School Yourself

For the antidote to sloppy skepticism about Mississippi, look to Louisiana

Tired of the Mississippi mistrust doom loop? Louisiana offers a counterweight. The Bayou State deserves more attention for its own smart model, anyway.

Dec 3 • 

Karen Vaites

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7

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November 2025

Georgia on my mind (‘cause it’s a cautionary tale)

The lesson from Georgia: When state lists are a mixed bag, districts pick the weaker stuff.

Nov 19 • 

Karen Vaites

 and 

Curriculum Insight Project

14

8

How book-rich, knowledge-rich curriculum is fueling the Southern Surge

Louisiana and Tennessee brought "knowledge-building," book-centered curriculum into statewide use, and reading gains followed.

Nov 12 • 

Karen Vaites

 and 

Curriculum Insight Project

26

10

16

Our Curriculum Review Landscape is ‘Frankly Bananas’

Read up on the issues with curriculum reviews in America.

Nov 11 • 

Karen Vaites

1

1

2

Massachusetts MoJo: Will a Deep-Blue State Lead on Curriculum Reform?

All eyes on Massachusetts as landmark literacy legislation advances to the Senate in a bellwether blue state.

Nov 2 • 

Karen Vaites

 and 

Curriculum Insight Project

21

9

11

October 2025

Lessons from the Balanced Literacy superintendents’ revolt against curriculum improvement

With all eyes on the Massachusetts reading bill, I’m republishing my 2024 column on the state's Balanced Literacy holdouts.

Oct 30 • 

Karen Vaites

5

1

The Southern Surge Watershed

National interest in the Southern Surge has finally surged. Here's a sober look at the prospects for replication.

Oct 23 • 

Karen Vaites

35

6

21

March 2025

Wisconsin's woeful education track record has local and national implications

Jill Underly's tenure offers a cautionary tale for proponents of block grants and legislated literacy reforms.

Mar 31 • 

Karen Vaites

12

4

7

Few states track and publish curriculum used in each district, and this needs to change ASAP

Memo to state leaders: you need to provide a window into curriculum selections, to empower researchers educators, and parents alike.

Mar 12 • 

Karen Vaites

 and 

Curriculum Insight Project

22

7

15

February 2025

Ohio offers an object lesson on issues in the curriculum space

With renewed attention to Ohio’s curriculum list, I’m republishing an important column with national implications.

Feb 21 • 

Karen Vaites

8

2

5

Did seventeen states just move to gut children’s disability protections by accident?

Understanding the new lawsuit from 17 state Attorneys General, amidst a sea of confusion.

Feb 19 • 

Karen Vaites

11

6

The Southern Surge: Understanding the Bright Spots in the Literacy Landscape

Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama offer a playbook for improving reading outcomes.

Feb 15 • 

Karen Vaites

88

18

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