First private tutoring session lined up. Check. Lesson plan created. Check. What else should you do to set the tone for a good relationship between you, the pupil, and the parents? Here are some questions to ask the parents that will get everyone on the same page. Are there any safety issues I should be […] … learn more→

The #MeToo campaign has focused attention on workplace bullying, sexual harassment and assault. Are such revelations a surprise to an astronomer, like myself, who studies distant galaxies? No. I, along with the science and academic communities, have been directly confronted by these issues in recent years. Bullying, sexual harassment and assault is prevalent at universities and […] … learn more→

I try to focus on higher education, but the interconnectedness of the modern world (more accurately, government involvement in everything) means that I often have to look beyond the ivory tower to gain a better understanding of what’s going on inside the tower. Our public education system is pretty bonkers about guns now. It’s weird […] … learn more→

Millions of people all over the world are experiencing mental health problems. And though the causes vary, we know that half of all these illnesses will have started in childhood or the teenage years. In the UK, referrals for and reports of teenagers with depression and anxiety and other mental issues have risen significantly in recent decades […] … learn more→

Practically since birth, our children have been indoctrinated into believing they must go to college after high school. Hey, there really was a time when going to college was both a privilege and a valid path into a better life. But it’s not a privilege any more. Every state has multiple “open admissions” schools eager […] … learn more→

Despite legitimate concerns about the effects of placing school resource officers in the nation’s schools, the reality is having these officers on a school’s campus can literally save lives and avert tragedy. That much became clear on March 20, when school resource officer Blaine Gaskill rushed toward a shooter who had opened fire at Great Mills High School in […] … learn more→

I am an academic with dyslexia and I would like to share my story with you. Dyslexia in academia is a conundrum – it is basically a learning difficulty, and coping with dyslexia is a very personal journey. It is different for everyone. For me, dyslexia affects – among other skills – my maths, sciences […] … learn more→

The canteen at HMP Isis is no genteel tearoom, but today it could be mistaken for one. Staff and family members of inmates at the young offenders’ institution mingle among tables covered in white cloths, helping themselves to items from the buffet prepared by prisoners on the institution’s catering course. Emily Thomas, the prison governor, […] … learn more→

When it comes to school discipline, the fact that low-income and minority students are more likely to get suspended than students who are white or more well off is nothing new. In an effort to turn things around, some education policymakers are beginning to take a critical look at the use of school suspensions. A recent example is this […] … learn more→

When 17 students and teachers were murdered on what should have been a peaceful school day, students across the US took to the streets to demand change. The outpouring of protests in the wake of the tragic mass-shooting in Parkland, Florida earlier this year is an important reminder that students can challenge the status quo. […] … learn more→