civil rights mission
The administration is prioritizing allegations that transgender students and students of color are getting unfair advantages while a backlog of other cases grows.
www.washingtonpost.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Aug 18
New: The Education Department's cuts have left the niche, government-backed "industry" of education research in a dire state.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Trump’s Job Cuts Leave a Profession Looking for Its Next Act
Niche researchers in a government-dependent education field are trying to pivot. “There are no crops coming out of this ground anymore.”
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 31
yes, I agree this is such a good point, which the story gets into, that I hadn't thought of initially either
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Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 31
What are the top books assigned in U.S. high schools? Turns out they're mostly the same as thirty years ago. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Exclusive | The Most-Taught Books in American Classrooms Have Barely Changed in 30 Years
“Romeo and Juliet,” “The Great Gatsby” and other classics still dominate school reading lists.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 14
New: SCOTUS clears the way for Trump's deep staffing cuts at the Education Department

www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Supreme Court Clears Way for Trump to Shrink Education Department
The decision lifts a lower-court order that blocked mass layoffs at the agency.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 8
right. my only point was that I'm not sure we have a clean test of the hypothesis that learning loss was worse in places with higher performing school systems.
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 8
though I'm not sure if we knew which countries have low- or high-performing *school systems,* as distinct from the performance of students (which are of course shaped by many factors outside of schools)
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 7
One interpretation is that the least effective school systems would have the least amount of learning loss (all else equal)—i.e. depriving students of less effective schooling wouldn't matter as much. What do you make of that?
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jul 7
New: Schools and education leaders are in a bind this summer after learning last week that several billion dollars of federal funding may not show up after all.

www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Trump’s $7 Billion Education Funding Freeze Blindsides Schools
Superintendents are scrambling to figure out what to do with programs funded by the money now under review.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 27
New: Democrats find themselves increasingly divided over how to approach K-12 education. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Debate Over Improving Public Schools Is Dividing Democrats
Some Democrats are using tough rhetoric about public-school performance, signaling an emerging divide within the party over K-12 education.
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 25
the decline in charter enrollment surprised me, and seems different than in other states, but probably reflects the policy environment in MA (and also perhaps the importance of accounting for pre-trends)
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 23
New: The school choice/voucher proposal embedded in the tax bill would expand subsidies for private schools—and savvy investors. www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
The Tax Bill Would Deliver a Big Win for Private Schools—and Investors
School-choice advocates see a ‘revolution within the tax code.’
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 13
-McMahon said she needs to look into whether teaching about the Tulsa race massacre could constitute illegal DEI (19:20)
-She says charter schools are "public" entities. (20:20)
-She agrees undocumented children have the right to a free public education. (20:40)
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 13
My full interview with Linda McMahon. www.wsj.com/video/series...

A few interesting tidbits:
-She briefly appears to conflate foreign 'activists' and 'terrorists' (2:00)
-She reiterates that only Congress can close USED (10:30)
...
Linda McMahon on Harvard, Closing the DOE and More: Extended Interview
Education Secretary Linda McMahon spoke with WSJ about the administration’s escalating fight with Harvard, her plans to close DOE and how she’s handling a backlog of civil-rights complaints with a red...
www.wsj.com
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mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · Jun 12
New: Linda McMahon is seeking to shutter the Education Department—while also expanding its reach into schools and universities. www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
Linda McMahon: The Public Face of Trump’s Fight Against ‘Woke’ Education
The secretary is working to refashion the Education Department in a smaller, Trump-infused image.
www.wsj.com
mattbarnum.bsky.social
Matt Barnum @mattbarnum.bsky.social · May 22
Big day for education law.

SCOTUS deadlocks 4-4 on religious charters, meaning this issue remains unsettled www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Lower court halts Trump's effort to dimantle USED. Admin says they'll appeal www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Supreme Court Deadlock Blocks State Funding for Religious Charter Schools
The 4-4 vote, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself, delivers an unexpected setback for social conservatives.
www.wsj.com
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