Education Curriculum
California
Ben Austin – Can Sacramento Actually Fix California’s Underperforming Public Schools?
Ben Austin, longtime politico who has worked in both Democrat and Republican administrations in California and Washington, DC and now founding director of Education Civil Rights Now – a national non-profit with the mission of establishing a constitutional right to a high-quality public education for all students – joins PRI’s ...
Pacific Research Institute
April 28, 2025
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Six ways Trump administration will change urban policy
The following policy possibilities have been derived largely from Trump’s statements. Housing. “We’re going to open up tracks of federal land for housing construction,” the real estate magnate announced on Aug. 15 at a news conference. “We desperately need housing for people who can’t afford what’s going on now.” He ...
John Seiler
January 27, 2025
Blog
Learn how poorly California students scored on the latest national literacy test
Low Adult Literacy Screams for Science-of-Reading Instruction in Schools
The United States ranks 36th in the world at a 79% literacy rate, which is quite terrible considering the US’s status as one of the most developed nations in the world. “Developed nations consistently boast adult literacy rates of 96% or higher, while the least developed countries struggle with an ...
Matthew Fleming
December 2, 2024
Education
Norton Rainey – CEO of Ace Scholarships on School Choice
Our guest on this week’s podcast is Norton Rainey, CEO of Ace Scholarships, an organization focused on securing financial support for low-income kids to attend great schools. We chat with Norton about their recent education survey of parents and their thoughts on school choice. We also discuss the many advancements ...
Pacific Research Institute
November 4, 2024
Classroom Ideology
Learn more about the math and literacy crisis
Dr. Lance Izumi On Why Kids Can’t Read or Do Math
Dr. Lance Izumi, senior director of the Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Education, recently wrote “The Great Classroom Collapse.” The book centers around a fundamental question: Why can’t kids today read or do math? In an attempt to answer that question, “The Great Classroom Collapse” is divided into three sections: ...
Lance Izumi
October 23, 2024
Classroom Ideology
Listen to Lance Izumi discuss “The Great Classroom Collapse” on “Freedom in Action” on KQMS Radio
Listen to Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, discuss his latest book The Great Classroom Collapse with host Kelly Frost on “Freedom in Action” on KQMS Radio in Redding. Click to listen to the interview Click to listen to a short promo of the interview:
Tim Anaya
September 21, 2024
Blog
Learn how public schools are failing our students
Why are math scores cratering? Blame progressive math instruction.
Recently, as I was sitting in the dentist’s chair, I mentioned to my dental hygienist that I had just written a new book entitled The Great Classroom Collapse, which tells the stories of students, parents, and teachers who are experiencing the implosion of math and reading learning in America’s schools. ...
Lance Izumi
September 11, 2024
Blog
CAPITAL IDEAS – Dim View: New PRI Poll Shows Just 4 out of 10 Voters Rate their Local School Boards Positively
As school boards grapple with issues ranging from poor student achievement scores in reading and math on state and national tests to widespread student behavior and discipline problems to ideological controversies, the public is less than happy with the performance of their school boards in the face of these challenges. ...
Lance Izumi
September 3, 2024
Commentary
Read about science of reading legislation
Read Lance Izumi in the NY Post: How politics is getting in the way of teaching kids to read
The inability of America’s children to read proficiently is frightening. On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth-grade reading exam, 66% of students taking the exam failed to achieve at the proficient level. The results were even worse on the eighth grade reading exam, with 69% of students ...
Lance Izumi
August 12, 2024
Charter School
Lance Izumi – The Great Classroom Collapse
Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, joins us to discuss his latest book The Great Classroom Collapse, which investigates the implosion of rigor and learning in America’s schools. He shares the stories of some of the parents, teachers, and policymakers he profiles in the book and discusses ...
Pacific Research Institute
July 16, 2024
Ben Austin – Can Sacramento Actually Fix California’s Underperforming Public Schools?
Ben Austin, longtime politico who has worked in both Democrat and Republican administrations in California and Washington, DC and now founding director of Education Civil Rights Now – a national non-profit with the mission of establishing a constitutional right to a high-quality public education for all students – joins PRI’s ...
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Six ways Trump administration will change urban policy
The following policy possibilities have been derived largely from Trump’s statements. Housing. “We’re going to open up tracks of federal land for housing construction,” the real estate magnate announced on Aug. 15 at a news conference. “We desperately need housing for people who can’t afford what’s going on now.” He ...
Learn how poorly California students scored on the latest national literacy test
Low Adult Literacy Screams for Science-of-Reading Instruction in Schools
The United States ranks 36th in the world at a 79% literacy rate, which is quite terrible considering the US’s status as one of the most developed nations in the world. “Developed nations consistently boast adult literacy rates of 96% or higher, while the least developed countries struggle with an ...
Norton Rainey – CEO of Ace Scholarships on School Choice
Our guest on this week’s podcast is Norton Rainey, CEO of Ace Scholarships, an organization focused on securing financial support for low-income kids to attend great schools. We chat with Norton about their recent education survey of parents and their thoughts on school choice. We also discuss the many advancements ...
Learn more about the math and literacy crisis
Dr. Lance Izumi On Why Kids Can’t Read or Do Math
Dr. Lance Izumi, senior director of the Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Education, recently wrote “The Great Classroom Collapse.” The book centers around a fundamental question: Why can’t kids today read or do math? In an attempt to answer that question, “The Great Classroom Collapse” is divided into three sections: ...
Listen to Lance Izumi discuss “The Great Classroom Collapse” on “Freedom in Action” on KQMS Radio
Listen to Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, discuss his latest book The Great Classroom Collapse with host Kelly Frost on “Freedom in Action” on KQMS Radio in Redding. Click to listen to the interview Click to listen to a short promo of the interview:
Learn how public schools are failing our students
Why are math scores cratering? Blame progressive math instruction.
Recently, as I was sitting in the dentist’s chair, I mentioned to my dental hygienist that I had just written a new book entitled The Great Classroom Collapse, which tells the stories of students, parents, and teachers who are experiencing the implosion of math and reading learning in America’s schools. ...
CAPITAL IDEAS – Dim View: New PRI Poll Shows Just 4 out of 10 Voters Rate their Local School Boards Positively
As school boards grapple with issues ranging from poor student achievement scores in reading and math on state and national tests to widespread student behavior and discipline problems to ideological controversies, the public is less than happy with the performance of their school boards in the face of these challenges. ...
Read about science of reading legislation
Read Lance Izumi in the NY Post: How politics is getting in the way of teaching kids to read
The inability of America’s children to read proficiently is frightening. On the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) fourth-grade reading exam, 66% of students taking the exam failed to achieve at the proficient level. The results were even worse on the eighth grade reading exam, with 69% of students ...
Lance Izumi – The Great Classroom Collapse
Lance Izumi, senior director of PRI’s Center for Education, joins us to discuss his latest book The Great Classroom Collapse, which investigates the implosion of rigor and learning in America’s schools. He shares the stories of some of the parents, teachers, and policymakers he profiles in the book and discusses ...