Walt Gardner

Education commentator for newspapers and magazines internationally; currently writing The EdHed blog (

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Free speech is not an absolute right, which is something college presidents forget.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

It's time to give teaching greater weight in awarding tenure.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

College presidents are ultimately responsible for the chaos on campuses.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

It's time to accept that not everyone is college material rather than continue to believe otherwise.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Student protests today, unlike those of the past, are personal, inflicting pain on Jewish students.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Employers are finally seeking skills rather than degrees in hiring.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Unmotivated students can become motivated when they see a connection between what they are studying and their lives.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Bilingual education in this country has always been controversial and will continue to be so.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Algebra continues to be controversial because it is not relevant to most students' lives.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Applicants to Harvard and other elite schools are all so well qualified that a simple flip of the coin should be used to determine those to admit.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Student surveys of teacher effectiveness are subject to bias.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Parental choice is the best way to help Black and Hispanic students.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Jewish students are rightly being warned to avoid applying to colleges where anti-semitism exists.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

It's not true that teachers want to be principals.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Fafsa is shorter in length, but it still needs revision.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Rural states now support school choice.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

The SAT's appeal to admission officers was its ability to compare test takers. It's unclear if the new version will be able to do that.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Arming teachers is risky because they are not properly trained.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

The solution to the shortage of substitute teachers is to pay them a premium for their services since many retired teachers would welcome the additional income.

[Walt Gardner @waltxyz]

Academic freedom and free speech are not the same.