LSG

@tetheredtoed1 @researchED1 @researchED_US @stoneman_claire @MegVertebrae Thank you! Looking forward to it. I always learn so much.

@researchED1 @researchED_US NYC May 2 is stellar line up -- @LearnLead_ on district wide PD improvement, @stoneman_claire (!), @MegVertebrae Meg Lee on nation's first whole state learning science initiative in Maryland!

@MrZachG Looking forward to listening and learning!

🚨Lighthouse school! Inwood Academy for Leadership An NYC school with real challenges, pioneering the science of learning in practice. In this episode, we explore their journey and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. It's amazing. educationrickshaw.com/2026/03/15/s5e…

When a high percentage of students can’t read on grade level, school leaders face a defining moment. Incremental change isn’t enough. It takes urgency, focus, and the courage to challenge practices that aren’t working. Nothing matters more than ensuring students can read well.

@GTavernetti Looking forward to reading this!

Digital Captives will be available to the public this month. Watch this space.

@parthurgraff Yes. And tragic. I got rid of it in our district.

@LearnLead_ it's honestly shocking

I went down an i-Ready rabbit hole a couple weeks ago. This is a edtech platform used by ~ 1/3 of K-8 students in the country. Students are spending a massive amount of instructional time using their product. Yet, there are NO RCTs (experimental studies) and few external evaluations that demonstrate that their adaptive learning platform works 😶‍🌫️🙃 What evidence does exist? It doesn't get better..

@smorrisey @karenvaites One of my first orders of business was to remove iReady from the district.

@karenvaites My district used iReady for years. IReady said kids have to use 45 minutes a week to improve outcomes. I never had my Ss go on and my Ss outcomes in reading & math were still at the top despite not using. I was teaching my Ss instead. It's not rocket science.

The most striking part of the Ed Tech backlash is that it's coming primarily from parents. When you think about it, it's remarkable that we don't have outrage-inducing Ed Tech exposes from more teachers. (Yes, I know that job risk and pressure from admins to go along are factors. But educators can write anonymous blogs and posts.)

@MrZachG Very informative episode. I could listen to @Suchmo83 talk about literacy all day. Thank you, Zach!

Chris Such argues that we have got some things right and some things wrong in current discourse around early literacy and phonics instruction. Listen to the legend’s epic return in this fascinating podcast! educationrickshaw.com/2026/03/09/s5e…

@amypento Yesssss

@LearnLead_ Um...there's a 3rd edition?!

As a school leader, you quickly see how many snake-oil salesmen and special interests try to hijack school improvement. You have to be well read and read research to cut through the noise.Mike Schmoker’s books are the best—if improving student outcomes actually matters to you.

@S_Oberle This is incredible! Amazing what high expectations and explicit instruction can accomplish.

I am just so proud of these kids. They have gone from single sentences to informational paragraphs. Bet you didn’t know these facts about thorny devils! We are onto the Beijing Swift. Stay tuned.

@MrZachG @SBAENetwork When is this?

Thank you @SBAENetwork for the invitation to discuss “belief-based” vs. “evidence-based” education. The key difference, for me, is simple: if research started supporting minimally guided learning, the evidence-based response would be to adopt it.

When great leaders need clarity, they subtract. When everything is important, nothing is important.

@MrZachG It’s been a game changer for our students.

Implementation is key! What does it take to layer writing into an existing reading program? When schools attempt to integrate writing across classrooms, what supports—coaching, leadership, materials, collaboration—matter most? educationrickshaw.com/2026/03/01/s5e…

@SoLInTheWild @schools_us It really is pervasive and often hidden.

🚨More minimally guided discovery learning. Again, it will look structured, effective, and “student-centered” with all the buzzy “voice” and “choice” bells and whistles attached. This will be sold as “creative.” Students create something. But creating something does not mean they engaged in creative thinking. Creative thinking depends on deep, domain-specific knowledge. Creative thinking is the ability to generate novel ideas within a domain. It’s not making a Roman God playing card. You can’t think creatively about Ancient Rome if you barely know Ancient Rome. In this model, students “learn” by exploring on their own, then immediately create and explain. That’s not depth. That’s surface-level production. What about probable misconceptions and misunderstandings which will be encoded, retrieved, and shared during this process? All while the teacher does what exactly? And the “Explain” column? Record your biggest surprise? Why are we spending instructional minutes recording surprise reactions instead of building knowledge? The opportunity cost is enormous. Time spent on low-knowledge creation is time not spent on explicit instruction, guided practice, and retrieval. And then we wonder why students graduate high school knowing so little. Discovery hides inside “creativity.” Poor proxy products mask thin superficial knowledge. “Sharing” convinces you students are truly engaged and care. Don’t let anyone fool you. This is minimally guided discovery learning.

@rastokke @oliviajune82 Agree. It’s also rampant in discussions among decision makers in schools who have no awareness of the Instructional Hierarchy who say “I see both sides” or “it’s a balance.”

💡So many media articles are like this: Person 1: Explicit instruction & knowing times tables improves learning. Person 2: Direct teaching is rote & kills critical thinking. Person 3: The math wars! Both sides are right! Good teaching isn't about compromise. We know how to get this right.

@MrZachG Oh brother. 🤦‍♀️

It’s Déjà vu all over again with this article on growth mindset being the cure all for our math woes. hechingerreport.org/math-learning-…

@SoLInTheWild This is excellent! Looking forward to sharing with my colleagues. Thank you!

Minimally Guided Discovery Is Everywhere (It Just Doesn’t Look Like You Think) open.substack.com/pub/solinthewi… 6/6

Minimally guided discovery is everywhere. It just doesn’t look like what you think it should. It often looks like a highly structured worksheet and activity like this. 👇 🧵1/6

@LeslieLaud @MrZachG You are very kind. I’m very thankful for the support we receive that will ultimately change the life trajectories of our students for the better.

@LearnLead_ @MrZachG You are an inspired leader! I'm sure Zach is as awed by you as I am. You set an example that I hope many will follow. We only brought you a framework. You did the heavy lift and had the genius for uptake.

Writing is one of the most cognitively demanding things we ask students to do, and yet instruction can vary dramatically from classroom to classroom. Check out the latest episode with writing instruction expert, @LeslieLaud! educationrickshaw.com/2026/03/01/s5e…

@rastokke @sarahpowellphd Thank you Anna and Sarah for this episode. Keep turning over those rocks! Our students deserve access to effective math instruction.

So many positive messages streaming in about my latest episode w/ @sarahpowellphd 🎧Have you listened yet? We respond to the NCSM statement criticizing the Science of Math and confront the real issue: resistance to evidence is alive and well in math education. Links below 👇