John H. Zurn
My Blog
The Subject We Have Forgotten to Teach
Teachers and parents spend an amazing amount of time blaming each other for the state of modern childhood, which is a little like the quarterback and the coach arguing while the other team is scoring touchdowns. The truth is that both groups want exactly the...
Character Counts More Than Calculus
For forty years, I had a front-row seat to American education. I began as a teacher, moved into administration, and spent the final twenty-eight years of my career as a Head of School in independent K–8 schools. During that time, I watched thousands of students...
Why Schools Must Lead the Character Revolution
For generations, schools have been remarkably successful at teaching children how to solve for x, diagram a sentence, and remember just enough history to pass Friday's quiz. Unfortunately, life has changed faster than the curriculum. Today's children are...
Parents and Teachers Have More in Common Than They Think
If there is one thing capable of derailing a child’s success faster than a forgotten science project on the morning it is due, it is a disconnect between what parents believe and what schools believe. When families and educators pull in different directions,...
Stories from the Classroom: Jackson
Jackson was a difficult student, though not in the traditional sense. He wasn't disruptive, lazy, or prone to launching paper airplanes across the room. His problem was that he was exceptionally bright and knew it. As his fourth-grade teacher, I occasionally...
Traits for Success
The Case for Character Education in American Schools
