Graduate Schools of Education Are Poisoning the Well

The Wall Street Journal editorial board reported this week that Chinese students are lapping U.S. children, particularly in math. The latest Program for International Student Assessment results show math scores in China up 21 points while U.S. scores fell 15 points.

“While 8% of U.S. students rated ‘top performers’ in math, 54% did in mainland China,” the Journal notes—and this is all while the U.S. spends far more per student.

Why is this happening?

There are many culprits, but top of mind today is what teachers are being taught in graduate schools of education. Daniel Buck’s new report for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) gives us the latest look inside those programs.

Buck reviewed more than 400 readings from 75 courses at eight graduate schools of education. Much of what he found will be familiar to anyone who has followed the debasement of American education. But what he found regarding math instruction did stand out: teachers are basically being taught not to teach it.